Nancie Givens Faces 65 Counts of Tampering With Public Records

Nancie Givens faces 65 criminal counts

Nancie Givens, the former director of the Office of Professional Conduct and Programs (OPP), faces 65 counts of tampering with a public record, according to reports from Armoney and Politics.

The charges follow an internal review by the Supreme Court of Arkansas that uncovered irregularities in how the state's bar examinations were administered. Prosecutors in the Sixth Judicial District filed the formal criminal charges after discovering discrepancies in exam scores spanning a five-year period.

Arkansas bar examiner charged with 65 counts of record tampering

The investigation, which focused on activities between July 2020 and July 2025, suggests a systematic compromise of the legal licensing process in Arkansas.

Givens allegedly switched exam scores and deleted files

The allegations against Givens involve direct interference with the integrity of the Arkansas Bar examination. Prosecutors allege that Givens switched scores on at least eight different exams. This included one instance where she reportedly reported a failing grade for an examinee who had actually passed the exam.

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Beyond altering individual results, the scope of the alleged misconduct includes a massive loss of institutional data. Authorities claim Givens deleted approximately 11,400 exam files during her tenure.

These actions strike at the core of the judicial system’s gatekeeping mechanism. The bar exam serves as the primary filter to ensure that only qualified individuals enter the legal profession, and any breach in that process threatens the competence of the state’s entire legal workforce.

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The Supreme Court’s response

Chief Justice Karen Baker issued a statement on Friday confirming that the internal review had identified these irregularities within the OPP and the administration of the exams. The discovery has prompted an immediate shift in how the court manages its professional oversight responsibilities.

“Moving forward, we are committed to holding those involved accountable, taking continued corrective oversight of the Arkansas Bar examination and determining the appropriate course of action.”

The remaining six justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court issued a joint statement echoing this commitment to accountability and oversight. They emphasized that the court is currently determining the necessary steps to rectify the administrative failures uncovered by the review.

Arkansas bar exam score-tampering probe leads to 65 felony counts

The legal implications of these charges extend far beyond the individual actions of a single employee. If the allegations are proven, the integrity of every bar exam administered during the five-year window in question may be called into question. This creates a profound dilemma for the state: determining which candidates were unfairly failed and which may have been improperly admitted to the bar.

The scale of the alleged data destruction—over 11,000 files—suggests a level of administrative disruption that will likely require extensive forensic auditing to resolve. As the criminal case proceeds in the Sixth Judicial District, the Arkansas Supreme Court faces the dual challenge of prosecuting the former director while simultaneously rebuilding the trust and security of its professional licensing protocols.