Title: Webb v. State

State: arkansas

Issuer: Arkansas Supreme Court

Document:

David Anthony WEBB v. STATE of Arkansas

CR 96-711                                          ___ S.W.2d ___

                    Supreme Court of Arkansas
              Opinion delivered September 16, 1996


Appeal & error -- petitions for writ of certiorari and rule on 
     clerk were premature -- matter remanded for determination of
     indigency. -- Where no affidavit of indigency executed by
     appellant accompanied his petition for writ of certiorari to
     complete the record and to designate funds to pay for the
     trial transcript and his petition for rule on the clerk
     regarding the transcript to be prepared, the supreme court was
     unable to determine the indigency status of appellant; the
     supreme court concluded that, without that determination, it
     was premature to grant the petition for writ of certiorari to
     complete the record; the supreme court also concluded that,
     without a complete record, it was premature to consider a
     petition for rule on the clerk; empahsizing appellant's
     attorney was retained counsel during the trial of this matter,
     the supreme court remanded the matter to the trial court for
     a determination of indigency and, if indigency should be
     found, for appointment of counsel for appeal.


     Petition for Writ of Certiorari; Petition for Rule on Clerk;
remanded.
     Zimmery Crutcher, Jr., for appellant.
     No response.

     Per Curiam.
     Appellant David Anthony Webb by his attorney Zimmery Crutcher,
Jr., petitions the court for (1) a writ of certiorari to complete
the record and to designate funds to pay for the trial transcript,
and (2) for a rule on the clerk regarding the transcript to be
prepared.
     The facts alleged in the petition are these.  On March 22,
1996, the appellant moved to dismiss his trial attorney, Mr.
Crutcher, without notice to Mr. Crutcher.
     On March 27, 1996, the appellant filed a notice of appeal and
request to proceed in forma pauperis, also without notice to Mr.
Crutcher.
     On April 11, 1996, an affidavit was filed by the court
reporter, stating that she had not received a copy of the notice of
appeal and that no arrangements had been made with her about the
trial transcript.
     On June 14, 1996, the trial court notified Mr. Crutcher that
a partial record had been filed in the Supreme Court on May 30,
1996, and that the completed record was due June 23, 1996.  Mr.
Crutcher was given the option of filing the complete record or
moving this court to relieve him as counsel.
     On June 19, 1996, Mr. Crutcher moved to withdraw as counsel,
and on July 8, 1996, that motion was denied by this court.  Mr.
Crutcher now points out in the indigency petition that his petition
to withdraw was filed before the deadline for filing the record but
denied by this court after the deadline had passed.
     No affidavit of indigency executed by the appellant
accompanied these petitions.  Hence, this court is unable to
determine the indigency status of the appellant.  Without that
determination, it is premature to grant the petition for writ of
certiorari to complete the record.  And, without a complete record,
it is premature to consider a petition for rule on the clerk.
     We emphasize again that Mr. Crutcher was retained counsel
during the trial of this matter.  We remand this matter to the
trial court for a determination of indigency and if indigency is
found, for appointment of counsel for appeal.