Legal Career
Hutchinson practiced law in Fort Smith for 21 years and handled more than 100 jury trials. It was during this time that he was appointed by President Ronald W. Reagan as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. At the age of 31, Hutchinson was the youngest U.S. Attorney in the nation and made national headlines after successfully prosecuting The Covenant, The Sword, and The Arm of the Lord (CSA), a white supremacist organization founded by polygamist James Ellison. The CSA forced a three-day armed stand-off with local, state and federal law enforcement. As U.S. Attorney, Hutchinson put on a flak jacket and personally negotiated a peaceful conclusion to the stand-off.
During his tenure as U.S. Attorney for the Western District, Hutchinson was described as aggressive in his efforts to prosecute criminals. However, there are continuing suspicions regarding his actions surrounding the investigation of infamous pilot and drug smuggler Barry Seal, a key operator in the Iran-Contra scandal. Hutchinson opened the investigation into Seal but chose not to see the case through to completion when he resigned to run for the Senate. Hutchinson would later be appointed to run the DEA. In 2007, Hutchinson was briefly considered as a replacement for Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General; however, Michael Mukasey was eventually named instead.
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