Arkansas Supreme Court Decisions 2012

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants in this case were three companies engaged in providing cable-television services to subscribers (collectively, "Charter"). In a consolidated petition for review, Charter challenged the Tax Division of Appellee…

Justia Opinion Summary: LVNV Funding, LLC filed a complaint against Rae Nardi for an amount due on her credit card account with Citibank. LVNV claimed, as an assignee, it had a contractual relationship between Nardi and Citibank and a cause of…

Justia Opinion Summary: When Cody Metheny underwent brain surgery, the physician (Doctor) mistakenly operated on the wrong side of his brain. Fifteen months later, Cody's parents (the Methenys) learned tissue had been removed from the wrong…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of delivery of a controlled substance and sentenced to an enhanced sentence of forty years' imprisonment and a fine. The Supreme Court affirmed on appeal. Appellant subsequently filed a petition…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted of three counts of rape and three counts of terroristic threatening. The convictions were affirmed on direct appeal. Petitioner subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief, which was…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted of two counts of rape and sentenced to an aggregate sentence of 480 months' imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Petitioner subsequently filed a pro se petition to reinvest jurisdiction…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of rape and sentenced to 300 months' imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed Appellant's conviction and sentence, holding that the circuit court did not err in (1) denying Appellant's motion in…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involved provisions of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The circuit court dismissed Appellant's complaint against Appellees, the city, the city administrator, and members of the board of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Trustee filed a petition to construe an inter vivos trust, taking the position that the interests of the deceased beneficiaries lapsed because they predeceased the surviving settlor and that Appellants, descendants of…

Justia Opinion Summary: After Appellant's parental rights were terminated, Appellant timely filed a notice of appeal. The record was untimely tendered to the Supreme Court's clerk, however. Appellant subsequently filed a motion for rule on…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to 600 months' imprisonment. The judgment was affirmed on direct appeal. Petitioner then sought postconviction relief in the trial…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellee's husband, a parolee, resided with Appellee. After a parole agent determined that a parole search of the residence was warranted, the parole officer and other police officers searched the residence. Appellee was…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellee was charged with felony possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance. The charges stemmed from a probationary search of the bedroom he rented and sometimes shared with…

Justia Opinion Summary: Mark Smith died after he was taken to the emergency room at Rebsamen Medical Center. Appellants sought to be appointed as co-special administrators of Smith's estate and then filed the instant wrongful-death action.…

Justia Opinion Summary: This appeal stemmed from issues involving the school-funding system and the disbursement of uniform rate of tax (URT) revenues to Arkansas's public-school districts. Appellees, school districts and their taxpayers…

Justia Opinion Summary: This matter began when the state insurance commissioner filed a petition for receivership against Signature Life Insurance Company of America, which had become insolvent. The commissioner was appointed receiver and began…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case involved the contest of several detachments and annexations of land from the city of Rockport to the city of Malvern. Rockpot contested the annexations. The circuit court granted Malvern's motion to dismiss,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was found guilty of rape by a jury in the circuit court and was sentenced to 300 months' imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed as modified. Appellant's subsequent petition for postconviction relief was…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted by a circuit court jury of one count of rape and one count of second-degree sexual assault. Appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment, an additional eighteen years, and $10,000 fine. Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted for possession with intent to sell/deliver and sentenced to 144 months' imprisonment. The court of appeals reversed and remanded the matter, holding that Appellant's original sentence to probation…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case arose out of a personal-injury action brought by Appellant against Appellees, an insurance company and two people who were involved with Appellant in a three-vehicle automobile accident. The jury returned a…

Justia Opinion Summary: This was an appeal from a circuit court judgment affirming the classification of real property for tax purposes. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the circuit court correctly found that the Arkansas Constitution…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case began as a divorce action. The circuit court ordered Husband to pay Wife a judgment, and in compliance with that order, Husband paid Wife approximately forty percent of the total judgment entered against him.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant appealed an order of the circuit court convicting him of capital murder and sentencing him to life imprisonment without parole. For reversal, Appellant argued that the circuit court erred in denying his motion…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants filed a complaint against Appellees asserting claims for conspiracy, fraud, and violating the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act after Appellees took control of a biotech company and bought out the former…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was involved in an automobile accident with Appellee. After litigation involving Appellant, Appellee, Appellant's insurance carrier, and Appellee's insurer, the circuit court found that Appellant was entitled…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants appealed form the decision of the circuit court, which upheld an order of the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission granting relief to SEECO, Inc. in connection with a proposed drilling and production unit. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Benefit Bank appealed from the circuit court's order finding that the mortgage it held to certain property was second and subordinate to the interest of Appellee Marilyn Rogers obtained in her divorce.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1992, Appellant was convicted of indecency with a child and placed on ten years probation. After he relocated to Arkansas in 2007, Appellant was required to register as a sex offender. Appellant complied with this…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant operated a sexually oriented business. Three weeks after the store's opening, the City Council enacted an ordinance establishing licensing requirements and regulations for sexually oriented businesses. Once a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted by a circuit court jury of five counts of capital murder, two counts of aggravated residential burglary, and four counts of theft of property. Appellant was sentenced to five terms of life…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted for criminal offenses and incarcerated. Petitioner later filed three petitions for postconviction relief, which were denied by the circuit court. Petitioner did not timely file a notice of appeal…

Justia Opinion Summary: Judgment was entered reflecting that Petitioner had entered a plea of guilty to three felony offenses. Petitioner subsequently filed a motion seeking leave to proceed with a belated appeal, contending that she was misled…

Justia Opinion Summary: After Appellant was treated for injuries at a medical center, Appellant filed a complaint against the Center, Phillips Hospital Corporation, and Exigence, LLC, alleging causes of action for negligence, breach of…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this workers' compensation case, Employee filed a claim for benefits after receiving an injury to his left great toe. An ALJ found that Employee had sustained a compensable injury to his left great toe, either as an…

