Arkansas Supreme Court Decisions 2016

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant’s former stepson, G.L., was born to Mother. After Appellant and Mother married, they had a daughter, E.M. Mother later filed a complaint for divorce against Appellant. The decree of divorce granted custody of…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of residential burglary and rape. Petitioner was sentenced as a habitual offender to 900 months’ imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Petitioner later filed this,…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of three counts of delivery of cocaine and one count of delivery of a counterfeit substance. Appellant was sentenced to 552 months’ imprisonment. The court of appeals…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of five counts of aggravated robbery and five counts of theft of property obtained by threat of serious physical injury. Appellant was sentenced to fifty years’ imprisonment.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault and was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment. Thereafter, Appellant filed an untimely petition for postconviction relief under Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1. The circuit…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of raping a mentally handicapped sixteen-year-old girl. Appellant was sentenced as a habitual offender to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. Thereafter, Appellant filed in the trial…

Justia Opinion Summary: Guy Hendrix, the decedent in this case, worked for Alcoa Inc. for nearly thirty years. After he retired, Hendrix filed a claim against Alcoa for workers’ compensation benefits, alleging that he was exposed to asbestos…

Justia Opinion Summary: Christopher Foster and Leah Foster were divorced pursuant to a divorce decree that awarded Leah primary custody of the parties’ three children, with Christopher receiving visitation. The decree approved the parties’…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter. The Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC) initially calculated Appellant’s term of imprisonment to total an aggregate term of 240 months’ imprisonment. However,…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The Supreme Court affirmed. Appellant subsequently sought prostconviction relief through several legal…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of several drug offenses. Petitioner was sentenced to a term of life imprisonment on the charge of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, to be served consecutively…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of one count of capital felony murder and sentenced to death. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the circuit court (1) did not violate Appellant’s right to a fair and…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of first-degree murder and first-degree battery. Defendant was sentenced to an aggregate sentence of sixty-five years’ imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Thereafter,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was found in criminal contempt for failing to appear as counsel at his client’s jury trial. Appellant appealed, arguing that he could not be held in contempt for willfully violating the trial court’s scheduling…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant, who was convicted on a drug possession charge, filed a pro se petition for writ of certiorari seeking review of the trial court’s decision to deny a motion for an appeal bond and remand with directions for the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1982, judgment was entered reflecting that Appellant pleaded guilty to capital felony murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. In 2016, Appellant filed a pro se petition for writ of error coram…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted second-degree murder. Appellant received a combined term of thirty-eight years’ imprisonment for these…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner entered a plea of guilty to theft by receiving and was sentenced o sixty months’ imprisonment to be followed by a suspended imposition of sentence for thirty-six months. Petitioner’s suspended sentence was…

Justia Opinion Summary: Edward Snow, individually and as putative class representative on behalf of all similarly situated people, filed a complaint against SEECO, Inc. alleging that SEECO had underpaid royalties to plaintiffs, a group of…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this class action case, the circuit court granted class certification to a group of landowners who entered into natural gas leases with SEECO, Inc., DeSoto Gathering Company, and Southwestern Midstream Services…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellees, three married female couples, filed suit against Appellant, the director of the Arkansas Department of Health, seeking a declaration that the refusal to issue birth certificates with the names of both spouses…

Justia Opinion Summary: CACH, LLC filed a complaint against William Echols alleging that Echols breached his contract with a bank when he defaulted on his obligation to pay for charges incurred on a credit card and that, as current owner of the…

Justia Opinion Summary: After C.E. was born, the circuit court ordered C.E. to be removed from his mother and placed in the custody of the Arkansas Department of Human Services (ADHS). The court subsequently entered an adjudication order…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was found guilty of aggravated robbery and theft of property with a firearm enhancement. Appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed on appeal. Appellant later filed a pro se…

Justia Opinion Summary: On November 13, 2014, Defendant was charged by information with one count of theft by deception, a Class B felony. The State averred in the information that the offense was committed between June 1, 2011 and June 14,…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of aggravated residential burglary, theft of property, and failure to appear. The court of appeals affirmed. Thereafter, Appellant filed a petition for postconviction relief…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2002, Petitioner was convicted of one count of capital murder and sentenced to death. In 2014, the Supreme Court vacated Petitioner’s conviction and sentence and remanded for a new trial, concluding that Petitioner…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant entered into a negotiated plea of guilty for breaking or entering and criminal mischief. The judgment and commitment order reflected a sentence of seventy-two months’ incarceration on the breaking or entering…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of capital murder, as an accomplice. In 2008, Appellant filed a pro se petition for postconviction relief under Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1. On the same day, Appellant filed a petition for scientific…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1978, Appellant entered a negotiated plea of guilty in the circuit court in three cases. Under Act 1993 of 1977, which was in effect when Appellant committed the offenses, he was not eligible for release on parole…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of two counts of forgery in the second degree. The court of appeals affirmed. Petitioner subsequently filed an amended pro se petition for postconviction relief pursuant to…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2013, Appellant was convicted of raping a young girl and sentenced to forty years’ imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief pursuant to Ark. R.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Randeep Mann targeted Dr. Trent Pierce in a bombing. Dr. Pierce was seriously injured in the bombing. Mann was subsequently convicted of using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction against a person within…

