Case Title: Lammers v. State

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: arkansas

Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

Date: 1997-10-23T00:00:00Z

Document:
Clint LAMMERS v. STATE of Arkansas

CR 97-417                                          ___ S.W.2d ___

                    Supreme Court of Arkansas
               Opinion delivered October 23, 1997


1.   Appeal & error -- sufficiency of evidence considered first. -- The
     appellate court does not consider trial errors until after it
     has considered arguments regarding the sufficiency of the
     evidence, including that which perhaps should not have been
     admitted.

2.   Motions -- directed verdict -- general motion not sufficient -- sufficiency
     argument procedurally barred. -- Although there was an abundance of
     evidence to support appellant's conviction, his sufficiency
     argument was not preserved for appeal because his motions
     lacked the requisite specificity; a general motion such as the
     one made by appellant is not sufficient to apprise the trial
     court of the missing proof so that it can be made aware of any
     deficiency; the argument was procedurally barred from
     appellate review.

3.   Appeal & error -- capital murder cases -- review of errors. -- In
     capital murder cases, the supreme court is required by Ark.
     Sup. Ct. R. 4-3(h) to review all errors prejudicial to the
     appellant in accordance with Ark. Code Ann.  16-91-113(a); 
     pursuant to the requirements of this rule, the court makes its
     own examination of the record and rejects or accepts on their
     merits all objections made at trial, whether or not argued on
     appeal, but does not consider a matter in the absence of an
     objection; the court reviews prejudicial, erroneous rulings
     even when such objections are not briefed by either the
     appellant or the State.

4.   Jury -- Batson challenge -- prima facie case of discrimination --
     requirements for establishing. -- In a challenge based on Batson v.
     Kentucky,