Justia Opinion Summary: HPD, LLC and TETRA Technologies Inc. entered into an agreement for HPD to supply equipment to be used in TETRA's future facility. The contract contained a provision for binding arbitration. After the construction of the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI) and following too close. Appellant appealed his conviction for DWI, arguing that the circuit court erred in allowing testimony regarding the administration and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner entered a plea of guilty to aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a certain person. He was sentenced as a habitual offender to an aggregate term of 360 months' imprisonment. Petitioner then filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was found guilty by a jury of aggravated robbery and theft of property with a sentence enhancement for use of a firearm in commission of the offenses. The court of appeals affirmed. Subsequently, Petitioner…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was found guilty by a jury of two counts of rape for engaging in sexual intercourse with his girlfriend's daughters when they were both under the age of fourteen. After the judgment was affirmed, Petitioner's…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted in 2006 of possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to manufacture methamphetamine. In 2011, Appellant filed a petition for writ of error coram nobis and an amended petition, alleging that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of the rape of B.B., his minor stepdaughter, and sentenced to a term of imprisonment for life. Appellant appealed, arguing that the circuit court erred in (1) denying his…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant appealed from a circuit court order reflecting his convictions for capital murder and aggravated robbery and his sentence to life imprisonment without parole. Appellant's sole assertion on appeal was that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pled guilty to rape in 2007 and was sentenced to 240 months' incarceration. In 2012, Appellant filed a pleading that he captioned, "Motion/Petition to Vacate and/or Modifier Plus Correct The Judgment Pursuant…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to a term of life imprisonment plus fifteen years. On appeal, Appellant argued that the circuit court abused its discretion (1) in admitting evidence of a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Clayton Coker appealed a divorce decree entered in the circuit court, asserting (1) the circuit court committed clear error in granting Samantha Hess-Coker a divorce based on the ground of indignities, and (2) the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Following her resignation as a dental assistant in the dental office of Appellee, Appellant sued Appellee for sexual harassment and outrage. On remand, the circuit court granted Appellee's motion for partial summary…

Justia Opinion Summary: The City of West Memphis passed an ordinance providing for a special election to vote for the annexation of 5700 acres to West Memphis. Meanwhile, property owners of 2340 acres within the same 5700 acres petitioned the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Voltage Vehicles appealed an order of the Arkansas Motor Vehicle Commission directing Voltage to repurchase six 2008 electric vehicles from two Arkansas dealers (collectively referred to as "Rainbow"). The…

Justia Opinion Summary: At issue in the underlying case was the discharge of by Defendant of the law firm Harrill & Sutter and what attorneys' fees were owed following that discharge. The circuit court ruled that Defendant discharged Harrill…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Jason Winbush was found guilty by a jury of murder in the first degree and sentenced to 540 months' imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Petitioner subsequently filed a pro se petition to reinvest…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was found guilty by a jury of murder in the first degree in the stabbing death of Gabino Mendoza. Petitioner was sentenced to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. Petitioner subsequently filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: A jury convicted Appellant of aggravated residential burglary, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, terroristic threatening in the first degree, and battery in the second degree. Appellant appealed, arguing that the trial…

Justia Opinion Summary: A jury convicted Appellant of rape and sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. On appeal, Appellant argued that the trial judge erred by allowing the introduction of a prior offense into…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2009, judgment was entered reflecting that Petitioner had been found guilty of multiple felony offenses. He was sentenced as a habitual offender to an aggregate term of 504 months' imprisonment. The court of appeals…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellee initiated this putative class-action lawsuit against DIRECTV, seeking damages for herself individually and on behalf of other former DIRECTV subscribers who paid an early cancellation fee to DIRECTV after they…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant, individually and as the administratrix of the Estate of Anne Pressley, filed a complaint against Appellees, a medical center (the Center) and three individuals associated with the Center, alleging claims of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant appealed the decree entered by the circuit court granting the petition of Appellees, Appellant's parents, to adopt Appellant's daughter. On appeal, Appellant contended that the circuit court erred in denying…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1982, Appellant was found guilty by a jury of murder in the first degree and sentenced to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. In 2012, Appellant filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus, contending…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission recommended that the Supreme Court suspend Circuit Judge Sam Pope from his duties for thirty days without pay, basing its recommendation on its conclusions that…

Justia Opinion Summary: Intervenors were sponsors of a proposed constitutional amendment that would authorize them to own and operate casinos in four specified counties within the state. Respondent was the secretary of state and certified…

Justia Opinion Summary: This petition for writ of certiorari arose out of two pending nursing home malpractice cases alleging abuse and neglect at Bryant Healthcare Center (Bryant). The plaintiffs below served a subpoena on the Arkansas…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of capital murder and attempted capital murder and sentenced to consecutive sentences of life in prison without parole, thirty years' imprisonment, and a fifteen-year enhancement for using a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant appealed from the judgment and commitment order of the circuit court convicting him of criminal attempt to commit theft of property and committing a fraudulent insurance act and sentencing him to a total time…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner entered a negotiated plea of guilty to a charge of first-degree murder and was sentenced to 360 months' incarceration. Six years later, Petitioner filed a pro se petition for writ of error coram nobis, which…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1996, Appellant was convicted of rape and first-degree sexual abuse. The Supreme Court affirmed. In 2012, more than fourteen years after the judgment was affirmed, Appellant filed a pro se motion seeking a new trial,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant and Appellee jointly petitioned the Supreme Court for rehearing following the dismissal of Appellant's appeal without prejudice due to lack of a final order. In the dismissal, the Supreme Court denied…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pled guilty to a charge of aggravated robbery, pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement, and was sentenced to 180 months' incarceration. Subsequently, Appellant filed a petition for postconviction relief, which…

Justia Opinion Summary: Pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement, Appellant pled guilty to manufacturing a controlled substance, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, and failure to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement, Appellant pled guilty in 1997 in the Pope County circuit court to criminal charges. He was sentenced to 120 months' incarceration. In 2011, Appellant was again convicted of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioners, individually and on behalf of Coalition to Preserve Arkansas Values (CPAV), brought this original action requesting the Supreme Court to review the legal sufficiency of the popular name and ballot title of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was found guilty by a jury of possession of a firearm by a felon as a result of his involvement in a shooting outside a nightclub. The court of appeals affirmed. Petitioner subsequently sought a writ of error…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, and maintaining a drug premises. Subsequently, Petitioner, through counsel, filed a petition…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of battery in the third degree and sentenced to twelve months' probation. He was further ordered to pay costs and fees, as well as restitution of $40,304, "less any payments received through…

