Arkansas Supreme Court Decisions 2022

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court convicting Defendant of multiple counts of rape, second-degree sexual assault, sexual indecency with a child, engaging a child in sexually explicit conduct for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court convicting Appellant of capital murder and sentencing him to life imprisonment, holding that not prejudicial error occurred in the proceedings…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court granting summary judgment in favor of Municipal Health Benefit Fund and dismissing this class action complaint challenging the Fund's decision to deny payment for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed Appellant's appeal of the circuit court's order denying Appellant's motion for a new trial based on allegations of juror misconduct, holding that both Appellant's motion for new trial and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed the order of the circuit court denying Appellant's motion for new trial based on allegations of juror misconduct, holding that the motion was clearly untimely, and therefore, the circuit court…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Arkansas Client Security Fund Committee denying Appellant's application for the reimbursement of client funds, holding that the Committee properly denied Appellant's…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying relief in this Administrative Procedure Act (APA) appeal of the Colonel William J. Bryant's denial of Appellant's application to obtain a license for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part the judgment of the circuit court awarding $18,160,000 in attorneys' fees to Appellees, holding that the circuit court erred in its award of attorneys' fees and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court disqualifying Risie Howard as the attorney representing the estate of Mrs. George Howard in a case arising from Mrs. Howard's medical treatment, holding that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the circuit court granting Petitioner's motion for judgment on the pleadings, entering judgment in Petitioner's favor for the relief requested in his petition, and denying the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court granted the petition brought by the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission claiming that Judge Carroll violated several rules of the Arkansas Code of Judicial Conduct, including…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Appellant's multiple claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, holding that the circuit court did not err on Appellant's seven separate claims of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court finding Defendant guilty of capital murder, abuse of a corpse, and theft of property, holding that Defendant was not entitled to reversal of his convictions…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed and remanded in part the order of the circuit court convicting Defendant of two counts of rape, sexual assault in the second degree, and sexually grooming a child, holding…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and dismissed in part the order of the circuit court certifying the City of Gurdon's class-action lawsuit alleging that Suddenlink Communications unlawfully charged Gurdon and other…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court denying the State's motion to dismiss Defendant's appeal of a district court judgment finding him guilty of two misdemeanors, holding that there was no error. In…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court remanded this case after Appellant appealed a circuit court order granting in part and denying in part its motion to enforce arbitration agreements and to compel class members with arbitration…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court granting class certification in this class action alleging that Mid-South Adjustment Co., Inc. violated provisions of the Arkansas Fair Debt Collection Practices…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the denial of Defendant's petition for postconviction relief alleging five grounds for relief from the judgment of conviction of first-degree murder and sentence of life imprisonment, holding…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Petitioner's Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1 petition for relief following an evidentiary hearing, holding that the circuit court did not err in denying the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the jury verdict in circuit court finding Defendant guilty of failure to comply with sex-offender reporting requirements, holding that the circuit court did not err, prejudicially or otherwise,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying and dismissing Appellant's motion for new trial and petition for habeas corpus, holding that there was no error in the proceedings below. Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed as modified the orders of the circuit court granting motions to dismiss filed by the Lonoke County Board of Election Commissioners, individual Board members, and the Secretary of State, holding…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court denying Petitioner's petition for postconviction relief filed pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1, holding that Petitioner failed to demonstrate entitlement to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's convictions for two counts of first-degree murder and other crimes and his sentence of consecutive terms of life in prison for each murder, holding that Defendant was not entitled…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court denying and dismissing Appellant's pro se petition to correct an illegal sentence pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 16-90-111, holding that Appellant failed to demonstrate…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court concluding that it lacked jurisdiction to reduce Defendant's sentence, holding that there was no error. In 1993, Defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court denying Appellant's petition for postconviction relief pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1, holding that there was no error in the trial court's denial of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court dismissing Appellant's pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus filed pursuant to Act 1780 of 2001, Ark. Code Ann. 16-1120-201 to -208, holding that Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus, holding that Appellant's claim did not fall within the purview of habeas proceedings. After…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed and remanded in part the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's complaint challenging the certification of the House District 25 (HD 25) Republican primary…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court granted a petition sought by Petitioners to vacate the determination of the State Board of Election Commissioners and the Secretary of State not to certify the ballot title for a proposed constitutional…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed under Ark. Code Ann. 16-112-101, holding that Appellant's arguments on appeal failed to raise…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court granted a petition sought by the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission for expedited consideration and report of uncontested sanction following its investigation of complaints against…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court certifying this class action against an auto insurance company brought by Plaintiffs, insureds who incurred medical expenses because of car accidents, holding…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court denying Appellant's petition for writ of mandamus against the City of Little Rock, holding that there was no error or abuse of discretion. Appellant brought a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court disqualifying Stephen Goldman from further participation as the counsel of The Travelers Indemnity Company in a suit filed by the Board of Trustees of the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Defendant's Rule 37 petition alleging ineffective assistance of counsel during his criminal trial, holding that there was no error or abuse of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court denying Appellant's petition for writ of error coram nobis and his petition for writ of habeas corpus, holding that there was no error or abuse of…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case concerning the medical marijuana licensing and regulatory process the Supreme Court affirmed in part and dismissed in part this interlocutory appeal from the circuit court's denial of Defendants' motion to…

