Opinion ID: 1487670
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The State's Chemist

Text: Harrison argues that her trial counsel was ineffective for failing to give the required notice and obtain at trial the presence of the State's chemist for examination. Trial counsel testified at the Rule 37 hearing that he did not give notice to have the chemist present, but that it really did not matter whether or not a chemist was there. Their defense was that they did not know there were drugs or any other substance being transported in the car. Trial counsel considered that what the substance turned out to be was immaterial to their defense because the theory was that Harrison's boyfriend was a drug runner and that he had placed the drugs in the car and was using his girlfriend to get the drugs to Nashville. Harrison testified at trial that she did not know the drugs were in the car. Vaughn also testified that she was unaware of drugs being in the car. Whether the substance found in the car was drugs was not at issue. There would have been no rational basis for giving a jury instruction on whether the substance was drugs when Harrison asserted she had no idea anything was in the car. See, e.g., Brunson v. State, 368 Ark. 313, 245 S.W.3d 132 (2006). The circuit court was not clearly erroneous in denying Harrison's claim for Rule 37 relief on this issue.