Wendell A. Shields v. State of Arkansas

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ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT  No.  CACR 05­1283  Opinion Delivered  January 17, 2008  v.  PRO SE MOTION FOR COPY OF  DOCUMENT AT PUBLIC EXPENSE  [CIRCUIT COURT OF MISSISSIPPI  COUNTY, CHICKASAWBA DISTRICT,  CR 2005­152, CR 2001­122]  STATE OF ARKANSAS  Respondent  MOTION DENIED  WENDELL A. SHIELDS  Petitioner  PER CURIAM  In 2005, petitioner Wendell A. Shields was found guilty of burglary in a trial to the bench and  sentenced to thirty years’ imprisonment.  His probation in a previous case was revoked and the court  sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment to be served concurrently to the sentence for burglary.  The Arkansas Court of Appeals affirmed.  Shields v. State, CACR 05­1283 (Ark. App. June 28,  2006).  Petitioner, who contends that he is indigent, now seeks at public expense a photocopy of the  1  pro se points for reversal he filed in his direct appeal.  There are no grounds for the request and  petitioner does not contend that he is currently involved in any specific proceeding that requires a  copy of the points.  The motion is denied.  A petitioner is not entitled to a free copy of material on file with this 1  For clerical purposes, the motion has been filed under the docket number assigned to the  direct appeal of the judgment that was lodged in the Arkansas Court of Appeals.  This court  decides all motions for photocopying at public expense because such motions are considered to be  requests for postconviction relief.  See Williams v. State, 273 Ark. 315, 619 S.W.2d 628 (1981)  (per curiam).  court  or  the  court  of  appeals  unless  he  or  she  demonstrates  some  compelling  need  for  certain  documentary evidence to support an allegation contained in a timely petition for postconviction relief.  See Austin v. State, 287 Ark. 256, 697 S.W.2d 914 (1985) (per curiam).  Indigency alone does not  entitle a petitioner to free photocopying.  Washington v. State, 270 Ark. 840, 606 S.W.2d 365 (1980)  (per curiam).  As petitioner here has cited no specific reason for requiring the requested material and  has failed to demonstrate that there is a postconviction remedy available to him, the motion is denied.  It should be noted that when an appeal has been lodged in this court, the appeal transcript and  other material filed on appeal remain permanently  on  file  with the clerk.  Persons may review a  transcript or other material in the clerk's office and photocopy all or portions of it.  An incarcerated  person desiring a photocopy of a transcript or other material on file may write this court, remit the  photocopying fee, and request that the copy be mailed to the prison.  All persons, including prisoners,  must bear the cost of photocopying.  Moore v. State, 324 Ark. 453, 921 S.W.2d 606 (1996) (per  curiam).  Motion denied. ­2­ 

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