Arkansas Supreme Court Decisions 2023

Justia Opinion Summary: This case concerns a dispute arising from a real estate transaction between appellants Donnell and Marilyn Bauer and appellees Jesse Lee and Mary A. Beamon. The Bauers sold Lot 24A to the Beamons, failing to disclose…

Justia Opinion Summary: In a case tried in the Supreme Court of Arkansas, Corey McCullon was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated residential burglary, terroristic act, and first-degree terroristic threatening. He was sentenced to 35…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this criminal case before the Supreme Court of Arkansas, the appellant, Fredrick Jones, was convicted by the Pulaski County Circuit Court of first-degree murder, first-degree battery, simultaneous possession of drugs…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case heard before the Supreme Court of Arkansas, the appellant William Tod Rickert was appealing his convictions from the Faulkner County Circuit Court for three counts of rape. Rickert was sentenced as a habitual…

Justia Opinion Summary: In September 2021, Aaron Welch died intestate, leaving behind a widow, Kristin Welch, and two minor children from his previous marriage. Kristin Welch, appointed as the administratrix of Aaron Welch's estate, filed an…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Supreme Court of Arkansas, the appellant, Cordale Stacy, was convicted of three counts of capital murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole on each count, along with a consecutive…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of Arkansas case, Jeffery Allen Workman was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated residential burglary, and second-degree battery, and sentenced to consecutive sentences of life in prison. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: Rodney Dale Harmon was convicted of multiple drug-related felonies and sentenced to forty years in prison. During the execution of a search warrant at Harmon's residence, an HBO documentary film crew was present. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Supreme Court of Arkansas, Rodney Dale Harmon, who was convicted of multiple drug-related felonies and sentenced to 40 years in prison, appealed the denial of his petition for postconviction relief…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case heard by the Supreme Court of Arkansas, Jacoby Goehler was convicted by a jury for the first-degree murder of Davidlee Stansbury and sentenced to life in prison plus fifteen years. Goehler appealed his…

Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Supreme Court of Arkansas, the appellant, Michael Driver, contested his convictions for rape and second-degree sexual assault. Driver argued that there was insufficient evidence to convict him,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Arkansas heard an appeal from Michael Jenkins, who was challenging the denial of his pro se petition for a writ of "mandamus/prohibition" by the Jefferson County Circuit Court. Jenkins, who was…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Arkansas was asked to consider an appeal by Maurice Trammel, who was challenging the denial of his petition to proceed in forma pauperis in seeking a declaratory judgment and a writ of…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the Supreme Court of Arkansas affirmed the denial of declaratory judgment and writ of mandamus petitions filed by Charles Sims, an inmate in the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC). Sims had sought a…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this fifth appeal before the Supreme Court regarding a class action lawsuit stemming from two circuit court orders denying Appellant's motion to enforce arbitration agreements and its motion to compel class members…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Appellant's petition for leave to proceed in forma pauperis, for extraordinary writ, and to set aside and vacate his judgment, holding that Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed Appellant's appeal from the dismissal of his petition for writ of habeas corpus under Ark. Code Ann. 16-112-101, holding that the circuit court did not err in dismissing the petition. 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 in concluding that Petitioner had failed to state a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed Appellant's appeal from the dismissal of his petition for writ of habeas corpus filed pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 16-112-101, holding that the circuit court properly dismissed the petition for…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed this interlocutory appeal of a vacated class certification order and directed the circuit court to remand the case to address motions to compel arbitration, holding that this appeal was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed this petition brought by Petitioner for writ of certiorari and writ of habeas corpus alleging that the circuit court violated Ark. R. Crim. P. 8 and 9, holding that the petition was moot. The…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court held that Ark. Code Ann. 12-9-301, which provides immunity from both suit and liability for certain officials "except to the extent that they have be covered by liability insurance," does not apply to a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court vacated the order of the court of appeals granting the Grand Lodge's motion to dismiss Plaintiff's appeal from the circuit court order dismissing the complaint based on Plaintiff's failure to file a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court denying Appellant's motion for order to waive record fees in a suit brought under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) against the University of Arkansas at…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Appellant's conviction of capital murder, aggravated robbery, theft of property, and a firearm sentencing enhancement, holding that Appellant was not entitled to relief on his allegations of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of first-degree murder and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, holding that the circuit court did not err in denying Defendant's motions for directed verdict…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction, rendered after a jury trial, of capital murder and his sentence of life imprisonment without parole, holding that Defendant was not entitled to relief on his allegations…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court convicting Appellant of first-degree murder and sentencing him to a term of life imprisonment, holding that Appellant was not entitled to relief on his…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the circuit court certifying a class action in the underlying lawsuit brought under the Patient Right-to-Know Addfct, Ark. Code Ann. 20-6-201 et seq., holding that the court…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court holding that the Arkansas Racing Commission's (ARC) decision to award the Pope County casino license to Cherokee Nation Businesses, LLC (CNB) and Legends…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court concluding that the Arkansas Racing Commission's (ARC) decision to award the Pope County casino license to Cherokee Nation Business, LLC (CNB) and Legends…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court convicting Defendant of two counts of rape, three counts of first-degree sexual assault, and two counts of sexual indecency with a child and sentencing him to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of capital murder and his sentence to life in prison, holding that substantial evidence supported the conviction. After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's convictions and sentences for aggravated residential burglary, attempted first-degree murder, first-degree battery, residential burglary, breaking or entering, theft of a firearm,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Plaintiff's legal malpractice complaint against Defendants, her attorneys, holding that the circuit court abused its discretion in granting…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed this appeal arising from a circuit court order denying Appellants' petition for declaratory judgment and writ of mandamus relief seeking relief related to the Forrest City 2022 city council…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the ruling of the circuit court finding that the emergency clause contained within Act 237 of 2023 (the LEARNS Act) did not receive a separate roll-call vote as required under the Arkansas…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied a petition for writ of certiorari and/or prohibition requesting relief from the Court after the circuit court denied Petitioner's motions to dismiss the charges against him, holding that an…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court remanded this case to the circuit court, holding that remand was required to accurately settle the record, specifically concerning Defendant's exhibit 1, a conventionally-filed physical disk that was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Defendant's petition and amended petition for declaratory judgment and writ of mandamus wherein Defendant alleged that the Arkansas Department of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying and dismissing Appellant's two petitions for declaratory judgment and writ of mandamus wherein Appellant asked the circuit court to declare that he was…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying Petitioner's petition to correct an illegal sentence, holding that Petitioner failed to establish either that his sentence was illegal on its face or,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court denying and dismissing Petitioner's petition to correct an illegal sentence filed pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 16-90-111, holding that the circuit court did not…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court denying Appellant's pro se motion to vacate and dismiss judgment and commitment order due to lack of jurisdiction filed under Ark. Code Ann. 16-90-111, holding…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court granted Petitioner's pro se petition for a writ of mandamus directing Honorable Quincy Ross, circuit judge, to issue an order acting on Petitioner's habeas petition within thirty days of the date of…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court granting Defendant's motion to dismiss this tort action brought against an estate, holding that the statute of nonclaim, as opposed to the general three-year…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court granting a temporary restraining order (TRO) in favor of Plaintiffs in their lawsuit challenging the validity of the emergency clause in Act 237 of 2023 (the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court convicting and sentencing Defendant for first-degree battery and failure to appear on a felony, holding that the circuit court did not abuse its discretion by…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's legal malpractice complaint against Appellees, her attorneys, and finding that there were no facts in the complaint sufficient to toll…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied a petition for a writ of certiorari or, in the alternative, a writ of prohibition, writ of mandamus or other supervisory writ, holding that the circuit court did not misinterpret the Arkansas…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court awarding attorneys' fees after a medical doctor sued and lost against a hospital following its revocation of the doctor's medical staff and surgical…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the denial of Appellant's petition for writ of habeas corpus arguing that his sentence was illegal and that an amendment to the information was to vague to suffice as an amendment, holding that…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of five counts of rape and his sentence to five concurrent terms of life imprisonment, holding that the circuit court did not abuse its discretion by denying Defendant's…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction for first-degree murder and his sentence of life imprisonment, holding that Defendant was not entitled to relief on his claims of error. Specifically, the Supreme Court…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this interlocutory appeal, the Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court disqualifying defense attorney Patrick Benca as Defendant's counsel in this criminal action, holding that the circuit court abused…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court denying Appellant's motion to withdraw his guilty, his petition to correct an illegal sentence imposed in an illegal manner, his petition to vacate and set aside…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court denying and dismissing Appellant's petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed in the county of his incarceration, holding that there were no grounds, stated in…