Justia Opinion Summary: A jury convicted Appellant of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver methamphetamine and sentenced him to life imprisonment without parole. Appellant challenged his conviction on the basis that his…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant appealed an order of the circuit court convicting him of rape for digitally penetrating a seven-year-old child and sentencing him as a habitual offender to life imprisonment. For reversal, Appellant argued that…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of four counts of capital murder and one count of kidnapping. On appeal, Appellant contended (1) the State's use of inconsistent prosecutorial theories in his trial and in the separate trial of a…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of rape and sentenced to seventy years' imprisonment. For his only point on appeal, Appellant argued that the circuit court erred in not allowing testimony concerning the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant entered a negotiated plea of guilty to the offense of rape. More than four years after the judgment had been entered, Appellant filed a motion to withdraw a guilty plea under Ark. R. Crim. P. 26.1, which the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant lodged an appeal in the Supreme Court from an order of the circuit court that denied his petition to correct an illegal sentence pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 16-90-111. Appellant filed a motion to be provided a…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree murder, and capital murder. Appellant received an aggregate sentence of life imprisonment without parole. Appellant appealed, contending…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pled guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine and was sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted of first-degree murder and theft of property, for which a cumulative sentence of sixty years' imprisonment in the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) was imposed. Later, the circuit court…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant appealed a decision of the circuit court denying her petition for change of custody, denying a petition for citation of contempt for parental alienation, and excluding expert testimony. In 2008, a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant entered a plea of guilty to four felony offenses in the Pulaski County Circuit Court. Appellant later entered plea of guilty in Saline County to four additional felony offenses and was sentenced as a habitual…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner brought an original action seeking a writ of mandamus requiring the Secretary of State to accept its petitions for an initiated constitutional amendment to be placed on the November 6, 2012 ballot. Petitioner…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1998, Petitioner was found guilty of rape in a trial to the bench and sentenced as a habitual offender to 480 months' imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Petitioner subsequently filed a petition with the…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to a term of life imprisonment without parole. Appellant's sole argument on appeal was that he did not knowingly and intelligently waive…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner entered a plea of guilty to aggravated robbery in two separate criminal cases, for which he was sentenced as a habitual offender to 360 months' imprisonment in each case. Petitioner subsequently filed in the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant, by and through his attorney, filed a motion for rule on clerk. Because there was no notice of appeal filed in this case, the Supreme Court treated Appellant's motion as one for belated appeal and remanded for…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant William J. Sellers, by and through his attorney, Andrew L. Clark, filed a motion for rule on clerk. Appellant's attorney accepted fault and stated in the motion that the clerk's office rejected Appellant's…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants appealed the order of the circuit court dismissing their claims and quieting title to mineral interests, including oil and gas rights, in appellee Upland Industrial Development Company, Inc. The Supreme Court…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants, several individuals and the administratrix of the estate of Arvilla Langston, filed a medical-malpractice action against Appellees, Sparks Regional Medical Center (SRMC) and Sparks Medical Foundation,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Defendant Ford Motor Company appealed from the judgment of the circuit court reflecting the jury's award of compensatory and punitive damages in favor of Plaintiff, individually and as administratrix of her husband's…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants filed a complaint against Appellees, the public school district, members of the district's board of directors, and others, alleging (1) subsequent to the federal decennial census, the district was required to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was a prisoner in the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC). Appellant filed a petition in the circuit court that sought a declaratory judgment, contending that the ADC had erroneously applied Act 1805 of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The court of appeals affirmed a judgment reflecting Petitioner's conviction and sentence on a charge of first-degree domestic battering. Petitioner filed a petition in the Supreme Court to reinvest jurisdiction in the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner filed in the Supreme Court a pro se petition for writ of mandamus and an application for writ of prohibition, both of which referenced two criminal cases filed against him in the circuit court. The petition…

Justia Opinion Summary: On September 2, 2011, the circuit court entered an order denying Petitioner's petition for postconviction relief. Petitioner was represented in the proceeding by his retained attorney, Ronald Davis. No appeal was taken…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was a prisoner serving a life sentence on a rape conviction that followed his retrial after the Supreme Court reversed and remanded for an error for not requiring the prosecutor to file a bill of particulars.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2000, Petitioner was found guilty by a jury of capital murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The Supreme Court affirmed. Petition subsequently filed a petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted in 1993 of first-degree murder. The judgment-and-commitment order showed that Appellant was sentenced to hard labor in the Arkansas Department of Correction for life. The Supreme Court affirmed.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1990, a jury found Petitioner guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. Petitioner subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief, which was denied.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2011, Appellant entered a plea of guilty to murder in the first degree and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Appellant subsequently filed a pro se petition for postconviction relief, raising two allegations…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant lodged in the Supreme Court an appeal from three orders that denied a number of pleadings that Appellant had filed in the trial court where he was convicted of capital murder in 1995. Appellant filed his brief…

Justia Opinion Summary: Pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement, Appellant pled guilty to first-degree domestic battery, second-degree battery, and second-degree terroristic threatening. No appeal was taken from the judgment. Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1994, Appellant was found guilty of multiple felony offenses and was sentenced to an aggregate term of forty years' imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. Appellant later filed a petition to correct his sentence…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner filed a pro se petition for postconviction relief pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1. The petition contained a statement that the facts in the petition were true, correct, and complete, but the statement was…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2003, Appellant entered a plea of guilty to four felony offenses. Appellant was sentenced to an aggregate term of 360 months' imprisonment. The judgment was amended later to reflect that the aggregate sentence imposed…

