Opinion ID: 1690821
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Location of the Trial

Text: The trial was conducted in a courtroom located in the Union County Criminal Justice Facility rather than in the Union County Courthouse. Walley complains that holding the trial at the facility deprived him of his right to a fair trial because of the appearance of guilt it created. The parties stipulated that at the time of trial, the building was being renovated so the jurors had to walk past a chain-link fence topped with razor wire and go down a hallway past the jail before coming upon the foyer of the Sheriff's Office and the entrance to the courtroom. Although we have not addressed the specific issue of whether the location of the courtroom can be prejudicial, certain criteria for analysis can be drawn from similar issues in other cases. In a case involving the presence of uniformed officers in the courtroom, this court stated the general principle: Whenever a courtroom arrangement is challenged as inherently prejudicial the question is not whether the jurors expressed a consciousness of some prejudicial effect, but rather whether an unacceptable risk of prejudicial effect is presented. This is a matter to be given close scrutiny by the reviewing court. Clemmons v. State, 303 Ark. 265, 267, 795 S.W.2d 927, 928 (1990). Walley suggests that the location of the courtroom was inherently prejudicial, because it created an appearance of guilt similar to that created where a defendant is forced to wear prison garb or is placed in shackles during trial. Box v. State, 348 Ark. 116, 71 S.W.3d 552 (2002) and Miller v. State, 249 Ark. 3, 457 S.W.2d 848 (1970) (defendant may not be forced to wear prison garb during trial); see also Parker v. State, 300 Ark. 360, 779 S.W.2d 156 (1989) (allowing a plexiglass divider between the daughters of a murder victim and the defendant, who was proceeding pro se); Moore v. State, 299 Ark. 532, 773 S.W.2d 834 (1989) (finding prejudice where the State purposely placed a cadre of uniformed police officers inside the rail during closing arguments). These cases are clearly distinguishable in that prejudice has only been found where the circumstances were specific to the accused and inferred that this particular defendant was a dangerous criminal. Prison garb, handcuffs, and the position of the uniformed officer are all circumstances that specifically relate to the defendant on trial. Walley offers no evidence of anything about the arrangement inside the courtroom itself that was specifically prejudicial to him. He only complains of the location of the courtroom. Walley concedes in his brief that he could find no authority for his contention that the location of the courtroom was inherently prejudicial. Walley, therefore, must show actual prejudice in order to prevail on his fair-trial claim. This he has failed to do. The courtroom had the appearance of any other courtroom. There were no special security devices in the courtroom, and Walley was not handcuffed, forced to wear prison garb, or surrounded by armed and uniformed officers. Moreover, there is no indication in the verdict that he was prejudiced by the courtroom's location. Walley was acquitted of one of the charges against him and convicted of a lesser-included offense on one of the remaining two charges. He did not receive the maximum sentence allowed by law. Furthermore, the circuit court gave the following curative instruction to the jury: This case is being tried in a courtroom which is attached to the sheriff's office and jail. It is not to be considered by you as a reflection of what the Court thinks [a]bout this case. Under no circumstances shall this be considered by you in arriving at your verdict or considered by you as evidence in this case. Walley has failed to establish that the location of the courtroom in the same facility as the jail and the sheriff's office was in any way more prejudicial to him than a courtroom located in the courthouse. Based on this record and the circuit court's curative instruction to the jury, we cannot say that holding the trial at the Union County Criminal Justice facility deprived Walley of his right to a fair trial. The circuit court's ruling on this point is affirmed.