Texarkana Arkansas School District is proud to name the Honorable Carlton Jones, the 2014-15 Distinguished Alumni. Judge Jones was honored among friends and family on January 29, at the Arkansas High School Red Wall.
Born February 18, 1961, to R.G. and Izora Jones of Texarkana, Judge Jones is the tenth of eleven children in his family. At the age of six, Judge Jones began school at Carver Elementary and completed his primary and secondary school years in the Texarkana Arkansas School District. In 1979, Judge Jones graduated from Arkansas High with honors.
Jones was recently elected the first black circuit judge of the 8th Judicial District South in Arkansas. Judge Jones began his career as an attorney with the East Arkansas Legal Services in Helena, Arkansas. The experience instilled in him a great appreciation for the good an attorney in public service can accomplish. In December of 1989, Judge Jones accepted the position of Deputy Prosecuting Attorney – Eighth Judicial District. January 2, 1990, was his first day on the job and the beginning of a journey that would expose him to the world of prosecution and the criminal justice system.
Since that time, Judge Jones has participated in the prosecution of thousands of criminal cases ranging in severity and scope from traffic ticket to capital murder. Through years of experience, Judge Jones has honed his skills in evaluating a case for the purpose of initiating prosecution or declining to prosecute. “Working in a prosecutor’s office teaches you much about the fair administration of justice and even more about the allocation of scarce resources,” commented Judge Jones.
Judge Jones currently serves as Trustee-Lonoke Baptist Church, chairperson on the Board of Directors for Faith, Love and Hope, secretary for the Department of
Human Services State Instructional Systems Board of Directors, member of the Christus St. Michael Hospital Board of Directors, and the Texarkana Volunteer
Center Board of Directors.