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

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal of Appellant's pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus filed pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 16-112-101, holding that the circuit court did not err in denying and dismissing the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court denying Appellant's petition for a writ of habeas corpus and denied his motion to amend his reply brief, holding that there was no error. Appellant filed a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court concluding that Appellant, an inmate, had failed to state a ground for a writ of habeas corpus, holding that there was no error. Appellant brought a petition…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court granting summary judgment to the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) upholding DFA's amended and corrected notices of final assessment of Appellants'…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's convictions for three counts of first-degree murder and other crimes and his sentence of three consecutive life sentences plus sixty-five years' imprisonment, holding that Defendant…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court convicting Appellant of the rape of a minor child and sentencing him as a habitual offender to life imprisonment, holding that Appellant was not entitled to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the interlocutory order of the circuit court granting a preliminary injunction enjoining Kristina Gulley from exercising any powers as a justice of the peace or participating in the Pulaski…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction and the denial of his petition for a writ of error coram nobis, holding that there was no error. After Defendant was convicted he filed a motion to stay briefing and…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court convicting Defendant of first-degree murder and sentencing him to life plus an additional term of imprisonment as a result of sentencing enhancements, holding…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of capital murder and sentence of life imprisonment without parole, holding that Defendant was not entitled to relief on his allegations of error. On appeal, Defendant…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court denying Petitioner's petition for writ of mandamus or other supervisory writ, granting a motion for judgment on the pleadings filed by the Arkansas Game and Fish…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's illegal exaction complaint with prejudice under Ark. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) for failure to allege facts upon which relief can be granted,…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case presenting four questions of law concerning the constitutionality of Act 1108 of 2021, which amended section 18-50-116 of the Arkansas Statutory Foreclosure Act, the Supreme Court held that Act 1108 cannot…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court denied this petition for a writ of certiorari seeking to challenge the validity of a decision of the circuit court ordering attorney Helen Grinder to refund her client William Campbell $10,000 as a…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court admitting two 911 calls reporting a shooting and a dash cam video containing statements from an eyewitness during Defendant's criminal trial, holding that any…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the circuit court convicting Appellant of first-degree murder and other crimes and sentencing him to an aggregate term of two life sentences plus 835 years' imprisonment,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court entering a declaratory judgment finding that the death benefit of a term life insurance policy owned by Dr. James Rocconi was payable to his children and not…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court dismissing Appellants' complaint alleging that the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission had granted a marijuana cultivation license to a corporate entity that…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the circuit court granting summary judgment in favor of Plaintiffs on their illegal-exaction claim related to Amendment 101 to the Arkansas Constitution, holding that the…

Justia Opinion Summary: In this class action, the Supreme Court reversed the circuit court's judgment that certain sanitation fees constituted an illegal exaction and that the City of Fort Smith was unjustly enriched because the class paid…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court denying Petitioner's pro se petition for postconviction relief alleging that his sentence was illegal pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 16-90-111, holding that none of…

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

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court denying Appellant's pro se petition for postconviction relief filed pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. 16-90-111, holding that the trial court did not er in denying…

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, holding that none of the allegations raised by Appellant…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the trial court finding Appellant's pro se petition to correct an illegal sentence was both untimely and without merit, holding that the court did not err in denying the…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's petition for writ of habeas corpus, holding that Appellant's sentencing order was not facially invalid. In 1981, at the age of seventeen,…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court dismissing Appellant's pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed pursuant to Ark. Code 16-112-101 to -123, holding that Appellant was not entitled to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court affirming the decision of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) concerning its adjustments made to A-1 Recovery Towing & Recovery, Inc.'s…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the circuit court affirming a decision of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) concerning certain adjustments to Cenark Investment Group, LLC's taxable…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed and remanded in part the circuit court's order dismissing Appellant's appeal from the district court absent a conviction as required by Ark. R. Crim. P. 36(a), holding that…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court denying Appellant's complaint for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief and petition for writ of mandamus seeking to direct Appellees to allow Appellant to…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court rescinded an earlier decision to answer a certified question of law certified by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, holding that certification was improvidently…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of first-degree murder and sentence of life imprisonment, granted appellate counsel's motion to withdraw as counsel, and remanded the case for a correction of a clerical…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed this appeal brought by Defendants Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock and Diamond Risk Insurance, LLC (collectively, Baptist) of the order of the circuit court denying Baptist's motion…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed and dismissed in part a sentencing order convicting Appellant of twenty-five counts of possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed this appeal brought by the State claiming an error in Defendant's criminal proceedings regarding a speedy-trial ruling, holding that the State's appeal was not authorized under Ark. R. App.…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the circuit court entering judgment upon a jury verdict finding Defendant guilty of rape and sentencing him to life in prison, holding that Defendant was not entitled to relief on…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court vacated the order of the circuit court declaring Act 1002 of 2021 to be unconstitutional and permanently enjoining its enforcement, holding that the circuit court did not have subject matter…

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court denying Petitioner's petition for writ of habeas corpus, holding that Petitioner's statutory and constitutional claims did not raise jurisdictional issues that…