Justia Opinion Summary: Michelle Jameson received a conditional permit for a liquor store in Rogers, Arkansas. After Jameson sold one bottle of liquor, the Board granted approval to place Jameson’s permit on inactive status. Jameson…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter. The sentencing order reflected a sentence of 240 months’ imprisonment for the manslaughter conviction and the imposition of a consecutive firearm enhancement of 120…

Justia Opinion Summary: Sarah Gildehaus filed a liquor-permit application for her store. The Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Board voted unanimously to issue a permit to Gildehaus. Christopher Moore appealed, arguing that the Board’s…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2008, Appellant was convicted of aggravated robbery. In 2016, Appellant tendered a pro se pleading asking the Supreme Court to intervene and to direct the circuit court judge and circuit clerk to permit him to file…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of murder in the first degree and sentenced to 480 months’ imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Now before the Supreme Court was Petitioner’s third pro se petition…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of one count each of first-degree murder and second-degree murder. The Supreme Court affirmed on direct appeal, holding (1) Appellant’s argument that the circuit court erred in…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Defendant was found guilty of capital murder, two counts of aggravated robbery, and two counts of kidnapping. Defendant elected to forgo sentencing by the jury. The State did not seek the death…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a bench trial, Appellant was convicted of carrying a weapon in violation of Ark. Code Ann. 5-73-120. Appellant appealed, arguing, among other things, that the circuit court erred in failing to obtain a valid…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant entered a negotiated plea of guilty of aggravated robbery, theft of property, furnishing a prohibited article, and third-degree battery. Appellant later filed a pro se petition for postconviction relief…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of two counts of rape involving a thirteen-year-old girl and was sentenced to an aggregate term of 600 months’ imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant then filed a petition for…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of four counts of delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a church. The court of appeals affirmed. Seventy-two days after the court of appeals’ mandate had…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner pleaded guilty to delivery of a counterfeit substance and delivery of a controlled substance. Petitioner later filed a pro se petition to correct or reduce his sentence. The trial court denied the petition.…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial in 2009, Petitioner was found guilty of the rape of his six-year-old step-granddaughter. The court of appeals affirmed. Thereafter, Petitioner filed a petition for postconviction relief pursuant to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Defendants in this case included a Union, a subsidiary of the Union, and John Does (collectively, Defendants) who conducted demonstrations to help current and former Walmart employees on issues related to their…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to capital murder, terroristic threatening, and second-degree battery. Appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and two six-year terms of imprisonment to run…

Justia Opinion Summary: The facts related to this appeal stemmed from Attorney Theodis N. Thompson Jr.’s representation of Michael Baker on criminal charges. The circuit court found Thompson in criminal contempt for his failure to appear at a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1991, Appellant pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and several other offenses, for which he was sentenced to an aggregate term of fifty years’ imprisonment. In 2015, Appellant filed a motion to correct time spent in…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1979, Appellant pleaded guilty to murder in the first degree and was sentenced to imprisonment for the “rest of his natural life.” In 2014, Appellant filed in the trial court a petition for writ of error coram nobis…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1998, Appellant pleaded guilty to capital murder, terroristic threatening, and second-degree battery. Appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the murder conviction. In 2015,…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was convicted of rape, aggravated robbery, and burglary. Petitioner was sentenced as a habitual offender to consecutive terms of life imprisonment for rape and an aggregate sentence of…

Justia Opinion Summary: After Tony Havner was injured in a motorcycle accident involving an overhead communications cable, Havner and his wife, Tina Havner, filed a negligence action against Northeast Arkansas Electric Cooperative (NAEC) and…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this opinion authored by Associate Justice Rhonda Wood, Judge Wood considered a motion to disqualify filed by Appellees asking that Wood recuse from hearing an appeal and any case involving Michael Morton or his…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of aggravated robbery, theft of property, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The court of appeals affirmed. Petitioner later filed a pro se petition seeking…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of aggravated robbery. Petitioner was sentenced to 360 months in prison. The court of appeals affirmed. Petitioner later filed a pro se petition to reinvest jurisdiction in…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of rape. Appellant was sentenced as a habitual offender to life imprisonment. Appellant appealed, arguing that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction and that…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of rape. Appellant was sentenced to twenty-three years’ imprisonment. Appellant later filed a petition for postconviction relief, asserting eleven claims of ineffective…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of rape and aggravated-residential burglary. Appellant appealed, arguing that the trial court erred in finding that the victim was competent to testify. The court of appeals…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to fourth-degree sexual assault and was sentenced to seventy-two months’ imprisonment. Appellant subsequently filed multiple pleadings in the trial court, all of which essentially claimed that he…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of two counts of rape. Appellant was sentenced to a term of 120 months’ imprisonment on each count, to be served consecutively. Thereafter, Appellant field a timely,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant filed in the Circuit Court of Lincoln County a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus. At the time he filed the petition, Appellant was incarcerated at a unit of the Arkansas Department of Correction located…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of second-degree murder and aggravated robbery. The trial court sentenced Appellant to consecutive sentences of thirty years’ imprisonment for each of the charges. Appellant subsequently filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1969, Appellant pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment. In 2015, Appellant filed a pro se petition for writ of error coram nobis, for correction of sentence, and for declaratory…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of second-degree sexual assault. No appeal was taken from the judgment of conviction. Petitioner now sought to proceed with a belated appeal under Ark. R. App. P-Crim.…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of four counts of computer exploitation of a child in the first degree and of twenty counts of distributing, possessing, or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of capital murder for the death of a fourteen-year-old girl. Appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Thereafter, Appellant challenged his conviction by…

