Arkansas Supreme Court Yanks Judge Elmore Off Spencer Case — Bob Motta Breaks Down What Happens Next
Arkansas Supreme Court Yanks Judge Elmore Off Spencer Case — Bob Motta Breaks Down What Happens Next  
Podcast: Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
Published On: Sun Feb 01 2026
Description: The Arkansas Supreme Court just removed Judge Barbara Elmore from Aaron Spencer's murder trial—and appointed a retired judge from the opposite end of the state to take over. This wasn't a close call. Three justices wanted Elmore gone since May, when the high court struck down her gag order as a "plain, manifest, clear, and gross abuse of discretion." Seven months later, she tried again—different restrictions, same constitutional problems. This time they didn't just reverse her. They pulled her entirely. Elmore is the same judge who released Michael Fosler on bond after he was charged with 43 felonies including alleged rape of a minor, sexual assault, and child pornography. Fosler is the man Aaron Spencer killed after, according to the defense, he showed up with Spencer's 14-year-old daughter in his vehicle at 1 a.m. Spencer told authorities he rammed Fosler's truck off the road and shot him after Fosler allegedly lunged at him. Now 14 Republican state legislators have filed a formal complaint with the Judicial Discipline Commission about fair trial concerns. The Supreme Court granted a Writ of Certiorari to review Elmore's prior rulings—potentially reopening decisions that shaped the entire pretrial process. Defense attorney Bob Motta was in that Arkansas courtroom when the news broke. He joins us to analyze what it takes for a state supreme court to remove a judge mid-case, what retired Judge Ralph Wilson brings to one of the most watched trials in the state, and whether the prosecution might finally reconsider charges that public sentiment has turned against. The dashcam footage that could have supported self-defense reportedly vanished. But the bodycam showing Spencer's grief when he learned about his daughter? Prosecutors want that in front of the jury.#AaronSpencer #JudgeElmore #ArkansasSupremeCourt #BobMotta #MichaelFosler #LononkeCounty #JudicialRemoval #DefenseOfOthers #TrueCrime #HiddenKillersJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.