Justia Opinion Summary: Ten death-row inmates filed amended complaints against Appellants, the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) and its director, asserting several causes of action. Relevant to this appeal, the prisoners (1) asserted…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Brittany Mahavier appealed orders of the circuit court granting a permanent guardianship of her son to her mother, Appellee Teresa Mahavier, and declaring the Arkansas Statutes on guardianships to be…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellee Theresa Dennie filed a paternity action, contending that Appellant Grady Tracy was the natural father of M.T. and requesting custody of the child, with Tracy having visitation. Tracy filed a motion for the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Michael MacKool was convicted of first-degree murder and theft of property, for which a cumulative sentence of sixty years' imprisonment in the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) was imposed. The Supreme…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Brian Jordan appealed an order of the circuit court convicting him of rape and sentencing him as a habitual offender to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the circuit court did not err…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was found guilty of underage driving under the influence. Appellant subsequently appealed the denial of his motion to suppress the results of his breathalyzer test, arguing that the arresting officer was acting…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was charged by an information with having committed three felony drug-related counts. Petitioner subsequently filed four pro se pleadings in those proceedings. Later, Petitioner filed a petition for writ of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Bobby Hatton was found guilty of first-degree terroristic threatening and second-degree domestic battery in the presence of a child. The trial court subsequently found that Appellant had violated the conditions…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant N.D. was a juvenile when he was adjudicated delinquent for commission of aggravated robbery and possession of a weapon. After N.D. escaped from the detention center, the State filed a felony information…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants, a clinic study center and three medical doctors, filed an action against Appellees, Dr. Samuel and Marilyn Boellner, alleging breaches of contract for a covenant not to compete, tortious inteference with a…

Justia Opinion Summary: This FOIA action stemmed from requests made by Appellant after she was stopped for speeding by a police officer. Appellant filed a complaint alleging (1) the police department (Department)'s refusal to provide the…

Justia Opinion Summary: After it was discovered that the American long-grain rice supply was contaminated with genetically modified rice developed by Bayer Holding, Inc., all of the federal lawsuits against Bayer were centralized in the U.S.…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case stemmed from an accident involving an automobile and a tractor-trailer. Appellants, the driver of the automobile and his wife, filed suit against Appellees, the driver of the truck, the individual who leased…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Barry Jewell appealed from the denial of his motion for entry of satisfaction of judgment. For reversal, he contended that as one of four shareholders in the law firm of Jewell, Moser, Fletcher & Holleman…

Justia Opinion Summary: The court of appeals reversed and remanded Petitioner David Anderson's original conviction for first-degree murder. Following a new trial on the same charge, Petitioner was again convicted, and he received a life…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jeremiah Walton was convicted of two counts of rape and received an aggregate sentence of 300 months' imprisonment. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief and, on the same day,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Frank Garner was found guilty by a jury of kidnapping and rape. Appellant subsequently filed in the circuit court in which he was convicted a petition for writ of habeas corpus. The circuit court denied the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Child was born to Father and Mother in Minnesota. After the family moved to Arkansas, Father's parents (Grandparents) filed a petition for guardianship of Child. The court ultimately entered an order of guardianship…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Randall McArty was convicted of first-degree murder and was sentenced to "hard labor" in the Department of Correction for life. The Supreme Court affirmed. Appellant later filed a petition for writ of habeas…

Justia Opinion Summary: At issue in this appeal was a decision made by Appellee, Office of State Procurement (OSP), rejecting the protest submitted by Appellant, Fatpipe, Inc., of a contract award for the State's purchase of bandwidth…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants, a group of inmates incarcerated for certain methamphetamine offenses, filed a complaint for declaratory judgment, writ of mandamus, and writ of prohibition, alleging that Act 1782 was an unconstitutional…

Justia Opinion Summary: Sixty-six plaintiffs filed the underlying lawsuit in Tennessee against Morrow Valley Land Company and Ben Cain (Appellees) and others, alleging that Defendants owned and operated a concentrated animal-feeding operation…

Justia Opinion Summary: At issue in this appeal was whether a seventy-five-day lien notice sent by Appellant, Ground Zero Construction, to Appellees, Walnut Creek, LLC and Rees Development, complied with the requirements of Ark. Code Ann.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Robert Maxwell was found guilty by a jury of one count of first-degree discharge of a firearm from a vehicle and four counts of second-degree discharge of a firearm from a vehicle and was sentenced as a…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of three counts of rape and sentenced to seventy-five years' imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed Appellant's convictions and sentences. Appellant subsequently filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Theodis Mitchell was convicted of commercial burglary, terroristic threatening, fleeing, and criminal mischief. Mitchell's convictions and sentence were affirmed on appeal. Mitchell subsequently filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted of two counts of rape and one count of second-degree sexual assault, for which he was sentenced to a total of 100 years' imprisonment. Petitioner subsequently filed a petition for postconviction…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Rodney Mitchael was convicted of rape and first-degree terroristic threatening. The court of appeals affirmed. Nearly five years after the date of his conviction, Appellant filed a petition to vacate and/or set…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted of two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of first-degree battery. The court of appeals affirmed. Subsequently, Petitioner filed a petition for postconviction relief, asserting five…

Justia Opinion Summary: Sixteen-year-old C.B. was charged with the felony offenses of, inter alia, capital murder, aggravated robbery, first-degree escape, and theft of property. C.B. filed a motion to dismiss and to declare Ark. Code Ann.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this nursing-home, abuse-and-neglect complaint, Appellants, the licensee of the nursing home where Richard Hatchett was a resident, its management company, and the owner of both entities were sued for wrongful death,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Wyouman Camp was convicted of first-degree murder as an accomplice and sentenced to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed Petitioner's conviction and sentence. Petitioner subsequently filed a petition…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Joseph Chunestudy was found guilty by a jury of the rape of his minor daughter and sentenced to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the circuit court did not err by allowing the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jeffery Morgan was convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to life imprisonment. Appellant subsequently filed a petition to correct an illegal sentence, alleging that the evidence in the court proceedings showed…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jermiko Johnson was found guilty by a jury of sexual assault in the second degree. Appellant subsequently filed a verified pro se petition for postconviction relief, claiming (1) he was not afforded effective…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Michael Tornavacca entered a negotiated plea of guilty to theft of property, a class B felony, and theft of property, a class C felony. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief, which…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Chad White was convicted of rape and second-degree battery and sentenced to life imprisonment. Appellant appealed, arguing that the circuit court erred in (1) ordering him to complete a sex-offender treatment…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Andrew Davis entered a plea of guilty to aggravated robbery in two separate criminal cases in the circuit court. Appellant was sentenced as a habitual offender to 360 months' imprisonment in each case to be…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Michael Cowan was convicted of two counts of sexual assault in the second degree and sentenced as a habitual offender to 960 months' imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Defendant Jack Boyajian, a licensed attorney, was engaged by clients seeking recovery of debts from individuals. The State brought a consumer-protection complaint against Boyajian and his two law offices asserting…

