Arkansas Supreme Court Associate Justice Barbara Webb has been recovering from a serious head injury since May 6, 2026. The 69-year-old jurist slipped and struck her head on her kitchen’s wood floor. At the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, she underwent surgery. before relocating to a Houston facility for physical, occupational and speech therapy.

The injury, and the physical, occupational and speech therapy that accompany brain injury recovery, have kept Webb off the bench for months, leaving the seven-member court a justice short. Because at least four justices must concur to decide a case, her absence raised the risk of tie votes and stalled rulings. This was of particular concern now, as high-profile disputes over abortion, school vouchers and executions are advancing toward the fall term.

To fill the gap, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed attorney Cory Cox as special justice, a temporary replacement, on August 19, 2026. Cox shares Webb’s conservative outlook, thereby preserving the court’s balance. “As we pray for Justice Webb’s recovery, I know Cory has the character and work ethic to serve on the Court,” Sanders said.