Case Name: Ed BAILEY v. STATE of Arkansas
Court: Arkansas Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Arkansas
Decision Date: 1985-01-14
Citations: 284 Ark. 379
Docket Number: CR 84-202
Parties: Ed BAILEY v. STATE of Arkansas
Judges: Purtle, J., dissents.
Reporter: Arkansas Reports
Volume: 284
Pages: 379–383

Head Matter:
Ed BAILEY v. STATE of Arkansas
CR 84-202
682 S.W.2d 734
Supreme Court of Arkansas
Opinion delivered January 14, 1985
Greene Law Office, for appellant.
Steve Clark, Att’y Gen., by: Patricia G. Cherry, Asst. Att’y Gen., for appellee.

Opinion:
Steele Hays, Justice.
Edward Lee Bailey was charged by felony information with battery in the first degree, a class B felony. In a preliminary hearing before the Little Rock Municipal Court to establish probable cause, the state called two witnesses to show that Bailey had become angry when Jessie Lee Henson was unable to pay for two beers anda hot dog in Bailey's club. Henson said he asked his companion, Don Stewart, to go outside to the car and bring in Henson's billfold, but Bailey grabbed Stewart, drew a pistol and, according to Stewart and Henson, shot Henson in the throat, leaving him severly handicapped. No one testified for the defense.
Arguing that the shooting could have been accidental, Bailey asked that the charge be lowered to third degree battery, a misdemeanor. The municipal judge reduced the charge as requested, fining Bailey $850 and suspending a one year jail sentence.
The state refiled the original felony charges in Circuit court where Bailey was convicted by a jury verdict and a sentence of eight years in the Department of Correction was imposed. On appeal, Bailey argues that Article 2, Section 8, of the Constitution of Arkansas, providing that no one shall be twice put in jeopardy of life or liberty, was violated by the trial in Circuit Court, after he had been tried and convicted in the Little Rock Municipal Court for the same offense.
The answer to appellant's argument lies in the fact that jeopardy did not attach by reason of the preliminary hearing before the Little Rock Municipal Court. Felonies are heard by municipal courts only to determine whether probable cause exists and municipal courts may either bind the accused over to the circuit court or, if the proof is lacking, release the accused from custody. See Ark. Stat. Ann. § 22-709 (Repl. 1962), § 43-603, 618 and 619 (Repl. 1977). In the latter event, the state may pursue the charge directly in circuit court. A municipal court has no jurisdiction to render a final judgment on a felony information, and it may not reduce a felony to a misdemeanor. To do so, would be rendering a final judgment. McArthur v. Circuit Court of Pulaski County, 253 Ark. 501, 488 S.W.2d 5 (1972).
Appellant cites us to Decker v. State, 251 Ark. 28, 471 S.W.2d 343 (1971), where we held that double jeopardy did not attach. Decker had escaped from an arresting police officer by drawing a concealed weapon; he took the officer's service revolver and fled, later to be recaptured. Decker pleaded guilty in municipal court to the crime of drawing a weapon on a law officer, a misdemeanor. Afterwards he was charged with robbing the officer of his revolver, a felony. We rejected his double jeopardy argument because two separate crimes had been committed. Bailey now submits by analogy we should find double jeopardy because a single crime is involved in this case as opposed to the two crimes in Decker. The argument overlooks the fact that, unlike the Decker case, the state did not initially charge Bailey with a misdemeanor and proceed to trial in municipal court. Had it done so, double jeopardy would prevenía second trial where separate crimes are not involved.
The judgment is affirmed.
Purtle, J., dissents.
Holt, C.J., and Newbern, J., not participating.