Justia Opinion Summary: A taxpayer class filed an illegal-exaction complaint. The case was remanded for the circuit court to ascertain a remedy consistent with the Supreme Court's decision that the taxpayers had proved a valid claim for illegal…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Johnny Craig, an incarcerated inmate, filed in the county in which he was incarcerated a petition for writ of habeas corpus, alleging that the information charging him was insufficient, the trial court lacked…

Justia Opinion Summary: On October 24, 2007, Napolean Johnson was charged with several drug-related offenses. On March 23, 2010, Johnson was charged with two misdemeanors and kidnapping, a felony. Johnson entered negotiated pleas of guilty in…

Justia Opinion Summary: Following a jury trial, Appellant Simon Reed was convicted of one count of assault in the third degree and one count of assault in the first degree. Appellant subsequently filed a pro se "Intent to Appeal" with the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Judgment was entered reflecting that Appellant Joe Jones had been found guilty of having violated the conditions of a suspended sentence imposed on him in 2002. The court of appeals affirmed the revocation of the…

Justia Opinion Summary: At issue in this case was whether the proceeds from the sale of timber, which was harvested from land that was specifically devised in a will, should be considered part of the decedent's residuary estate. Appellant, the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellee Cory Duffy filed a complaint alleging that he was shot twice while standing outside The Entertainer, Inc. waiting for a taxi. Appellee named as defendants The Entertainer, an Arkansas corporation, and Charles…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellee Kenneth Harrison was tried and convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The Supreme Court affirmed. Harrison subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jessie Hill was convicted of capital murder. Appellant subsequently filed a motion to vacate judgment under Act 1780, seeking a hearing to establish a scientific predicate for a new trial, the production of a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Kenneth Barrow was found guilty of sexual indecency with a child, second-degree sexual assault, rape, and first-degree terroristic threatening. The court of appeals affirmed. Barrow filed an amended petition…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Avery Scott entered a plea of guilty to sexual assault in the second degree and was sentenced to a term of 180 months' imprisonment. Scott subsequently filed a motion to withdraw his plea, arguing that his plea…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Broderick Laswell was found guilty of capital murder and aggravated robbery and was sentenced as a habitual offender to life imprisonment without parole plus 720 months' imprisonment, respectively. Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Elvis Thacker entered a plea of guilty to attempted capital murder and kidnapping. Appellant subsequently filed a pro se petition for postconviction relief, alleging that his attorney was ineffective for…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Charles Wilson was found guilty by a jury of delivery of a controlled substance and was sentenced as a habitual offender to serve a term of 480 months' imprisonment. Appellant subsequently filed an untimely pro…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jessie Goins was convicted by a jury of aggravated robbery and was sentenced as a habitual offender to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for writ of habeas…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Arkansas School for the Deaf's Board of Trustees terminated Appellant Darleen Tripcony from her employment with the School as part of a reduction in force (RIF). The Arkansas State Employee Grievance Appeal Panel…

Justia Opinion Summary: Upon the divorce of Kayla Pierce McKenzie and Appellee Joshua Pierce, Kayla was awarded custody of their minor child. Kayla subsequently married Appellant, Cleo McKenzie. Appellee later filed a motion for a change of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Cornelius Earl was convicted on three counts of delivery of a controlled substance and was sentenced to a total of 960 months' imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed his convictions and sentence. Earl…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Charles Rodgers was convicted of rape and sentenced to life imprisonment. Petitioner subsequently filed a petition in the Supreme Court that sought to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to consider a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Ronald Little pled no contest to one charge of manslaughter and one charge of second-degree battery, for which he received a cumulative sentence of 240 months' incarceration. Appellant subsequently filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: On October 12, 1993, Appellee Harris Martin was found guilty of negligent homicide and sentenced to five years probation. On April 9, 2009, Martin filed a petition to seal the record of his negligent-homicide conviction.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Harrill & Sutter filed a complaint in the circuit court alleging a violation of Arkansas's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Appellant had previously filed a medical-malpractice action against three…

Justia Opinion Summary: Timothy Howard was convicted by a jury of two counts of capital murder and one count of attempted capital murder. Howard was sentenced to death plus thirty years and a $15,000 fine. The Supreme Court affirmed Howard's…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Detrick Croston was convicted of aggravated robbery. The Supreme Court denied Petitioner's motion for belated appeal. Petitioner subsequently tendered a motion for belated appeal of the same case. Before the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Rickey Strain was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder and was sentenced to 300 months' incarceration. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed a timely petition for postconviction…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Nickol Carter entered a negotiated plea of guilty to aggravated robbery, possession of a firearm by certain persons, and robbery. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for writ of error coram nobis, in which…

Justia Opinion Summary: Following a jury trial, Appellant Danny Henington was convicted of felony rape and sentenced to thirty-six years' imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant timely filed a petition for postconviction relief,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant James Lowe was convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to manufacture methamphetamine. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief, setting forth nine claims of…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1997, Phillip Sullivan pled guilty to theft of property and was sentenced pursuant to the Community Punishment Act. In 2011, Sullivan filed a petition to seal the record in his theft-of-property case, claiming he was…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Raymond Leach was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. On appeal, Appellant claimed five points warranted reversal of his conviction. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Michael Gilliland was convicted of the rape and second-degree sexual assault of his fourteen-year-old stepdaughter and was sentenced to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed Appellant's conviction and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Employer began withholding a portion of wages from Employee's paycheck as the result of an income-withholding order stemming from child-support arrearages. Employee filed a complaint against Employer, asking the circuit…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Timothy Davis was found guilty by a jury of capital murder and kidnapping with a firearm enhancement. Appellant was sentenced as a habitual offender to an aggregate term of life imprisonment without parole. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: Corey McMillan, individually and on behalf of a purported class, filed a complaint against Live Nation Entertainment and Ticketmaster (collectively Ticketmaster), alleging that Ticketmaster charged fees in excess of the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Michael Miller was placed under arrest for the offense of driving while intoxicated. Appellant's driver's license was suspended for six months and his commercial driver's license was disqualified for one year.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Lee Millsap entered a plea of guilty to multiple offenses and was sentenced to an aggregate term of life imprisonment without parole. Appellant subsequently filed a pro se "third motion for appointment of…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant Chase Prater was convicted of rape, kidnapping, sexual assault in the second degree, and felony impersonation. The court of appeals affirmed Appellant's conviction and sentence. Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Anthony Williamson was convicted of aggravated robbery and kidnapping. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed four petitions for postconviction relief in the trial court, one original…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Greg Hogue was convicted of capital murder. Petitioner subsequently filed a pro se petition for forensics testing, seeking to challenge his conviction through a writ of habeas corpus. The lower court denied…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Dustin Vickers was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed his conviction and sentence. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus…

