Opinion ID: 2417534
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: 3(B Motion to quash felony information

Text: On October 27, 1993, appellant filed a motion to quash the felony information for lack of probable cause to arrest or charge him with the crime. The trial court summarily denied the motion. Appellant next argues that the ruling was error. We disagree. Lack of probable cause is not a statutory ground for a motion to set aside an indictment, Ark.Code Ann. § 16-85-706 (1987), McDonald v. State, 155 Ark. 142, 244 S.W. 20 (1922), State v. Fox, 122 Ark. 197, 182 S.W. 906 (1916), or, by implication, to quash an information, Neely, 317 Ark. 312, 877 S.W.2d 589. Further, in State v. Garrison, 272 Ark. 470, 615 S.W.2d 371 (1981), this court held that the circuit court lacked authority to conduct a preliminary hearing, pending trial, to determine if probable cause existed to justify the charge brought by information and then to dismiss the information for want of probable cause. The Garrison court stated there was no constitutional or statutory authority for such a hearing, which it distinguished from the situation where the court must determine whether probable cause exists for extended restraint of an accused following an arrest. Gerstein, 420 U.S. 103, 95 S.Ct. 854; see also Ark.R.Crim.P. 8.3. In Garrison, as in the present case, the latter situation was not involved because the charge against the accused had already been filed in the circuit court and the issue of his pretrial detention had been judicially determined. See also State v. Watson, 307 Ark. 333, 820 S.W.2d 59 (1991) (stating it was error for the circuit court to grant the accused's motion to dismiss the information on the ground that the state's proffered facts did not sustain the charge); accord State v. Jamison, 277 Ark. 349, 641 S.W.2d 719 (1982). An accused is not entitled to a judicial review of the prosecutor's filing an information charging him with an offense. Garrison, 272 Ark. 470, 615 S.W.2d 371. See also Gerstein, 420 U.S. at 118-19, 95 S.Ct. at 865-66 (In holding that the prosecutor's assessment of probable cause is not sufficient alone to justify restraint of liberty pending trial, we do not imply that the accused is entitled to judicial oversight or review of the decision to prosecute.). In light of our determination that it was not error to summarily deny appellant's motion to quash for lack of probable cause, we need not address the merits of his argument in support of the motion.