Justia Opinion Summary: This was the second part of a bifurcated case concerning a proposed amendment to the state Constitution referred to as “An Amendment to Limit Attorney Contingency Fees and Non-Economic Damages in Medical Lawsuits.”…

Justia Opinion Summary: At issue in this case was the sufficiency of signatures counted by Mark Martin, the Secretary of State, in the initial ballot petition, “The Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act.” The Act was on the November 8, 2016 ballot and…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2011, Appellant pleaded guilty to attempted capital murder and kidnapping. In 2015, Appellant filed a petition for writ of error coram nobis, alleging that the prosecutor withheld certain video evidence in violation…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2012, the Arkansas State Police conducted a sobriety checkpoint on an exit ramp on an interstate. Appellant was stopped and subsequently arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. After a bench trial,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of first-degree battery and sentenced to ten years in prison. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant later filed a petition for postconviction relief pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1, alleging…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and rape by forcible compulsion. Appellant later filed a pro se petition for postconviction relief pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1, alleging that his guilty plea was not…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted of capital felony murder. The conviction was affirmed on appeal. Petitioner later asked the Supreme Court to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court so that it may consider a writ of error coram…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1990, Petitioner was convicted of rape. Petitioner later asked the Supreme Court to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court so that it may consider whether a writ of error coram nobis. The petition arose from the…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case concerned the proposed constitutional amendment known as An Amendment to Limit Attorney Contingency Fees and Non-Economic Damages in Medical Lawsuits. The Attorney General certified the popular name, as…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case concerned the proposed constitutional amendment known as An Amendment to Limit Attorney Contingency Fees and Non-Economic Damages in Medical Lawsuits. Petitioners brought this original action seeking an order…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Arkansas Attorney General issued an opinion approving the popular name and ballot title for a proposed constitutional amendment known as The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016. Petitioner, individually and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Issue No. 5 was a proposed constitutional amendment to allow three casinos to operate in three counties in Arkansas. The Secretary of State certified to place Issue No. 5 on the November 8, 2016 ballot. Petitioners,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted of capital murder based on accomplice liability and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The Supreme Court affirmed, concluding that sufficient evidence supported the conviction…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of first-degree murder. Appellant was sentenced to 480 months in prison. Appellant later filed a verified pro se petition for postconviction relief seeking to vacate the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery. Appellant was sentenced to an aggregate sentence of 480 months’ imprisonment. Appellant later filed a pro se petition for writ of error coram nobis, a petition for…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to four counts of rape and was sentenced to an aggregate sentence of 720 months’ imprisonment. Appellant later filed a petition for postconviction relief pursuant to Ark. R. Civ. P. 37.1. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of first-degree murder. The Supreme Court affirmed on appeal. Appellant filed a petition for postconviction relief under Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1, which was denied. The Supreme Court dismissed…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2000, Derrick Price died as a result of a homicide, and a district judge signed Defendant’s arrest warrant for the homicide. Defendant was incarcerated for separate charges of aggravated robbery and attempted…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of second-degree domestic battery. Defendant was sentenced to five years’ incarceration with an additional one-year enhanced penalty for committing the offense in the presence…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant entered nolo contendere pleas in two cases. The judgment imposed an aggregate sentence of 360 months’ imprisonment in the two criminal cases, in conjunction with the court’s granting a petition to revoke the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1998, Appellant entered negotiated pleas of guilty to charges of capital murder, first-degree terroristic threatening, and second-degree battery. Appellant received a sentence of life without parole on the…

