Case Title: Leavy v. Norris

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: arkansas

Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

Date: 1996-05-06T00:00:00Z

Document:
Calvin LEAVY v. Larry NORRIS, Director

CR 96-268                                          ___ S.W.2d ___

                    Supreme Court of Arkansas
                  Opinion delivered May 6, 1996


1.   Criminal procedure -- petitioner has right to appeal adverse
     ruling on petition for postconviction relief -- even pro se
     petitioner must file timely notice of appeal. -- A petitioner
     has the right to appeal an adverse ruling on a petition for
     postconviction relief; with that right, however, goes the
     responsibility to file a timely notice of appeal within thirty
     days of the date the order was entered in accordance with Rule
     4 (a) of the Rules of Appellate Procedure; if the petitioner
     fails to file a timely notice of appeal, a belated appeal will
     not be allowed absent a showing by the petitioner of good
     cause for the failure to comply with proper procedure; the
     fact that a petitioner is proceeding pro se does not in itself
     constitute good cause for the failure to conform to the
     prevailing rules of procedure. 

2.   Appeal & error -- bare allegation that notice of appeal was
     mailed not good cause to grant belated appeal.-- The litigant
     who claims to have mailed an item has the burden of proving
     that he mailed it, and the bare allegation that a notice of
     appeal was mailed is not good cause to grant a belated appeal;
     if the allegation that a notice was mailed were sufficient,
     there would be no point in setting up rules of procedure
     because the procedural requirements could be circumvented by
     a simple claim that the petitioner's failure to comply with
     the rules was caused by the post office.

3.   Criminal procedure -- petitioner failed to prove petition
     mailed in timely manner -- motion for belated appeal denied. -
     - Where petitioner presented nothing to show that he mailed
     the notice of appeal in a timely manner, failed to establish
     that the clerk received the notice within thirty days of the
     order appealed from but did not file it, and stated no good
     cause for his failure to file a timely notice of appeal, his
     motion for belated appeal was denied.


     Pro Se Motion for Belated Appeal denied.
     Appellant, pro se.
     No response.

     Per Curiam.
     May 6, 1996   *ADVREP6*






CALVIN J. LEAVY
     Petitioner


v.


LARRY NORRIS, DIRECTOR
     Respondent


CR 96-268



PRO SE MOTION FOR BELATED
APPEAL (CIRCUIT COURT OF
JEFFERSON COUNTY, NO. CR 95-68-
3), HON. FRED D. DAVIS, JUDGE



MOTION DENIED




                           Per Curiam.


     Calvin J. Leavy was found guilty by a jury in 1992 of 

participating in a continuing criminal enterprise, public servant 

bribery, delivery of cocaine, and use of a communication facility
in furtherance of a drug felony.  He was sentenced respectively to
terms of imprisonment of life, six years, twenty-five years, and
ten years.  We affirmed.  Leavy v. State, 314 Ark. 231,