Bowden v. State (Per Curiam)
Annotate this CaseAfter a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The Supreme Court affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed a pro se petition for relief pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1, alleging that he was deprived the effective assistance of counsel and that he was denied a fair trial stemming from a motion to change venue. The trial court denied the petition without a hearing. Appellant appealed and moved for extension of time to file his brief. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and declared the motions moot, holding (1) Appellant did not meet his burden to overcome the presumption that trial counsel’s conduct fell within the wide range of professional assistance; and (2) Appellant’s claim of trial error was not grounds for relief under Rule 37.1.
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