Opinion ID: 2120348
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Failure to Promptly Bring Appellant Before a Judicial Officer

Text: Appellant contends that he was arrested on September 27, 2000, but he was not brought for an initial appearance before a judicial officer until December 4, 2000. He argues that this lengthy delay violates Rules 4.1 and 8.1, as well as case law from this court and the United States Supreme Court. Based on this violation, Appellant argues that his custodial statement should have been suppressed. We do not reach the merits of this argument, as it was not fully developed below and was not specifically ruled on by the trial court. The record reflects that Appellant filed a written motion to suppress on July 23, 2001. The motion sought suppression of his custodial statement for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons was that the arrest of Mr. Romes violated reasonable cause restrictions of Rule 4.1 of the Arkansas Rule of Criminal Procedure. Another reason was that because Appellant was initially arrested on a theft warrant, his arrest was a pretext to question him about the murder. Rule 8.1 was not cited in Appellant's suppression motion; however, the following related argument was made: Contrary to the requirements of Rule 7.2 [of the Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure], the defendant endured prolonged interrogation at the North Little Rock Police Department and was then transferred to two different jails before he was arraigned. Such delay in bringing defendant before a judicial officer should not be sanctioned, nor should leaving the required 7.2(a)(vi) language out of the warrant be sanctioned. On August 13, 2001, a hearing was held on the motion to suppress, as well as on other pretrial motions filed by Appellant. During the testimony, the only evidence developed concerning Appellant's statement was the issue of pretextual arrest. There was no evidence presented as to the delay in bringing Appellant before a judicial officer or as to the lack of a reasonable-cause determination under Rule 4.1. At the conclusion of the hearing, the trial court simply ruled: Defendant's motion to suppress the statement is denied[.] This court will not address an argument on appeal where the record is barren of proof as to the allegation made. Munnerlyn v. State, 292 Ark. 467, 470, 730 S.W.2d 895, 897 (1987). It is the appellant's burden to present a case before the trial court that fully and completely develops all the issues. See Raymond v. State, 354 Ark. 157, 118 S.W.3d 567 (2003); Walker v. State, 314 Ark. 628, 864 S.W.2d 230 (1993). Moreover, it is the appellant's burden to obtain a clear ruling on an issue from the trial court. Misskelley v. State, 323 Ark. 449, 915 S.W.2d 702, cert. denied, 519 U.S. 898, 117 S.Ct. 246, 136 L.Ed.2d 174 (1996); Bowen v. State, 322 Ark. 483, 911 S.W.2d 555 (1995), cert. denied, 517 U.S. 1226, 116 S.Ct. 1861, 134 L.Ed.2d 960 (1996). In both Misskelley and Bowen , the appellants raised multiple arguments in their motions to suppress. This court refused to reach the merits of those arguments that were not specifically ruled upon by the trial court in denying the motions. Here, the issues regarding the delay in being brought before a judicial officer were raised by Appellant in his written motion to suppress. However, they were not developed, either factually or legally, during the hearing on the motion. To the contrary, the record of the hearing demonstrates that Appellant abandoned these arguments in favor of pursuing the issue of his alleged pretextual arrest. Moreover, the record demonstrates that Appellant did not obtain clear rulings on these issues. Accordingly, the issues he now raises on appeal, regarding Rules 4.1 and 8.1, are not preserved for our review.