Opinion ID: 2441798
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Urine Testing

Text: The order of probation was entered nine days after trial and included as one condition of probation: Defendant shall not abuse alcohol nor use illegal drugs while on probation and shall submit to periodic drug screen testing as directed by probation officer. As noted by Higgins, this was the first mention of drug-screen testing in the matter. He now argues that the urine testing was imposed on him without justification and is violative of the Fourth Amendment, though this argument was not made to the trial court. There are only four exceptions to this court's rule that errors may not be considered for the first time on appeal: 1) when an error is made by the trial court without knowledge of the defense counsel and without opportunity to object; 2) when a trial court should intervene on its own motion to correct a serious error by admonition or mistrial; 3) when evidentiary errors affect a defendant's substantial rights although they were not brought to the court's attention; and 4) when prejudice is conclusively shown by the record in death penalty cases and would unquestionably require relief under Ark. R.Crim. P. 37. Marshall v. State, 316 Ark. 753, 875 S.W.2d 814 (1994); Wicks v. State, 270 Ark. 781, 606 S.W.2d 366 (1980). Higgins contends that he falls within the first exception because he had no notice of this condition and, thus, no opportunity to object to the urine testing in the probation order. The final order in this case, which was the order of probation and which included the urine testing, was entered on September 28, 1995. The order shows a copy going to Attorney for Defendant. Higgins apparently met with the Adult Probation Office on September 20, 1995, which was the day after his sentencing. Notice of appeal was filed by Higgins on October 17, 1995. We find it to be somewhat incredible that Higgins did not know about a condition of his probation prior to his appeal. Moreover, Higgins and his counsel are charged with knowledge of when the final order was entered in this case, because that commences the time for appeal. See, e.g., Nance v. State, 318 Ark. 758, 891 S.W.2d 26 (1994). Indeed, Higgins appealed from that order of probation 19 days after the order was entered. It necessarily follows that they are likewise charged with knowledge of what is in that final order. Under our criminal rules, Higgins had 30 days from the date of that order to file some motion for relief with the trial court. Ark. R.Crim. P. 33.3, formerly Ark. R.Crim. P. 36.22; Ark. R.App. P. 2(a)(1). We have held in other contexts that a matter pertaining to a final order should be raised to the trial court. See Williams v. State, 320 Ark. 498, 898 S.W.2d 38 (1995) (appellant voiced no objection to 75-year sentence at trial); Oglesby v. Baptist Medical System, 319 Ark. 280, 891 S.W.2d 48 (1995) (appellant did not raise issue of whether battery claim was included in dismissal order to trial court and, thus, waived it). The same rationale should certainly apply to a condition of probation. No motion challenging the urine testing as a condition of probation was filed. Hence, we will not consider the issue for the first time on appeal. Affirmed.