Justia Opinion Summary: On July 7, 2016, the Secretary of State certified that The Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act had met the constitutional signature requirements in order to place the proposed initiated act on the Arkansas general election…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of being an accomplice to capital murder. Petitioner was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Petitioner’s conviction was affirmed on appeal. Now before the…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of aggravated robbery. Appellant was sentenced as a habitual offender to 720 months’ imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Thereafter, Appellant filed a petition for…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of capital murder and abuse of a corpose. Appellant was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder conviction. Appellant appealed, arguing that the circuit…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, criminal attempt to commit first-degree murder, and two enhancements. Appellant was sentenced to fifty-five years’ imprisonment. Appellant subsequently filed a petition…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1977, Appellant pleaded guilty to rape and aggravated robbery. Appellant was sentenced to life without parole for the rape conviction. The trial court later granted Appellant’s motion for a new trial and again…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to eighty years’ imprisonment. The conviction and sentence were affirmed on appeal. Now before the Supreme Court was Petitioner’s…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted of capital murder and committing a felony with a firearm and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole plus fifteen years’ imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. Now before the Supreme…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was convicted of capital murder and attempted first-degree murder. Petitioner was sentenced to consecutive terms of life imprisonment without parole and an aggregate terms of 720 months’…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of committing a terrorist act, attempting to commit first-degree battery, and four counts of aggravated assault and sentenced to an aggregate term of 1020 months’ imprisonment. The Court of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with an enhancement of 180 months’ imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. Petitioner later filed two petitions for postconviction…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, possession of firearms by certain persons, and possession of drug paraphernalia. At the time of the entry of the guilty plea, Appellant entered a drug court admission…

Justia Opinion Summary: Katie Stehle and Ernest Zimmerebner divorced in 2001. In 2014, the circuit court found that Stehle was in willful contempt for her failure to pay child support as ordered and granted judgment for an arrearage. Along with…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was charged with one count of rape. When Gerald Crow was a circuit judge he authorized the issuance of an arrest warrant for Appellant. Crow also presided over Appellant’s plea-and-arraignment hearing. Crow…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of rape. Defendant was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of twenty-five years. Defendant filed a petition for postconviction relief, alleging ineffective assistance of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Drew May worked for Integrated Direct Marketing, LLC (IDM) as an executive vice president until his termination. May later began working for Merkle, Inc., a competitor of IDM. IDM filed a complaint against May and Markle…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellees were prisoners under sentences of death for capital murder. Appellees filed an amended complaint against the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) challenging the constitutionality of Act 1096 of 2015, which…

Justia Opinion Summary: Ethel Long filed a complaint against Simon Property Group and later filed an amended complaint substituting McCain Mall Company Limited Partnership as the actual defendant. Long served McCain Mall’s registered agent, but…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner, an inmate, was convicted in 2008 of aggravated robbery. Petitioner was sentenced as a habitual offender to 600 months’ imprisonment. In 2016, Petitioner filed pleadings that the Supreme Court treated as a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants, current and retired members of the Arkansas judiciary, contested the forfeiture provisions found in Ark. Code Ann. 24-8-215 and 24-8-710 that pertain to the Arkansas Judicial Retirement System. Appellants…

Justia Opinion Summary: Respondent Cindy Clough, as personal representative of the estate of Joyce Vinson, filed an amended complaint against Petitioners Capital SeniorCare Ventures, LLC, et al. (Capital SeniorCare) alleging the same claims as…

Justia Opinion Summary: After the circuit court adjudicated the three children of Appellee to be neglected, the circuit court found that it was not in the best interest of the children to return to Appellee and granted permanent custody of the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2007, Appellant was convicted of two counts of capital murder and sentenced to death. The Supreme Court affirmed on direct appeal. Appellant now filed a motion to recall the mandate entered following his direct…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2010, Defendant was ordered to serve five years’ probation after pleading guilty to attempted delivery of cocaine. The circuit court ultimately revoked Defendant’s probation, finding that he had violated the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Defendant was convicted of capital murder, two counts of attempted capital murder, and seven counts of committing a terroristic act. Defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for the murder conviction…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1984, Appellant was convicted of two counts each of rape, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping. Appellant later filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus under Act 1780 of 2001 Acts of Arkansas asserting…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1996, Appellant entered a guilty plea to charges of first-degree murder, arson, and first-degree battery. Appellant was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of forty years. The Department of Correction calculated…

Justia Opinion Summary: Eugene Butler brought this suit against the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas, alleging that the University violated the Arkansas Whistle-Blower Act (AWBA) upon terminating Appellant from his job as a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant filed several requests pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act with the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory seeking copies of all evidence kept or obtained by the laboratory related to his criminal cases. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: Kisha Donley was awarded permanent guardianship of M.B., the daughter of Kisha’s half sister, Temika Donley. One year later, Temika filed a petition to remove the guardianship, arguing that the guardianship was no longer…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner Rolandis Chatmon was in jail at the time of his applications to the Arkansas Supreme Court for a writ of coram nobis. He was incarcerated on three counts of aggravated robbery and one count of theft of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants Courtyard Gardens Health and Rehabilitation, LLC and others (“collectively Courtyard”), appealed a circuit court order denying their motion to dismiss and compel arbitration of the claims brought against them…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant James Corn appealed a circuit court order denying his petition to establish a special-needs trust pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1396p(d)(4)(A). Corn was disabled because of a head injury from which he suffered…

