Former Mineral Springs Recorder-Treasurer Appears in Court; Trial Set for January

Former Mineral Springs City Recorder-Treasurer Denise Juniel appeared in Howard County Circuit Court on October 7 for a scheduled pretrial hearing.

During the hearing, Howard County Assistant Prosecutor Aaron Brasel reported that the state had completed its investigation. Public Defender Trish Martin filed a motion for discovery and requested a continuance.

Circuit Court Judge Bryan Chesshir granted the request, scheduling the next pretrial hearing for January 13 and setting a trial date for January 26.

Juniel faces one count of theft of property valued at more than $25,000 and five counts of tampering with public records.

According to the arrest affidavit, the investigation began after auditors with Arkansas Legislative Audit conducted an audit of the City of Mineral Springs. The audit covered the period from January 2023 through December 2025 and reportedly uncovered numerous discrepancies, including alleged misuse of the city credit card and the obliteration of line items on bank statements.

Mineral Springs city officials also testified before the Arkansas Legislative Auditing Committee, where they answered questions regarding the city’s past and current accounting practices.

Juniel’s charges stem from the investigation into the city’s financial records. The charges are allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.