Craig A. Bell v. State of Arkansas

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ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT  No.  CR 07­1105  Opinion Delivered  CRAIG A. BELL  Appellant  v.  STATE OF ARKANSAS  Appellee  February 28, 2007  PRO SE APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT  COURT OF GARLAND COUNTY, CR  2005­764, HON. JOHN H. WRIGHT,  JUDGE  AFFIRMED.  PER CURIAM  In  2007,  appellant  Craig  A.  Bell  entered  a  plea  of  guilty  to  possession  of  a  controlled  substance  (methamphetamine)  and  possession  of  drug  paraphernalia  with  intent  to  manufacture  methamphetamine.  He was sentenced as a habitual offender to ninety­six months’ imprisonment and  144 months’ suspended imposition of sentence on each charge to run concurrently.  After seeking reduction of his sentences in a petition pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. §16­90­111  (Supp. 2005), appellant filed in the trial court in Garland County a petition for writ of habeas corpus.  In the petition, he argued that his sentences were illegal and sought dismissal of his convictions.  The  trial court denied the petition and appellant has lodged an appeal here from the order.  It is clear from the record that appellant was in the custody of the Arkansas Department of  Correction in Jefferson County when he filed the petition for writ of habeas corpus.  We affirm the  decision of the trial court because the Circuit Court of Garland County could not grant the relief  sought by appellant.  Any petition for writ of habeas corpus to effect the release of a prisoner is properly addressed to the circuit court in the county in which the prisoner is held in custody, unless the petition is filed  1  pursuant to Act 1780 of 2001.  Lukach v. State, 369 Ark. 475, ___ S.W.3d ___ (2007) (per curiam).  A  circuit  court  does  not  have  jurisdiction  to  release  a  prisoner  not  in  custody  in  that  court’s  jurisdiction on a writ of habeas corpus.  Pardue v. State, 338 Ark. 606, 999 S.W.2d 198 (1999) (per  curiam) (citing Mackey v. Lockhart, 307 Ark. 321, 819 S.W.2d 702 (1991)).  Here, appellant did not  invoke Act 1780, and the Garland County Circuit Court did not have personal jurisdiction to release  an appellant who was held in another county.  Affirmed. 1  Act 1780 of 2001, as amended by Act 2250 of 2005 and codified as Ark. Code Ann. §§  16­112­201–208 (Repl. 2006), provides that a writ of habeas corpus can issue based upon new  scientific evidence proving a person actually innocent of the offense or offenses for which he or  she was convicted.  ­2­ 

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