Case Title: Henley v. Taylor

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: arkansas

Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

Date: 1996-04-01T00:00:00Z

Document:
Johnny Charles HENLEY v. H.A. TAYLOR, Circuit
Judge

CR 96-297                                          ___ S.W.2d ___

                    Supreme Court of Arkansas
                 Opinion delivered April 1, 1996


1.   Certiorari -- review of circuit court's determination of bail
     availability -- certiorari proper remedy for such review. --
     Certiorari is the proper remedy to review a circuit court's
     determination of the availability of bail.   

2.   Bail -- criminal defendant has absolute right before
     conviction to reasonable bail -- conditions may be placed upon
     bail if defendant is determined to be dangerous. -- Article 2,
      8, of the Arkansas Constitution provides that "All persons
     shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties,
     except for capital offenses, when proof is evident or the
     presumption great"; a criminal defendant has an absolute right
     before conviction, except in capital cases, to a reasonable
     bail; if the defendant is determined to be dangerous, Ark. R.
     Crim. P. 9.3 sets forth certain conditions that a judicial
     officer may place upon a defendant's bail. 

3.   Bail -- non-capital defendant's absolute right to bail may be
     curbed, but not absolutely denied -- mental examination could
     have been basis for setting stringent conditions for release,
     but not for denying release altogether. -- A non-capital
     defendant's absolute right to bail may only be curbed by the
     setting of certain conditions upon his release and not by its
     complete denial; although the mental examination provided the
     judge with a basis for setting stringent conditions on
     petitioner's release, it did not give him the option of
     refusing to release defendant from incarceration.

4.   Certiorari -- circuit court's jurisdiction over mentally ill
     defendants is limited -- writ of certiorari granted and case
     remanded. -- Although a probate court may in some instances,
     after appropriate hearings, involuntarily commit for an
     extended period a mentally ill person who is dangerous to
     himself or herself or others, the jurisdiction of a circuit
     court with respect to criminal defendants thought to be
     mentally ill is limited; where the circuit court improperly
     denied petitioner's motion for pretrial release, the writ of
     certiorari was granted, and the case was remanded to the
     circuit court. 


     Petition for Writ of Certiorari; granted.
     John F. Gibson, Jr., for petitioner.
     Winston Bryant, Att'y Gen., by:  Clint Miller, Deputy Att'y
Gen., Sr. Appellate Advocate for respondent.

     Per Curiam.April 1, 1996   *ADVREP12*      





JOHNNY CHARLES HENLEY                        CR96-297
                                             Opinion Delivered:

          Petitioner                         Petition for Writ
                                             of Certiorari  
     v.

H.A. TAYLOR, CIRCUIT JUDGE

          Respondent                         Writ Granted



                           PER CURIAM
     Johnny Charles Henley petitions for certiorari and mandamus
contending the Lincoln Circuit Court improperly denied his motion
for pretrial release.  Certiorari is the proper remedy to review a
circuit court's determination of the availability of bail.  Thomas
v. State, 260 Ark. 512,