Justia Opinion Summary: Chris and Anita Taffner were the adoptive parents of five children who came to their home through foster-care services and were adopted in 2009 and 2011 respectively. On January 2, 2015, the Department of Human Services…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Bruce Allen Echols was convicted by a jury of four counts of aggravated robbery and was sentenced to four concurrent terms of 360 months’ imprisonment. Echols filed a timely verified petition for postconviction…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Anthony Randle was found guilty by jury of capital murder in the death of Ranson Harrison, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Randle appealed, and his conviction and sentence was…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Gerber Products Company d/b/a Nestle Infant Nutrition d/b/a Nestle Nutrition USA d/b/a Nestle Nutrition USA-Infant Nutrition d/b/a Nestle Nutrition USA-Performance Nutrition (“Gerber”) appealed a circuit court…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2013, appellant Roy Russell was found guilty by a jury of second-degree battery and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced as a habitual offender to serve 180 months’ imprisonment and 480 months’…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Edward Reynolds appealed after a jury found him guilty of kidnapping and aggravated assault. He was sentenced as a habitual offender to consecutive sentences of life imprisonment and fifteen years’…

Justia Opinion Summary: Dion Robinson was charged by information with committing four counts of aggravated robbery, four counts of felony theft of property, and one count of misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Robinson was incarcerated…

Justia Opinion Summary: The City of Russellville created the City Corporation to operate, maintain, and improve the city’s municipal waterworks system. The City Corporation managed a water treatment plant that provided potable drinking water to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Convent Corporation brought an interlocutory appeal of a circuit court’s order denying Convent’s motion for class certification; dismissing without prejudice Convent’s trespass claim and its federal and state statutory…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant Shawn Whiteside was an inmate incarcerated in the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC). Whiteside filed a petition for judicial review of a decision by the Arkansas Parole Board (Parole Board). Whiteside…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1994, Petitioner was convicted of the rape of a boy and sentenced to thirty years in prison. The court of appeals affirmed. In 2016, Petitioner filed a petition seeking reinvestment of jurisdiction in the trial court…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of two counts of rape. Petitioner was sentenced to two consecutive terms of twenty years’ imprisonment. Now before the Supreme Court was Petitioner’s fourth pro se…

Justia Opinion Summary: The circuit court granted Janet Autry’s petition to be appointed temporary guardian of Louise Sheperd. Pam and Don Beckham were allowed to intervene. The circuit court appointed the Beckhams guardians of Sheperd and…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant filed a request for documents related to his criminal case under the Freedom of Information Act. Appellee, the custodian of records for the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, denied the request on the grounds…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted of first-degree battery and second-degree battery and sentenced to an aggregate sentence of 264 months’ imprisonment. The convictions were affirmed on appeal. Now before the Supreme Court was…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of second-degree battery and of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Appellant’s convictions and sentences were affirmed on direct appeal. Appellant subsequently filed…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of firearms by certain persons. Petitioner later filed a timely pro se petition pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1 seeking to challenge the judgment. The trial court…

Justia Opinion Summary: This case arose from a dispute between George Stokes and his son, Mason Stokes, over the ownership of farmland in Chicot County. Mason filed a petition to quiet title to the farmland. The circuit court ruled that Mason…

Justia Opinion Summary: Columbia Insurance Group, Inc. and Columbia Mutual Insurance Co. (collectively, Columbia) filed a complaint for declaratory judgment to determine Columbia’s obligations under the Commercial General Liability Insurance…

Justia Opinion Summary: Daniel Wren requested from The Arkansas State Police (ASP) unredacted access to certain accident reports under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). ASP contended that its policy of redacting personal information from…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted of aggravated robbery, residential burglary, and third-degree battery and sentenced to an aggregate term of 540 months’ imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Petitioner later filed the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pled guilty to one count of misdemeanor domestic battering in the third degree and three counts of felony terroristic threatening in the first degree. Appellant was placed on probation and ordered to serve 120…

Justia Opinion Summary: Defendant was charged with rape and possession of child pornography. Defendant moved to suppress ten pornographic images of children discovered during a search of his home pursuant to search warrants. The circuit court…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants sued Appellees in circuit court, alleging causes of action for civil conspiracy, intentional interference with a contractual relationship or business expectancy, fraud and fraudulent inducement, and violation…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of possession of methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms. The court of appeals affirmed Appellant’s…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of capital murder ad sentenced to death. The jury sentenced Appellant to death. The Supreme Court affirmed on appeal, holding (1) the circuit court did not err in denying an…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of rape. Defendant was sentenced to ten years in prison. The court of appeals affirmed the conviction. Defendant subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief arguing…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of capital murder and aggravated robbery. Appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The Supreme Court affirmed. Appellant later filed a pro se application…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a bench trial, Appellant was found guilty of internet stalking of a child and sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. After the court of appeals’ mandate was issued, Appellant filed in…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of arson. Appellant was sentenced as a habitual offender to 144 months’ imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant later filed a pro se petition for writ of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellee filed a notice of appeal from a probate order approving a settlement agreement among Appellants. Upon Appellee’s motion, the circuit court extended the time to lodge the record. Appellee subsequently filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: Corina Mendoza was a passenger in the backseat of a vehicle operated by Anthony Adams when Adams ran into the back of a parked excavator. Mendoza filed a complaint against Adams and WIS International, Inc. and Washington…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants filed a complaint for breach of contract, non-disclosure, rescission, damages, and negligence against Appellees. Appellants obtained a default judgment. Appellees moved to set aside the default judgment on the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Dale Ladd hired Hammerhead Contracting & Development, LLC to build a house. After a dispute arose regarding the amount owed for the construction of Ladd’s home, Brandon Holmes filed a Laborer’s, Mechanic’s, or…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant filed an application for in-forma-pauperis status. Because the circuit court denied Appellant’s in-forma-pauperis petition, the circuit court would not file mark the relevant pleadings until Appellant paid the…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of three counts of rape. Appellant was sentenced to consecutive terms of imprisonment of life, fifty years, and fifty years. Appellant appealed, contending that the trial court…