Justia Opinion Summary: Cancun Cyber Cafe and Business Center was an internet cafe and business center that operated a sweepstakes promotion whereby Cancun's customers could play casino-style video games to learn whether they had won prizes…

Justia Opinion Summary: Kenny and Shelia Staggs brought suit in circuit court seeking quiet title to the oil and gas rights on certain real property of which they claimed ownership of the surface and subsurface rights. The Staggses asserted…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Central Oklahoma Pipeline successfully bid for the construction of a natural gas pipeline. Appellant subsequently sued the companies that engaged it (the Hawk defendants), and an engineering company (CTS),…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Lavelle Evans was found guilty by a jury of several drug offenses. Petitioner was sentenced as a habitual offender to an aggregate sentence of 960 months' imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed.…

Justia Opinion Summary: A jury found Appellant Vince Greer guilty of internet stalking of a child and sentenced him to sixteen years' imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief…

Justia Opinion Summary: Pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement, Appellant Mario Scott pled nolo contendere to first-degree murder. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Antonio Sartin was tried and convicted by a jury of aggravated robbery and felony theft of property and sentenced as a habitual offender. The court of appeals affirmed Appellant's convictions. Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Damont Ewells, who was incarcerated, filed a civil complaint against Appellees, three law enforcement officers, seeking compensatory and punitive damages and injunctive relief. In his complaint, Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant Johnny Tarkington was found guilty of aggravated robbery and sentenced, as a habitual offender, to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed a pro se…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellants Michael Myers and Scott Hall were convicted of several drug-related crimes. Appellants' convictions were affirmed by the court of appeals. Appellants subsequently filed petitions for…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Phillip Harrison was convicted of two counts of theft of property. Appellant subsequently filed a pro se petition for postconviction relief. The trial court denied the petition, finding that it was not timely…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Corey Lambert was convicted on charges of attempted murder in the first degree, aggravated robbery, and theft of property. The court of appeals affirmed Appellant's convictions. Appellant subsequently filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Steven Samples entered into a negotiated plea of guilty to six drug-related charges and was sentenced to 300 months' imprisonment. On December 2, 2009, a judgment-and-commitment order was entered reflecting…

Justia Opinion Summary: Following a jury trial, Appellant Julian Rueda was convicted of three drug-related offenses and was sentenced to a total of 600 months' imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed his convictions and sentence. Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Carlos Keck was convicted of rape and sentenced to twenty-five years' imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief, asserting that his trial…

Justia Opinion Summary: William Eubanks was convicted of rape and sentenced to life imprisonment. Eubanks subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief, asserting that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge his…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this corporate-dissolution action, the circuit court awarded the estate of Michael Sims a personal judgment against Barry Jewell, a former shareholder of the dissolved corporation of Jewell, Moser, Fletcher &…

Justia Opinion Summary: Donnell Richard filed a complaint in the federal district court in Texas against Union Pacific alleging that, during the course and scope of his employment, he suffered physical injuries because of Union Pacific's…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant David Paschal was convicted of four counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of witness bribery. The Supreme Court affirmed in part, reversed and remanded in part, and reversed and dismissed in…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Carnegie Public Library is located within Carroll County. It and two other libraries within the county are maintained through funds generated by an ad valorem tax. Appellees, the county officials responsible for…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the early 1990s Appellant Kenneth Middleton was convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to life in prison. In 1992, a default judgment was entered against Appellant in a wrongful death action brought by…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case began as a dispute over construction costs between Appellee TriBuilt Construction Group, LLC and Appellants NISHA, LLC and Centennial Bank. After Appellee filed suit against Appellants, the circuit court…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Robert Hoover was convicted of capital murder and aggravated robbery and was sentenced to two life sentences. Hoover subsequently petitioned the Supreme Court to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to…

Justia Opinion Summary: A jury convicted Appellants Angel Romero and Conrado Cordona-Duarte of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. The court of appeals affirmed Appellants' felony drug convictions,…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Charles Goodwin was convicted of attempted capital-felony murder with aggravated robbery as the underlying offense and sentenced to life imprisonment. Petitioner timely filed a pro se petition for…

Justia Opinion Summary: Employee had previously been injured on the job and was working on light duty when Employer terminated Employee's employment due to insubordination and gross misconduct. The ALJ denied Employee's claim for…

Justia Opinion Summary: Metropolitan National Bank (MNB) loaned Grand Valley Ridge several million dollars for the completion of a subdivision. After Grand Valley failed to make its interest payments, MNB filed a petition for foreclosure. Grand…

Justia Opinion Summary: The City filed a complaint in eminent domain against Zara Thomas, trustee of two revocable trusts, and a motion for an order of immediate possession, seeking to procure a portion of Thomas's property for the purpose of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The State brought a consumer-protection action against Bennett & DeLoney, a Utah law firm, and the owners and principals thereof to redress and restrain alleged violations of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Al Williams tendered a pro se motion for rule on clerk, seeking to file a motion for belated appeal of a civil order without a certified record. A few days later, Petitioner filed the instant motion to proceed…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner David Daniels was found guilty by a jury of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. The court of appeals affirmed. Petitioner subsequently filed a pro se motion seeking at…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Barry Aaron received two life sentences for his convictions on charges of kidnapping and rape. Appellant subsequently filed two pro se motions referencing an action under Ark. Code Ann. 16-112-201 to -208, or…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Billy Culbertson, who was incarcerated at the Arkansas Department of Correction located in Lee County, filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus in the Lee County circuit court. The petition pertained…

