Six judges in south Arkansas want to recuse from hearing a case involving a Union County justice of the peace accused of firing an assault rifle as a warning to two hunters.

Fifty-five-year-old Jack Reynolds of El Dorado faces seven felony counts of aggravated assault. The judges asked off the case because Reynolds is on the county government's finance committee, which determines the budgets for judicial offices.

Court documents filed by prosecutors allege Reynolds confronted hunters John Gregory Booker and Earnest Hampton during a dispute on March 12th.

The men told investigators they had permission to be on the land and were clearing a site to string a power line for a recreational vehicle when Reynolds approached them.

The men said he fired over their heads and told them to never come back. In a prepared statement, Reynolds acknowledged firing into the air.

Reynolds is free on a 25,000-dollar bond but had to surrender his firearms.
      
 

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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