Justia Opinion Summary: The parties in this case were Ken Blevins, who was elected as Sebastian County Circuit Clerk in 2011, and David Hudson, who served as the county judge for Sebastian County. Hudson appointed a grievance committee to hear…

Justia Opinion Summary: Linda Wright brought this lawsuit against Travis Trammell, a police officer, alleging that he committed the state-law torts of false arrest and false imprisonment. Trammell moved for summary judgment on the basis of…

Justia Opinion Summary: Marilyn Worsham worked for a nonprofit agency and was later transferred to a host agency, at which time her pay was reduced. Worsham filed for unemployment benefits, but the Department of Workforce Services denied the…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of kidnapping, rape, and aggravated robbery. Appellant was sentenced to three terms of life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed on direct appeal, holding (1) Appellant’s…

Justia Opinion Summary: In two separate cases, Appellant pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated assault and to furnishing prohibited articles into a correctional facility. Appellant later filed a pro se petition to reinvest…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of one count of capital murder in one case and one count of capital murder in another case. Appellant was sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment without…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner pleaded guilty to four counts of rape and was sentenced to a total of 720 months in prison. Petitioner later filed in the circuit court an Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1 petition. The trial court denied Petitioner’s…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of capital murder and aggravated robbery. Appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The Supreme Court affirmed. Appellant later filed a pro se petition to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Settlor executed a will stating that First Presbyterian and First Baptist churches were to receive the remainder of his estate, which consisted largely of farmland. The Settlor named a trustee and directed it to hold the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pled guilty to one count each of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, and attempting to furnish a prohibited article. Appellant later filed an amended civil complaint against the deputy prosecutor, alleging…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2013, the Kanis and Denny Roads Suburban Water Improvement District No. 349 of Pulaski County (the District) reassessed Southwest Power Pool, Inc.’s (SPP) commercial facility, an improvement on its property that is…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of rape and theft of property. Appellant was sentenced to an aggregate term of thirty-five years’ imprisonment. Appellant later filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was convicted of two counts of rape of a child and sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. Now before the Court was Petitioner’s pro se petition…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2000, Appellant was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. Thereafter, Appellant filed a waiver of appeal and of postconviction review. The Supreme Court affirmed Appellant’s waiver of his right to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment. Appellant later filed a pro se petition for writ of error coram nobis, alleging that his trial counsel coerced him into a…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of three counts of aggravated robbery and one count of theft of property. The Supreme Court affirmed Appellant’s convictions and sentences on appeal. Thereafter, Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant brought a criminal charge against Appellee, alleging that Appellee had engaged in sexual indecency with a child, in violation of Ark. Code Ann. 5-14-110(a)(4)(C). After a jury trial, the circuit court directed…

Justia Opinion Summary: At issue in this case were three different versions of an account agreement between Appellees, who are customers of Bank of the Ozarks, and Ozarks, which holds the accounts. The agreements included an arbitration…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs, three Arkansas corporations that operate private hospitals in the state, filed a complaint for declaratory judgment seeking a judgment declaring the Arkansas Peer Review Fairness Act unconstitutional. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: Decedent was a resident of Courtyard Gardens Health and Rehabilitation, LLC for nearly one year when she transferred to another nursing home. Decedent subsequently executed a purported durable power of attorney in favor…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants, property owners and holders of oil and gas leases, filed a class-action complaint against Appellee, the circuit court clerk, alleging that Appellee and two of her deputies falsely and fraudulently notarized…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver. Appellant was sentenced as a habitual offender to 240 months’ imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant later…

Justia Opinion Summary: In two separate cases, Appellant pleaded guilty to several offenses, including aggravated robbery and theft. Appellant filed a timely petition pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37 alleging that his convictions were the result…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of kidnapping, aggravated residential burglary, and other offenses. Appellant was sentenced to fifty-two years’ imprisonment, which included a firearm enhancement. The court of appeals affirmed.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was found guilty of eleven counts of rape of a victim who was less than fourteen years of age and one count of interference with custody. Appellant was sentenced to consecutive life sentences for each count of…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a second jury trial, Appellant was convicted of four counts of rape. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed an Ark. R. Crim. P. 37 petition, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel.…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, and maintaining a drug premises. The court of appeals affirmed.…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2011, Appellant pleaded guilty to multiple felony offenses and was sentenced as a habitual offender to 240 months’ imprisonment. Petitioner later filed a petition to correct an illegal sentence, which the trial court…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial in 1993, Petitioner was found guilty of murder in the first degree. Petitioner was sentenced to life imprisonment. In 2016, Petitioner filed his third petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial…

