Former Arkansas Official Charged With 65 Felonies in Bar Exam Score Tampering Scandal

Arkansas Bar Exam Official Charged with 65 Felonies in Score Tampering Scandal

On Thursday, Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Karen Baker and six other justices announced that a former state bar exam official has been charged with 65 felony counts of tampering with public records. The charges stem from an investigation into allegations that bar examination scores were manipulated, resulting in some applicants receiving passing scores they did not earn, while at least one applicant who should have passed was given a failing mark. The allegations, detailed in a joint press release from the justices, span five years and involve the deletion of approximately 11,400 required files, according to Talk Business & Politics.

The story, first reported by Talk Business & Politics, describes an unprecedented breach of trust within the Arkansas legal system. The charges against Nancie Givens, the former executive director of the Supreme Court’s Office of Professional Programs, involve eight administrations of the Arkansas Bar Examination between July 2020 and July 2025. Each of the 65 counts is a Class C felony, as confirmed by the Sixth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s office, which also reported on the charges filed by the Sixth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney’s office.

The Mechanism of the Alleged Manipulation

The internal review conducted by the Arkansas Supreme Court uncovered a disturbing pattern of score alteration. In their joint statement, the six justices explained that evidence points to a systematic transfer of points between examinees who took the same test. “Evidence exists that Givens harvested points from a number of examinees’ scores and then added them to other examinees’ scores within the same test administration,” the justices wrote. This process allegedly resulted in some applicants receiving the minimum passing score of 270, while others had their scores unjustly lowered.

One particularly egregious example cited in the review involved an examinee who should have received the highest score on an examination but allegedly had points deducted. As a result, another applicant was incorrectly identified as the top scorer. The justices also noted at least one instance in which an applicant’s score was altered from passing to failing.

A Trail of Deleted Records

The scandal took a more alarming turn when officials discovered a massive number of missing records. Givens resigned from her position in February 2026. Following her departure, Robert Brech, the executive director of the Office of Professional Conduct, was tasked with supervising the bar exam office. During a review of its records, Brech discovered that approximately 11,400 files had been deleted or rendered unavailable in early January.

Most of the missing files were bar examination applications, applicant profiles, and score sheets that the office was required to retain for 25 years under Supreme Court rules. Reached for comment by Talk Business & Politics, Brech declined to elaborate further, citing the ongoing federal and state investigations. His initial discovery prompted a referral to state and federal authorities, including the Arkansas State Police and the FBI, which have been investigating the matter since April 2026.

“To preserve the integrity of the active and ongoing investigation, the court declines to make further comment at this time.”

Chief Justice Karen Baker issued a separate, more concise statement confirming the charges but providing fewer details than the joint statement from her six colleagues. The six other justices, in their more detailed release, emphasized their priority is protecting litigants, the integrity of the legal profession, and public confidence in the administration of justice.

Applicants to Be Notified of Results

While the scale of the manipulation is significant, the justices sought to reassure the public that the vast majority of applicants who were informed they passed the bar did, in fact, pass. They stated that applicants whose results were affected would be notified as soon as their status could be definitively confirmed. However, the releases did not specify how many applicants may have received incorrect scores or whether any individuals were admitted to practice law based on the altered results.

“As Prosecuting Attorney, I recognize the responsibility Ms. Givens was entrusted with to safeguard the accuracy of bar examination results and preserve the records supporting them,” Jones said. His office has not disclosed a motive for the alleged conduct, and the investigation remains ongoing.

In response to the crisis, the court announced that new testing procedures and security measures were implemented for the February 2026 bar examination. Givens has also been referred to the Office of Professional Conduct for a separate investigation into potential violations of the Arkansas Rules of Professional Conduct. The court is now working with investigators to recover the missing data and determine the full scope of the alleged misconduct.

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