Opinion ID: 1860169
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Presentation of a Defense

Text: In line with his arguments concerning the sufficiency of the evidence and accomplice testimony, Boldin also argues that the circuit court hampered his ability to present his defense by limiting defense counsel's questions to witnesses regarding their involvement in the crimes. He argues that both the prosecution and the trial court mistook his attempts to question witnesses as an attempt to present an accomplice-liability defense, and, thus, the court erroneously limited defense counsel's cross-examination of key witnesses. He asserts that it was the State's duty to prove accomplice liability on the part of Cody Young, Dustin Carter, and Savannah Carter. He again argues that the State would not have been able to meet its burden of proof without the accomplice testimony of those witnesses. In effect, he reargues his sufficiency-of-the-evidence argument in relation to the circuit court's limiting of his defense. Prior to trial, the prosecution filed a discovery motion requesting defense counsel's disclosure of Boldin's proposed defense, pursuant to Arkansas Rule of Criminal Procedure 18.3. Defense counsel never disclosed a specific defense to the prosecutor, and instead asserted a defense of general denial. During cross-examination of Savannah Carter, defense counsel began asking her to elaborate on her involvement in the crimes, and the prosecutor objected. The prosecutor argued that defense counsel was attempting to implicate Savannah Carter and Dustin Carter as possible perpetrators of the crime, without disclosing Boldin's plan to assert an accomplice defense. A lengthy discourse between counsel and the trial judge followed, a pertinent part of which is quoted below: DEFENSE COUNSEL: We haven't said anything about an accomplice defense, your Honor, the State has. COURT: Okay. DEFENSE COUNSEL: We've not said, yes, we're using an accomplice defense. [The prosecutor] hasn't accused us of using an accomplice defense. COURT: Then any sort of questions that go to close to an accomplice defense I'm going to  are irrelevant. We review evidentiary decisions by the trial court under an abuse of discretion standard. Travis v. State, 371 Ark. 621, 269 S.W.3d 341 (2007). Under Arkansas Rule of Criminal Procedure 18.3, [s]ubject to constitutional limitations, the prosecuting attorney shall, upon request, be informed as soon as practicable before trial of the nature of any defense which defense counsel intends to use at trial and the names and addresses of persons whom defense counsel intends to call as witnesses in support thereof. Ark. R.Crim. P. 18.3 (2007). We have held that Rule 18.3 applies with equal force to testimony offered in support of a general denial defense and testimony offered to support an affirmative defense. Mitchell v. State, 306 Ark. 464, 816 S.W.2d 566 (1991). Discovery in criminal cases, within constitutional limitations, must be a two way street. Id. This interpretation promotes fairness by allowing both sides the opportunity for full pretrial preparation, preventing surprise at trial, and avoiding unnecessary delays at trial. Id. Boldin's argument that accomplice liability of the witnesses was part of the State's burden of proof was a de facto attempt to establish an accomplice defense by circumventing our long established rules of procedure. Accordingly, we conclude that the circuit court's decision to limit defense counsel's questioning of the alleged accomplices was not an abuse of discretion.