Justia Opinion Summary: The circuit court granted Nancy Moore a divorce from David Moore on the ground of general indignities. David appealed, challenging the division of the parties’ property and the award of alimony. The court of appeals…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellees, former residents of certain nursing homes and special administrators, guardians, or attorneys-in-fact of former residents, filed a class action complaint against Appellants, GGNSC Holdings, LLC and related…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner, who represented himself at trial with standby counsel, was convicted of aggravated robbery, terroristic threatening in the first degree, theft of property, and battery in the third degree.…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of rape. Petitioner was sentenced as a habitual offender to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. Now before the Court was Petitioner’s pro se petition to reinvest…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. Appellant was sentenced by a jury, and the jury sentenced Appellant to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed the sentence. Appellant later filed a pro se verified…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1994, Petitioner was convicted of first-degree murder, robbery, and burglary. In 2014, Petitioner filed a petition to correct an illegal sentence. The circuit court dismissed the petition as untimely. Petitioner…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner entered a negotiated plea to first-degree murder and received a sentence of 228 months’ imprisonment and an additional 120 months’ suspended imposition of sentence. Petitioner subsequently filed two pro se…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants filed a motion for rule on clerk, to file the record and have their appeal docketed. The clerk refused to docket the appeal on the grounds that the circuit court’s order granting an extension of time to lodge…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of capital murder and first-degree battery. Petitioner was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Thereafter, Petitioner filed four successive petitions with the…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of capital murder and aggravated robbery. Appellant was sentenced as a habitual offender to life imprisonment without parole. The Supreme Court affirmed. Appellant later…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant entered a negotiated plea of guilty to attempted first-degree murder and aggravated robbery and was sentenced to an aggregate term of 780 months’ imprisonment. Appellant later filed in the trial court a pro se…

Justia Opinion Summary: Owen and Mandy Kelly divorced by a decree. The circuit court divided the marital property, awarded primary custody of the children to Mandy and ordered Owen to pay child support and alimony. Owen sought to appeal the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant filed an illegal-exaction lawsuit against The Oxford American Literary Project, Inc. In his complaint, Appellant asserted that the University of Central Arkansas loaned $700,000 to Oxford American out of its…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to rape and first-degree sexual assault and was sentenced to serve an aggregate terms of sixty years’ imprisonment. Appellant subsequently filed three petitions for writ of error coram nobis. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: Carolyn Gray brought a medical malpractice action against White River Medical Center and its insurer (collectively, WRMC), alleging failure to intervene, vicarious liability, lack of qualified staff, nondelegable duty,…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of kidnapping, rape, and first-degree battery. Appellant was sentenced as a habitual offender to consecutive terms of imprisonment for life, life, and forty years. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a bench trial, Appellant was found guilty of first- and second-degree battery. Appellant appealed, arguing that he was denied the right to a trial by jury. The court of appeals affirmed, holding that Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of murder in the first degree and burglary. Appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder conviction and a consecutive six years’ imprisonment for the burglary…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of four counts of aggravated robbery, three counts of misdemeanor theft of property, and one count of felony theft of property. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of capital murder, attempted first-degree murder, and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The Supreme Court affirmed. Now before the Court was…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of first-degree murder and arson. The trial court sentenced Defendant to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) Appellant’s arguments that the trial court…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of first-degree felony murder. Defendant was sentenced to life in prison without parole. On appeal, Defendant’s counsel filed a no-merit brief asserting that there were no…

Justia Opinion Summary: Jessie and Annie Bullock were residents of Courtyard Gardens, a nursing-home facility. Linda Gulley, the Bullocks’ daughter, entered admission agreements and optional arbitration agreements on behalf of each parent.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The circuit court granted Cheryl Davis a divorce from Don Davis on the ground of general indignities. Don appealed, arguing that the circuit court erred in its division of the martial assets and in refusing to award him…

