ROYCE CALKINS v. STATE OF ARKANSAS (Majority)
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In the case, Royce Calkins appealed a Stone County Circuit Court order that convicted him of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced him to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment, plus a fifteen-year sentencing enhancement to each term for using a firearm. Calkins had shot and killed his girlfriend and father in a shared home. The Supreme Court of Arkansas confirmed the conviction and sentence on appeal.
Calkins argued two points on appeal. First, he challenged the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his first-degree-murder convictions, and second, he argued that the circuit court abused its discretion by denying his proffered jury instructions on justification and kidnapping.
Regarding the first point, Calkins argued that there was no proof that he intended to kill anyone. The court, however, found substantial evidence supporting both counts of first-degree murder. The court considered the fact that Calkins shot each victim multiple times, attempted to stage the scene to make it look like a murder-suicide, and fled the scene as evidence supporting his purposeful intent.
Regarding the second point, Calkins argued that the circuit court erred in refusing to provide jury instructions on justification and kidnapping. The court found no abuse of discretion in the circuit court's refusal to instruct the jury on these issues, as there was no rational basis in the evidence for such instructions. The court noted that Calkins's statements to a physician about his fear of being hurt by the victims did not constitute evidence of a reasonable belief that he was in imminent danger, nor was there evidence to support the claim of kidnapping. Therefore, the Supreme Court of Arkansas affirmed the circuit court's decision.
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