Cody Hiland was appointed to the Arkansas Supreme Court on Monday by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, heralding a conservative majority on the court.
Arkansas, the last Southern state to turn red, is becoming even more so in the brief tenure of Sanders, who took office in January.
State Republicans last year elected the 51-year-old Hiland as chairman of the state party. From 2017 to 2020, he served as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas following his appointment by then-President Donald Trump.
Hiland also served as legal counsel for the Arkansas Department of Public Safety and prosecutor for the 20th Judicial District of Arkansas.
He was active in Sanders’ 2022 campaign for governor.
“Today, I appointed former prosecutor and U.S. attorney Cody Hiland to the Arkansas Supreme Court — marking the first time the Court will have a conservative majority,” the governor tweeted Monday.
“Cody brings decades of legal experience to the job — and I am confident he will serve our state well,” she said.
Sanders’ appointment of Hiland came as the result of the recent death from leukemia of 70-year-old Justice Robin Wynne.
Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton tweeted that Hiland’s appointment was “an outstanding selection.”
“Cody Hiland is a good friend who is fair, impartial, and will apply the law without favor,” the Republican said.
“A great day for Arkansas.”Asked to comment on the appointment, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin referred The Western Journal to social media, where he tweeted a description of Hiland as “an outstanding appointment.”