Justia Opinion Summary: This appeal concerned a decree of adoption granting the adoption of Appellant’s biological daughter to Appellees. The Supreme Court affirmed the adoption decree, holding (1) the circuit court acquired jurisdiction of the…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a third jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of aggravated robbery. Appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment. The Supreme Court affirmed. Appellant later filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus,…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of murder in the first degree, kidnapping, and aggravated assault. Appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder conviction. Appellant later filed a petition…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant submitted to the circuit court a petition for habeas corpus relief and asked the court for permission to proceed in forma pauperis. The circuit court denied the in forma pauperis petition, but the order was not…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of aggravated robbery, kidnapping, possession of a firearm, and related crimes. The court of appeals affirmed the convictions, ruling that they were supported by substantial…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm. The court of appeals affirmed. Appellant subsequently filed a petition for…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was charged with several offenses for allegedly abusing his pregnant girlfriend and her son. The district court entered a no contact order and set bail at $25,000 cash or surety. Appellant posted bond and was…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of three counts of rape and sentenced to 480 months’ imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Petitioner later filed a petition for postconviction relief under Ark. R.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner, an inmate, filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus, challenging three judgments reflecting convictions for aggravated robbery and theft of property, sexual assault, and his status as a habitual…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 1995, Josh Johnston pled guilty to a Class A misdemeanor hot-check violation. In 2014, Johnston filed to run as a candidate for Celburne County Sheriff. Brian Haile, a registered voter in Cleburne County, filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Defendant was found guilty of aggravated robbery. The jury found that Defendant was not armed with a deadly weapon for purposes of a firearm enhancement. Defendant was sentenced to ten years in the…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of capital murder. The jury sentenced Defendant to death. The Supreme Court affirmed. Thereafter, Defendant filed a petition pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1, alleging…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner filed a series of motions in the circuit court that challenged judgments in two criminal cases. The circuit court denied the motions. In both cases, Petitioner filed a notice of appeal that referenced the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to the offense of failure to register as a sex offender and was placed on probation for a seventy-two-month period. Appellant’s probation was later revoked, and Appellant was sentenced to…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner and a codefendant were found guilty of murder in the first degree committed in the perpetration of an attempted robbery. Both individuals were sentenced to life in prison. Now before the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant petitioned the circuit court to obtain permanent guardianship over her father, Appellee, alleging that Appellee suffered from mental incapacity and was unable to provide for his health, maintenance, and safety.…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant, an inmate incarcerated in the Arkansas Department of Correction, filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus, which the circuit court denied. Appellant subsequently tendered a belated petition for…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellants brought a breach of contract action against Appellees, both in his and her representative capacity as trustee of two trusts. The lawsuit arose from a contract dispute over the purchase of real property in…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Arkansas State Medical Board found Dr. Mahmood Ahmad in violation of the Arkansas Medical Practices Act. While Ahmad’s administrative appeal was pending in the circuit court, Ahmad filed a complaint for declaratory…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2011, 2012, and 2013, the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas (“University”) submitted applications to the Washington County Tax Assessor seeking immunity from taxation or, alternatively, exemption from…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner filed a petition for declaratory judgment and writ of mandamus seeking a declaratory judgment concerning the calculation of his parole eligibility date and a writ of mandamus directing certain state officers…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant, by and through her attorney, filed a motion for rule on clerk to file the record and to have her appeal docketed. The clerk refused to docket the appeal on the grounds that it was untimely filed and because…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Petitioner was found guilty of possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest. Now before the Supreme Court was Petitioner’s pro se petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of first-degree murder and committing a terroristic act. Appellant was sentenced as a habitual offender to a total term of life imprisonment plus fifteen years. The Supreme Court affirmed…

Justia Opinion Summary: Plaintiffs brought suit against Defendant on their own behalf and on behalf of all similarly situated persons, alleging that Defendant charged usurious interest rates and engaged in deceptive trade practices when…

Justia Opinion Summary: Respondents filed suit against Petitioner, an Arkansas corporation with its principal place of business in Faulkner County, alleging strict liability and negligence and seeking damages resulting from the noise,…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant filed a notice of appeal in the underlying matter. The circuit court granted Appellant’s motion for enlargement of time to file the transcript but denied Appellant’s second request for an extension of time to…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Defendant was found guilty of first-degree murder. Defendant was sentenced as a habitual offender to 720 months’ imprisonment. The court of appeals affirmed. Defendant later filed this pro se petition…

Justia Opinion Summary: Petitioner was convicted of one count of first-degree battery and one count of second-degree battery and sentenced to a total of 264 months’ imprisonment. Petitioner later filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant was convicted of possession of a Schedule III substance with the purpose to deliver, possession of a Schedule III substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Appellant appealed the denial of his motion to…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Defendant was found guilty of three counts of rape and sentenced as a habitual offender to life imprisonment. Defendant later filed a pro se petition to correct an illegal sentence, arguing that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: Appellant pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault in the second degree. Appellant was sentenced as a habitual offender to concurrent sentences of 120 months’ imprisonment for rape and 180 months’ imprisonment for…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of capital murder and aggravated robbery. Defendant was sentenced to life without parole. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the circuit court did not err by (1) failing…

Justia Opinion Summary: In two separate proceedings, Appellant was convicted of a number of drug-related charges. No appeal was taken from the judgments. Appellant later filed a petition in the trial court challenging the two judgments and…

Justia Opinion Summary: After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of capital murder, with residential burglary as the underlying felony, and theft of property. Defendant was sentenced to life in prison without parole for capital murder and…

Justia Opinion Summary: In 2011, judgment was entered reflecting that Petitioner had entered a plea of guilty to two counts of forgery. In 2015, Petitioner tendered to the Supreme Court a certified copy of the 2011 judgment with his pro se…