Justia Opinion Summary: Legal Aid submitted an Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Division of Workforce Services (DWS) seeking information about how DWS and its third-party vendors determined eligibility for applicants of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied Appellant's pro se petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to consider a petition for writ of error coram nobis, for issuance of a writ of habaes corpus, and to correct an illegal…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court denying Appellant's petition for leave to proceed in forma pauperis to pursue a pro se petition for writ of error coram nobis, holding that the circuit court…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court denying Appellant's pro se petition to correct an illegal sentence pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 16-90-111 in which Appellant alleged that his sentence was illegal,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court denying Appellant's petition for postconviction relief filed pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1, holding that Appellant failed to demonstrate entitlement to Rule…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court denying Appellant's petition for postconviction relief filed pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 16-90-111, in which he argued that the judgment in his criminal case was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Appellant's pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus in which he alleged that he was actually innocent of the crimes for which he was convicted,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus, holding that the circuit court did not err in denying the petition. Appellant was found…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the circuit court denying Appellant's petition for writ of habeas corpus in which he argued that the circuit court erred by not finding that the trial court's impermissible…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case related to a medical marijuana dispensary license the Supreme Court reversed the ruling of the circuit court denying the State's motion to dismiss a complaint seeking temporary and permanent injunctive…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court dismissing without prejudice Appellants' claims against Appellees, the Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas System and others, holding that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the circuit court denying Petitioners' petition for declaratory judgment, writ of mandamus, and request for injunctive relief, holding that the Arkansas Division of Correction…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed this appeal for lack of jurisdiction, holding that this Court lacked jurisdiction over the appeal. Appellant filed two pleadings in his criminal case, both a motion to vacate an illegal…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's convictions of aggravated robbery and theft of property and his sentence of life in prison as a habitual offender, holding that there was no prejudicial error in the proceedings…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the sentencing order of the trial court imposing a life sentence following Appellant's resentencing hearing for a capital murder that he committed as a juvenile, holding that there was no…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court granting Appellee's motion to dismiss Appellant's petition for writ of mandamus seeking an order directing Appellee, counsel and representative of the Arkansas…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus, holding that there was no error. In 2009, Appellant was convicted of six counts of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed pursuant to Ark. Const. art. II, 11 and Ark. Code Ann. 16-112-101 to -123, holding…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied Petitioner's pro se petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to consider a petition for writ of error coram nobis in which he argued evidence was withheld in violation by Brady v.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court convicting Appellant of capital murder, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and theft of property but remanded for the circuit court to correct the sentencing order,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court convicting Appellant of capital murder, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and theft of property, holding that no prejudicial error occurred. Specifically, the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied Petitioner's pro se petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to consider a petition for writ of error coram nobis in his criminal case and his motion for appointment of counsel,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying and dismissing Appellant's pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 16-112-101 to -123, holding that Appellant's…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court enjoining the enforcement of the Bentonville School District's mask policy in favor of Plaintiffs, parents of school children, holding that the the circuit court…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this interlocutory appeal, the Supreme Court reversed and dismissed in part and dismissed in part this appeal from the judgment of the circuit court in a dispute centering on the Attorney General's spending on…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the circuit court denying Appellant's pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus, holding that Appellant failed to state a basis for issuance of the writ. After a jury trial,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus, holding that the circuit court did not err in dismissing the habeas petition. Appellant was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court's denial and dismissal of Appellant's pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus, holding that the circuit court did not err in dismissing the petition. Appellant was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court's judgment denying and dismissing Appellant's pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus, holding that Appellant's claim lacked factual support and failed to demonstrate…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Appellant's second petition for a writ of habeas corpus, holding that Appellant's second petition was an abuse of the writ. Appellant pleaded nolo…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the circuit court's order granting class certification in this action brought by Letha's Pies, LLC and Rhonda and Timothy Glenn, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and dismissed in part the orders of the circuit court denying Appellant's motion for an order to waive record fees and Appellant's motion to be determined the prevailing party in a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's convictions of capital murder and his sentence of life imprisonment without parole, holding that there was no error or abuse of discretion in the proceedings below. On appeal,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Petitioner's petition to partially seal his criminal record, holding that there was no error. Petitioner was charged with several crimes. In 2010,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the Arkansas Workers' Compensation Commission denying Appellant's claim for additional medical benefits, holding that the Commission erred in determining that Appellant's claim…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court granting a preliminary injunction in favor of Plaintiffs, holding that the grounds on which the trial court relied in entering the preliminary injunction had…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus, holding that the circuit court did not err in dismissing the petition. Appellant pled…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court denying Appellants' motion for an emergency injunction that sought the removal of three members of the Eureka Springs City Advertising and Promotion Commission…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied Petitioner's