Justia Opinion Summary: Ketan Bulsara filed a medical-malpractice and wrongful-death action against Dr. Julia Watkins stemming from the stillbirth of his child. A jury returned a judgment in favor of Dr. Watkins. The trial court subsequently…

Justia Opinion Summary: A paternity complaint was filed against Appellee, alleging that he was the father of a child. A default judgment was later entered against Appellee ordering him to pay child support. More than fourteen years later and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Yvonne Dockery pled no contest to one count of theft pursuant to a negotiated plea. On October 26, Appellant filed a motion to withdraw her no-contest plea. On October 30, the circuit court denied the motion…

Justia Opinion Summary: After receiving complaints of narcotic activity, patrol officers began to watch an area around a trailer. An officer opened three trash bags from a nearby dumpster to investigate the names of the adults living in the…

Justia Opinion Summary: This interlocutory appeal stemmed from the circuit court's disqualification of Reggie Koch as counsel for appellants, Ae Samontry and Pornpiemon Phouangmany. Appellants were charged with prostitution and promoting…

Justia Opinion Summary: Joe Kelley was sentenced to five years' imprisonment by the Fourth Division circuit court on conviction of a terroristic act. Subsequently, Kelley was convicted of forgery in the Second Division circuit court and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Wife and Husband gave birth to a daughter, after which Husband filed for a divorce. The divorce decree filed by the circuit court provided that Wife would be granted custody of the child and adopted a limited visitation…

Justia Opinion Summary: After Mother got pregnant, she told Father she wanted to put the baby up for adoption. Mother subsequently moved several times without telling Father her location. Father filed with the putative-father registries in four…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant school district filed an action on its own behalf and on behalf of its students and taxpayers to enjoin State actions in violation of state law and the Arkansas Constitution, asserting two claims for relief.…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case began as a criminal action filed by the City of Clinton against Southern Paramedic Services, alleging that Southern Paramedic violated two of the City ordinances prohibiting an entity from engaging in the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The circuit court entered an order denying Jimmy Mann's petition to intervene in a dependency-neglect case. Mann filed an unsigned notice of appeal belatedly. The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) moved to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Robert Loggins was found guilty by a jury of several drug-related crimes. The Supreme Court affirmed. Petitioner subsequently filed a pro se petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to consider a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was charged with capital murder and two counts of aggravated assault. Appellant was convicted of all three charges and sentenced to death on the murder charge. Thereafter, Appellant filed a timely petition for…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Michael Schniepp pled guilty to manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, possession of a firearm by certain persons,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Michael Perry entered a plea of guilty to aggravated residential burglary, aggravated robbery, battery in the second degree, aggravated assault, misdemeanor theft of property, and misdemeanor interference with…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Corey Turner was convicted, by way of an entry of a negotiated guilty plea in circuit court, on charges of delivery of hydrocodone and first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor. Appellant subsequently…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Conray Carroll pled guilty to rape, for which he was sentenced as a habitual offender to 720 months' imprisonment. Approximately fourteen years later, Appellant filed a pro se motion for depositions and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Ricky Justus pled guilty to two counts of false imprisonment, theft of property, and domestic battery and was sentenced to the maximum sentence. The court of appeals affirmed. More than five years later, Justus pro se…

Justia Opinion Summary: Shipping Point Marketing (SPM), an independent shipper, and three other independent shippers engaged Western Brokerage (Western) to arrange for he transportation of produce from Arizona to Pennsylvania and New York.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants, Little Rock Healthcare (LRHC), a nursing care facility; Donald Bedell, the sole member of the governing body for LRHC; and Heartland Personnel Leasing, appealed from a judgment in favor of Appellee Brenda…

Justia Opinion Summary: S.L. was charged with one count of rape in the juvenile division of the circuit court. Before the adjudication hearing, S.L. filed a motion to dismiss for violation of his right to a speedy trial, which the circuit court…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was found guilty by a jury of capital murder and sentenced to death. In subsequent proceedings under Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.5, the trial court granted Appellant a new sentencing hearing based upon trial counsel's…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Cameka Sullivan was convicted of permitting the abuse of her minor child and hindering the apprehension or prosecution of her child's abuser and sentenced to a cumulative sentence of 216 months' imprisonment.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Tony Thomas entered a plea of guilty in the circuit court to aggravated robbery and theft of property and was sentenced to serve an aggregate term of 240 months' imprisonment. Appellant subsequently filed a pro…

Justia Opinion Summary: An incident at a restaurant resulted in the use of force by police Police Lieutenant David Hudson against Chris Erwin. Erwin was charged with three misdemeanor offenses. Hudson then wrote a use-of-force report to his…

Justia Opinion Summary: In two separate cases, Appellant Brian Heard entered negotiated pleas to a total of four counts of delivery of a controlled substance as to various drugs and that eleven other charges were nolle prossed. Appellant timely…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Terrell Davis pleaded guilty to multiple felony offenses. Ninety-five days after the judgments were entered-of-record, Appellant filed in the trial court a pro se petition for postconviction relief pursuant to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Timothy Davis entered a plea of guilty to capital murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Davis subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief, which the trial court denied on…

Justia Opinion Summary: James Wedgeworth was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life without parole. The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and sentence entered in this case, holding (1) Wedgeworth's argument that the circuit court…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Tyrone Ellis was convicted of first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to life in prison. Ellis appealed, contending (1) the evidence was insufficient to support his…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Vincent Webb was convicted of the kidnapping and rape of a twelve-year-old girl and was sentenced as a habitual offender to concurrent sentences of forty years and life imprisonment. Appellant appealed,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Belynda Goff was found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder in the death of her husband and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Petitioner subsequently requested that the Supreme Court reinvest jurisdiction…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Anthony Reed was found guilty by a jury of aggravated robbery, theft of property, and two counts of second-degree battery. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed a pro se petition for writ…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Crafton, Tull, Sparks & Associates (CTSA) appealed an order of the circuit court granting summary judgment against CTSA and finding that CTSA's lien was second in priority to Appellee Metropolitan National…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants, Theresa and Eddie Paulino, filed an action against Appellees, QHG of Springdale and NorthWest Arkansas Hospitals (collectively, NMC), for negligent credentialing and negligent retention after three surgeries…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case arose from a dependency-neglect proceeding. After a permanency-planning hearing was set, the circuit court discovered that the Department of Human Services (DHS) had failed to draft and put into place a case…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Joe Simmons was convicted on drug-related charges and failure to appear. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief, alleging ineffective assistance of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Routy Abernathy was convicted of two counts of rape. Appellant subsequently filed a pro se petition for postconviction relief, raising a number of claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. The trial court…

