Charles G. Rodgers v. State of Arkansas

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ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT  No.  CR 05­1112 NOT DESIGNATED FOR PUBLICATION  Opinion Delivered  CHARLES G. RODGERS  Appellant  PRO SE PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI,  MOTIONS FOR EXTENSION OF TIME TO FILE  BRIEF, AND FOR ACCESS TO RECORD  [CIRCUIT COURT OF PHILLIPS COUNTY, CR  2002­171, HON. L. T. SIMES II, JUDGE]  v.  STATE OF ARKANSAS  Appellee  March 16, 2006  PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI  GRANTED; MOTION FOR EXTENSION OF  TIME TO FILE BRIEF MOOT; MOTION FOR  ACCESS TO RECORD GRANTED  PER CURIAM  Appellant Charles G. Rodgers was convicted of rape and sentenced to life imprisonment. This  court affirmed.  Rodgers v. State, ___ Ark. ___, ___ S.W.3d ___ (December 9, 2004) (CR 04­534).  Appellant timely filed in the trial court a pro se petition for postconviction relief under Ark. R. Crim.  P. 37.1, which was denied by order entered April 15, 2005.  Appellant untimely filed a notice of  appeal as to that order, and we granted a motion to proceed with a belated appeal.  Rodgers v. State,  CR  05­112  (Ark.  November  3,  2005)  (per  curiam).    We  previously  granted  appellant’s  motion  requesting access to the record and an extension of time to file appellant’s brief.  Rodgers v. State,  CR 05­112 (Ark. January 5, 2006) (per curiam).  Now before us are appellant’s petition for a writ  of certiorari, and motions requesting an extension of time to file appellant’s brief and requesting  access to the record of his trial on direct appeal and to a transcript of a hearing in the postconviction  proceeding.  Appellant seeks a more complete record to be lodged.  The trial court’s order of April 15,  2005, denying postconviction relief, indicates that there was a hearing at which appellant and the  prosecution were present, even though no evidentiary hearing was conducted.  The petition for writ  of certiorari is granted inasmuch as the trial court referred to the hearing in its order and portions of the hearing may be pertinent to the appeal.  The writ of certiorari is issued, returnable in thirty days,  to bring up the transcript of the postconviction hearing held on appellant’s Rule 37.1 petition.  After  the writ is returned, a new briefing schedule will be set for the appeal.  Appellant also requests the record of certain testimony from his trial, in addition to the record  of the hearing referenced in the trial court’s order.  It is not necessary to lodge the record of the trial  testimony.  As public record already filed with the appellate court in the earlier appeal, appellant’s  trial record need not be incorporated to form a part of the record before us.  Drymon v. State, 327  Ark. 375, 938 S.W.2d  825  (1997) (per curiam).  Hence, the testimony of the witness at trial is  already a part of the record, and there is no need to bring the record to this court.  As  for  appellant’s  request  for  access  to  the  record,  we  recognize  that  an  appellant  must  abstract those portions of the record pertinent to the appeal.  The request for access to a copy of the  trial record and postconviction­relief hearing is granted.  Our clerk is directed to mail a copy of the  hearing transcript, along with a copy of the trial record, to appellant to prepare his brief upon receipt  of the hearing transcript.  The copy of those portions of  the record provided under this order, both  that of the trial and that of the postconviction­relief hearing, in addition to the portions of the record  previously provided, must be returned to this court when the brief is submitted.  Petition for writ of certiorari granted; motion for extension of time to file brief moot; motion  for access to record granted. ­2­ 

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