pro se petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to consider a petition for writ of error coram nobis, holding that none of Petitioner's claims established a ground for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied Petitioner's petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to consider a petition for writ of error coram nobis, dismissing Petitioner's petition for writ of habeas corpus, and denied…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied Petitioner's pro se petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to consider a petition for writ of error coram nobis, holding that Petitioner failed to establish sufficient grounds for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court granted Petitioner's pro se petition for writ of mandamus in which he asserted that Honorable Marcia Hearnsberger, a circuit judge, had not ruled on a pro se motion seeking a nunc pro tunc order in…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court setting Appellant's support obligation above the amount indicated by the latest version of Arkansas Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 10 - Child Support…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's petition for declaratory relief, holding that Appellant failed to demonstrate that Appellees acted in contravention of the statutes…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's convictions on three counts of capital murder and felony-firearm enhancement, for which Defendant was sentenced to three consecutive terms of life imprisonment without parole,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the sentence imposed upon Defendant in connection with his plea of guilty to failure to register as a sex offender and plea of guilty to being a habitual offender, holding that the circuit…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the circuit court's order reflecting a jury verdict awarding almost $6 million in compensatory damages, jointly and severally, against KBX, Inc. and three KBX individuals (collectively,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part the order of the circuit court denying the State's motion to dismiss and granting a preliminary injunction in favor of Plaintiff, holding that the preliminary…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied Petitioner's pro se fourth petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to consider a petition for writ of error coram nobis, holding that the petition failed to contain facts that would…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court's decision denying Appellant's petition to correct an illegal sentence pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 16-90-111, holding that the circuit court did not clearly err by denying…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Appellant's motion for a copy of his trial transcript at public expense, holding that the circuit court properly concluded that Appellant had failed to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court granted in part and denied in part Petitioner's pro se petition for writ of mandamus for extraordinary writ for expedited consideration and/or for writ to issue relief, holding that Petitioner's request…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court granting a motion to dismiss filed by Appellees - Arkansas Parole Board, John Felts, and Andy Shock - in Appellant's action filed pursuant to the Administrative…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's petition for writ of habeas corpus, holding that there was no error. After a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of capital murder and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus alleging that his conviction was void because his sentences exceeded the maximum statutory…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying John Thurston's motion to dismiss this action based on sovereign immunity, holding that Thurston was not entitled to sovereign immunity. Plaintiffs,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied Petitioner's pro se second petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to consider a petition for writ of error coram nobis, holding that Petitioner failed to establish that he was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the supplemental order of the circuit court denying Ark. R. Crim. P. 37 relief, holding that the circuit court did not err. Defendant was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Appellant's petition for postconviction relief filed pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1, holding that the circuit court did not err in denying…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court granting summary judgment in favor of Judge Mark Derrick challenging the constitutionality and legality of various practices concerning bond, the appointment of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Appellant's petition for declaratory judgment and mandamus relief, holding that Appellant failed to demonstrate that he was entitled to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court denying Bayer Cropscience, LP's motion to intervene in a lawsuit challenging a rule adopted by the Arkansas State Plant Board, holding that the circuit court…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's denial and dismissal of Appellant's third pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus, holding that the trial court did not err in denying relief. In 1992, Appellant was found…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied Petitioner's petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the circuit court to allow him to file a petition for writ of error coram nobis, holding that Petitioner failed to state a ground on which the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court denying Appellant's pro se petition to correct an illegal sentence pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 16-90-111(a), holding that Appellant failed to established that his…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court that granted Appellant's mandamus petition alleging that the Arkansas Department of Correction had miscalculated his parole eligibility, holding that Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the trial court ordering disclosure of the documents requested by Russell R. Racop under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Ark. Code Ann. 25-19-101 et seq.,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's judgment denying Appellant's petition for postconviction relief filed pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1, holding that Appellant's claims lacked merit. Appellant was convicted…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied Petitioner's pro se second petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to consider a writ of error coram nobis, holding that none of Petitioner's claims established a ground for the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied Petitioner's pro se third petition and amended petition to reinvest jurisdiction in the trial court to consider a petition for writ of error coram nobis, holding that Petitioner failed to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court acquitting Defendant by reason of mental disease or defect of one count of theft of property and two counts each of kidnapping and first-degree false imprisonment…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of one count of rape and two counts of second-degree sexual assault, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by denying Defendant's motion for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Appellant's petition to proceed in forma pauperis in circuit court alleging that he was entitled to judicial review of a disciplinary action against…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court dismissing and denying Appellant's pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus seeking relief from a Grant County capital murder conviction and a Ouachita county…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Appellant's pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus, holding that there were no grounds stated in either the petition filed in the circuit court or…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus, holding that Appellant failed to raise a claim that would warrant issuance of the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Petitioner's petition for a writ of habeas corpus, holding that the circuit court did not err. Defendant was convicted of first-degree murder and…