Opinion ID: 2451882
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: offer of immunity

Text: Sutton next argues that an agreement was made with law enforcement officers not to charge him with a felon/firearm offense if he gave a statement. Because he gave the statement, the failure to honor that agreement, according to Sutton, should void the felon/firearm charge. In support of his argument, he cites us to Davis v. State, 275 Ark. 264, 630 S.W.2d 1 (1982), where we held that a confession induced by promises of immunity may be involuntary. Sutton, however, has pursued the wrong remedy, as the trial court appropriately noted in denying the motion. His motion filed on August 26, 1991, the day of the trial, prayed that the felon/firearm charge be dropped rather than that the statement be ruled inadmissible. His remedy for an involuntary confession, however, was to have the statement suppressed. Cf. Davis v. State, supra . The trial court further observed that only prosecutors, not law enforcement officers, can drop charges, and that Sutton's attorney knew that. The evidence that Sutton possessed the pistol was ample apart from his statement. We cannot say that the trial court erred in its ruling on this point. See Patterson v. State, 306 Ark. 385, 815 S.W.2d 377 (1991).