Title: Almer Willis Wright v. State of Arkansas
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: CR02-764
State: Arkansas
Issuer: Arkansas Supreme Court
Date: December 16, 2002

ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT NOT DESIGNATED FOR PUBLICATION PER CURIAM December 19, 2002 ALMER WILLIS WRIGHT Petitioner v. STATE OF ARKANSAS Respondent CR 02-764 MOTION FOR BELATED APPEAL AND MOTION TO BE RELIEVED AS COUNSEL [CIRCUIT COURT OF HOT SPRING COUNTY, NO. CR 2000-53-2, HON. PHILLIP H. SHIRRON, JUDGE] MOTION FOR BELATED APPEAL DENIED; MOTION OF BYRON COLE RHODES TO BE RELIEVED AS COUNSEL GRANTED Almer Willis Wright was found guilty by a jury of sexual abuse in the first degree and two counts of rape. An aggregate sentence of thirty years' imprisonment was imposed. The court of appeals affirmed. Wright v. State, CACR 01-472 (Ark. App. December 19, 2001). Byron Cole Rhodes, Wright's retained attorney, subsequently filed in the trial court a timely petition pursuant to Criminal Procedure Rule 37 challenging the judgment. The petition was denied after an evidentiary hearing at which petitioner Wright was represented by Rhodes. The court denied the petition by order entered March 6, 2002. On April 18, 2002, Wright filed an untimely pro se notice of appeal from the order. On July 18, 2002, Byron Cole Rhodes filed in this court a motion to proceed with a belated appeal of the order. Mr. Rhodes also filed a motion to be relieved as counsel. Because the proper disposition of the motion for belated appeal required findings of fact which must be made in the trial court, we remanded the matter to the circuit court for anevidentiary hearing on the issue of whether Wright informed Rhodes that he desired to appeal from the March 6, 2002, order and Rhodes failed to act to preserve his right to appeal. The trial court was directed to enter Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law and submit the findings and conclusions to this court with the transcript of the evidentiary hearing. Mr. Rhodes's motion to be relieved as counsel was held in abeyance until the matter was returned to this court on remand. Wright v. State, CR 02-764 (Ark. September 5, 2002) (per curiam). The trial court's Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law and the transcript of the evidentiary hearing are now before us. Following the evidentiary hearing, the court concluded that Rhodes advised Wright of his right to appeal from the adverse ruling but Wright failed to inform Rhodes within the time allowed for filing a notice of appeal that he desired to appeal. The merit of the motion for belated appeal rested on the credibility of the parties, and this court recognizes that it is the lower court's task to assess the credibility of witnesses and resolve any conflicts of fact. Accordingly, we accept the trial court's findings. See Allen v. State, 277 Ark. 380, 641 S.W.2d 710 (1982). The motion for belated appeal is denied. Mr. Rhodes's motion to be relieved as counsel is granted. Motion for belated appeal denied; motion of Byron Cole Rhodes to be relieved as counsel granted.