Case Title: Brian K. Ellis v. Larry Norris

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: arkansas

Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

Date: 1998-05-07T00:00:00Z

Document:
Brian K. ELLIS v. Larry NORRIS

97-104                                             ___ S.W.2d ___

                    Supreme Court of Arkansas
                  Opinion delivered May 7, 1998


1.   Constitutional law -- Ex Post Facto Clause -- United States and Arkansas Constitutions.
     -- Article 1,  10, of the United States Constitution provides
     that "(n)o state shall...pass any bill of attainder, ex post
     facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts"; 
     Article 2,  17, of the Arkansas Constitution similarly
     provides that "[n]o ... ex post facto law ... shall ever be
     passed"; the Arkansas Supreme Court interprets the Arkansas
     Constitution's ex post facto doctrine in a manner consistent
     with the interpretation of the parallel provision in the
     United States Constitution by the United States Supreme Court.

2.   Constitutional law -- Ex Post Facto Clause -- when law violates. -- A law is in
     violation of the Ex Post Facto Clause if it is retroactive and
     it disadvantages the accused by altering the definition of
     criminal conduct or by increasing the punishment for the
     crime. 

3.   Constitutional law -- Ex Post Facto Clause -- case law unhelpful to appellant. --
     Where appellant relied on Weaver v. Graham,