Justia Opinion Summary: Following a jury trial, Appellant Vadarian Meadows was found guilty of capital murder, residential burglary, and theft of property. For reversal, Appellant contended (1) the evidence was not sufficient to support his…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Clarence Ashby was found guilty of rape, for which a sentence of thirty years' imprisonment was imposed. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Child was born to Appellant and her former husband. When Appellant and her former husband divorced, Appellant was given custody of Child. Appellant subsequently married Appellee. Appellant later filed for divorce from…

Justia Opinion Summary: Rudolph Slater was killed while operating a Yanmar tractor he purchased from Chris Elder Enterprises. The tractor had been manfactured by Yanmar Japan and later sold to Chris Elder Enterprises. Slater's wife, Wanda,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Civitan Center, Inc. brought a declaratory judgment action against the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services of the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DDS). Civitan, a corporation licensed by DDS to operate…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner Steven Pinder was found guilty of two counts of rape and sentenced to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. Petitioner subsequently filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking to…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant Lesa Menne was found guilty of possession of drug paraphernalia with the intent to use, and possession of marijuana. On appeal, Menne challenged the circuit court's denial of her motion to…

Justia Opinion Summary: After Lesa Menne was stopped for a traffic violation, a law enforcement officer searched her vehicle and discovered illegal drugs. Menne was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Dwight Jackson pled guilty to one count of delivery of a counterfeit substance and was sentenced by the circuit court to ninety-six months' imprisonment. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Ricky Strain was convicted by a jury of first-degree murder and was sentenced to 300 months' incarceration. Appellant subsequently filed a timely petition for postconviction relief, which the trial court denied…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Darcel Tolliver entered in the circuit court a plea of guilty to multiple felony offenses. Appellant was sentenced as a habitual offender to 240 months' imprisonment. Appellant subsequently filed a pro se…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Mitchell Johnson entered a plea of guilty to financial identity fraud, theft by receiving, and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance. Petitioner subsequently filed a timely pro se petition for…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant Rodney Jones was convicted of capital murder in the shooting death of his ex-wife. The jury sentenced Appellant to life imprisonment without parole. The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Lawrence Martin was convicted of capital murder. The Supreme Court affirmed. Petitioner subsequently petitioned the Court to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to consider a petition for writ of error…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellee filed a complaint against Appellant, alleging the nonpayment of goods totaling $713,970. Appellant did not answer the complaint, and the circuit court entered a default judgment awarding the amount alleged in…

Justia Opinion Summary: At issue in this case were three trademarks registered to Plaintiff by the secretary of state. Plaintiff filed an amended complaint for declaratory judgment, seeking a determination that its trademarks were valid and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Rodney Williams was found guilty by a jury of felony murder in the first degree and aggravated robbery. The Supreme Court affirmed his convictions and sentences. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for writ…

Justia Opinion Summary: Employee was injured in an automobile accident while working for Employer. Employer had a state-certified workers' compensation plan in effect that provided coverage to Employee, and some of Employee's medical bills were…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Charles Green was convicted of four counts of rape and one count of terroristic threatening in the first degree. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the circuit court did not abuse its discretion in denying…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Mychael Kinard entered a conditional plea to simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. The plea was entered on July 13, 2010, at which time…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Sherman Watson appealed the denial of his pro se petition for postconviction relief and filed a number of motions regarding the appeal. The Supreme Court dismissed Appellant's petition for writ of certiorari…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Jonathan Olivarez pled guilty to charges of delivery of methamphetamine, attempted murder in the first degree, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Appellant timely filed a petition for postconviction…

Justia Opinion Summary: Independence County and the City of Clarksville entered into a power purchase and sale agreement that included an arbitration provision. After the City informed the County that it was going to terminate the agreement,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Teresa Broussard brought a medical malpractice action against, inter alia, Dr. Stephen Seffense and Dr. Michael Coleman, Jr. after she developed and was treated for a burn following a surgery. The circuit court entered…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant, an inmate incarcerated in the state Department of Correction, filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus in the county where he was incarcerated, alleging several grounds for the writ. The circuit court…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Arkansas Health Services Permit Commission awarded Hospitality Care Center a permit of approval (POA) for a nursing facility. Gracewood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center subsequently requested approval from the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Monica Brodie, an African-American female, was employed by the City of Jonesboro when she applied for a promotion. When she was informed that she was not be receiving the promotion, she submitted a letter of resignation.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Taxpayers were the owners of all or a portion of the oil, gas and other minerals in, on, and under each of their real property located in the counties party to this lawsuit. Taxpayers filed a complaint against…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Faigins owned a lot in the Diamante subdivision. Diamante asserted a lien on the Faigins' lot for failure to pay monthly membership dues and thereafter filed a complaint in foreclosure on the lot. The Faigins filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Marion Riddell was found guilty by a jury of rape and sentenced to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. One hundred and sixty-eight days after the Court's mandate issued, Appellant filed in the trial…

Justia Opinion Summary: Lydia Delgadio was convicted and sentenced for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver. The circuit court denied Delgado's petition for postconviction relief. Delgado…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Sarah Lynn entered a negotiated plea of guilty to possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. A judgment and disposition order showed that Lynn had entered a negotiated plea of guilty or nolo…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Milton Hendrix was found guilty by a jury of second-degree sexual assault, a felony, and fourth-degree sexual assault, a misdemeanor. Appellant subsequently filed a pro se petition for postconviction relief,…

Justia Opinion Summary: SSW Holding filed a complaint against BDO Seidman and other defendants, asserting several causes of action and seeking damages arising from a tax-advantaged investment strategy involving investments in distressed debt…