Meyer pleads not guilty

Eureka Springs City Council member Harry Meyer pleaded not guilty Monday, April 6, to two felony charges in Carroll County Circuit Court in Berryville.

Meyer appeared before Circuit Judge Scott Jackson, accompanied by defense attorney Ryan Jewell of Fayetteville, who waived the formal reading of the charges and entered the not guilty plea on Meyer’s behalf.

Jackson accepted the plea and scheduled a pretrial status hearing for 11 a.m. Monday, May 11, in Eureka Springs.

The charges — one count each of aggravated assault and criminal mischief — stem from two separate incidents that occurred last year.

Meyer, 76, is accused of striking a neighbor, Virginia Seymour, with his vehicle in their neighborhood on Cross Street in Eureka Springs on July 13, 2025. He also is accused of damaging a vehicle during a confrontation over loud music being played at Lake Leatherwood City Park on May 5, 2025.

Both incidents were investigated by the Arkansas State Police at the request of the Eureka Springs Police Department, and special prosecuting attorney Robbie Jones filed charges in both cases.

Jones was appointed at the request of Carroll County Prosecuting Attorney Tony Rogers, who cited a conflict of interest.

Meyer was arrested at his home on March 13. He was booked into the Carroll County Detention Center in Berryville before being released on a recognizance bond.

Both charges are Class D felonies, punishable by up to six years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. The charges are filed as separate cases.

Before Monday’s proceedings, Meyer sat quietly on the front row of the courtroom, dressed in dark slacks and a dark sport coat. He wore an off-white shirt, open at the collar, and sneakers. His long hair was tied in a ponytail. He did not speak except to confer briefly with Jewell.

Jackson called Meyer’s case first, and the council member stood quietly to Jewell’s left, with his hands clasped behind his back.

Meyer has been involved in a long-running series of disputes with his neighbors on Cross Street. He has admitted to shooting his dog in his front yard in November 2024 as Seymour watched, saying the dog was sick and he wanted to end its suffering.

Meyer sent more than 50 text messages to the city’s code enforcement officer over a period of less than 30 days in November and December 2024. All but a few of those messages focused on Meyer’s allegations that neighbor Jim Marple was violating city code in connection with the construction of two homes on separate lots on the east side of Meyer’s home.

Marple, who was not cited for any code violations, said he and Meyer were on friendly terms until Marple purchased a vacant lot to the west of Meyer’s home. Marple said Meyer had wanted to purchase the lot himself.

Both Marple and Seymour have addressed the Eureka Springs City Council regarding Meyer’s alleged behavior, with Meyer responding that he has been the victim in the long-running feud.

“I’ve been harassed,” Meyer said at the council’s meeting on July 14, 2025. “It’s not the other way around. That’s all I’ve got to say.”