Opinion ID: 1774319
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Pretrial Statement

Text: Appellant contends that the failure of the State to provide a statement of its primary witness, E.L. Ward, constitutes reversible error. Pursuant to Ark.Code Ann. § 16-89-115 (1987), the State must furnish a copy of a signed statement or a taped statement made to an agent of the State to the defense after the witness has testified. It is clear that the State provided information received from Ward to Appellant's former defense counsel for use in the first trial where Ward also testified. Subsequently, the verdict was supported by overwhelming evidence of guilt. Hill, 275 Ark. at 79, 628 S.W.2d at 288. The State was unable to provide this purported statement given by Ward to Appellant for the second time. While Appellant made a motion for mistrial and a motion to strike Ward's testimony, Appellant did not request a continuance to locate the purported statement, and Appellant did not call any witnesses to dispute Ward's testimony. Furthermore, counsel for Appellant admitted at the resentencing that he had not had a chance to see or talk to Ward before the hearing. The record reflects that the State provided witnesses' addresses to Appellant before the hearing. Under section 5-4-616, all exhibits, admitted evidence, and transcripts of the testimony of the previous trial are admissible in the resentencing. This statute was complied with as the State provided the record of the first trial to the defense. There was no previous statement made by Ward admitted into evidence in the first trial. Appellant argues that there was no record made in the first trial about the purported statement as the trial court did not allow cross-examination of Ward on this subject. The State argued below that the record in the first trial revealed that defense counsel's cross-examination of Ward, which was objected to and sustained by the trial court, was in regard to the identification of Appellant. There is no question in the resentencing hearing that Appellant was identified as having committed the crimes. The resentencing was for the purpose of establishing the aggravating and mitigating factors and sentencing Appellant accordingly. If it was error, it was harmless for several reasons. In keeping with Rush v. State, 252 Ark. 814, 481 S.W.2d 696 (1972), the trial court made an inquiry as to the whereabouts of the purported statement. The trial court inquired of the State as to whether any diligent effort had been made to locate the information. The State had complied with section 16-89-115 by providing the purported statement to defense counsel at the first trial. This section does not compel a continuing obligation for the State to produce the documents. Appellant did not request a continuance in order to obtain the information from the former defense counsel. Appellant did not call any witnesses to refute Ward's testimony. Appellant has not demonstrated any prejudice through any inconsistency of Ward's testimony, nor has he shown whether the purported statement was a signed written statement or a taped statement made to an agent of the State as required by the definition of statement in section 16-89-115 before the State must provide it to defense counsel. The information provided by the State in the first trial could have been a mere oral statement made to police. The State put on the best evidence with the direct testimony of Ward and the purported statement was not found after diligent efforts to locate it. Appellant's guilt had been established before this hearing and any error was harmless.