A $1.16 million civil judgment against the Peppermint Hippo, a club at 7900 Bicentennial Road in North Little Rock, is headed back before Arkansas judges as the business tries to overturn the verdict tied to the death of a patron. The case has produced conflicting information about whether the appeal will even include live courtroom arguments.
According to The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Arkansas appeals court is set to hear arguments over the $1.16 million verdict against Peppermint Hippo. The report, written by Brett Barrouquere, included a photograph of the club's North Little Rock location dated to March 13.
An event listing from the Arkansas Judiciary states that the Court of Appeals will hear oral argument on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in the Supreme Court Courtroom. That listing identifies the case as CV-25-389, Visions d/b/a Peppermint Hippo v. Paulo A. Ribeiro, individually and as administrator of the estate of John Ribiero, deceased, originating from Pulaski County Circuit Court, Sixth Division.
Conflicting Reports on Oral Arguments
Not every account agrees that arguments will actually happen in person. A September 1 report from the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette stated flatly that the Arkansas Court of Appeals would not hold oral arguments as Peppermint Hippo sought to overturn the judgment. That same report tied the underlying case to the death of a patron at the club. The two accounts — the judiciary's scheduled hearing and the earlier report saying no arguments would be held — remain unreconciled in the available record.
Origins of the $1.16 Million Judgment
The civil judgment at the center of the appeal stemmed from the death of a patron.
The appeal keeps Peppermint Hippo's legal exposure over the $1.16 million verdict unresolved for now, with the case moving through Arkansas's appellate process under the docket number CV-25-389.
