Opinion ID: 1448436
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Failure to abstract May 5, 1995, judgment

Text: Before addressing the merits of appellant's argument, the State contends that Hill's claim is procedurally barred because he failed to abstract the trial court's May 5, 1995, judgment following his initial guilty plea. The State suggests that the judgment, which underlies the trial court's ultimate decision to revoke Hill's probation, is essential to our review. In response, Hill claims that the judgment actually appealed from is not the May 1995 order but the May 6, 1999, judgment revoking his probation a second time. Similarly, Hill acknowledges that in his first appeal, the judgment appealed from was the April 1, 1998, decision revoking his probation. Significantly, both of these judgments appear in appellant's addendum in compliance with Ark. R. Sup.Ct. 4-2(a)(8). We agree with appellant that the May 5, 1995, judgment is not critical to our appellate review. Ark. R. Sup.Ct. 4-2(a)(6) requires an appellant to abstract: only such material parts of the pleadings, proceedings, facts, documents, and other matters in the record as are necessary to an understanding of all questions presented to the Court for decision. (Emphasis added.) First, the May 1995 judgment is not necessary to our understanding of the question presented in this appeal. Although the State cites Wallace v. State, 326 Ark. 376, 931 S.W.2d 113 (1996), in support of its position that the judgment is necessary to our understanding of the issues on appeal, Wallace is distinguishable. In Wallace the court was unable to resolve an issue on appeal because it was unclear whether the original conviction was for one count or two, or for a misdemeanor or a felony, and the judgment in the record was illegible. Wallace, 326 Ark. at 381, 931 S.W.2d at 116. Therefore, the failure to abstract a material judgment warranted our finding that the abstract was flagrantly deficient. Id. Without the abstract of the judgment, the court could not decide the issue in Wallace . Id. In the instant case, the absence of the May 5, 1995, judgment does not preclude our consideration of the merits of Hill's argument that the trial court erred by permitting the State to amend its revocation petition. Second, the abstracting requirement applies only to matters in the record. Here, the May 5, 1995, judgment was not placed in the record, and its absence indicates that the State, not appellant, failed to introduce the judgment at trial. In sum, we reject the State's argument that Hill's abstract is deficient and that his claim is procedurally barred.