Opinion ID: 2449950
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: failure to give proffered instructions on status as accomplice

Text: Appellant proffered AMI Crim.2d 402, entitled Accomplice Status Undisputed Corroboration, and AMI Crim.2d 403, entitled Accomplice Status in DisputeCorroboration, which the trial court refused without explanation. Appellant argues the trial court's ruling was error. Our law is well-settled that a witness's status as an accomplice is a mixed question of law and fact, and that when the status of a witness presents issues of fact, the defense is entitled to have the question submitted to the jury. Earl, 272 Ark. 5, 612 S.W.2d 98; Jackson v. State, 193 Ark. 776, 102 S.W.2d 546 (1937). The question must be submitted to the jury where there is any evidence to support a jury's finding that the witness was an accomplice. Id. Scott testified at trial, consistent with his testimony at the hearing on the motion in limine. His trial testimony, however, revealed the following additional facts that were not revealed at the hearing. Appellant and Slocum are cousins. Scott was hanging out on a street corner in his neighborhood when Slocum approached him and asked him to lure the victim to Hattison's house. With Slocum were Shelby Baccus and Vida Davis. At that time, appellant was not with Slocum and the two others; rather, he was on his grandmother's porch, which is across the street from the hang-out corner. Scott explained Slocum's statement that Slocum would take care of Scott to mean that, in exchange for Scott luring the victim to Hattison's home, Slocum would pay Scott in rock cocaine. Scott estimated he received rock cocaine worth $40.00 from Slocum. Scott testified that, approximately five minutes after appellant and Slocum left Hattison's home with the victim, he heard a flurry of about ten gunshots. The first thought that came to Scott's mind upon hearing the shots was, [t]hey done shot that boy. Scott explained the cash payments he received from the North Little Rock Police were for food and lodging for him and his parents to relocate after Scott told what he knew about the victim's murder to the police. Most significantly, however, Scott stated that the reason the victim was killed was because the victim possessed knowledge that would implicate Slocum's brother in another murder case. Scott testified that to avoid the victim's implication of Slocum's brother, they had to eliminate Willie [Simpkins], I imagine. Scott's testimony at trial creates a fact question as to his status as an accomplice. He knew there was ill will between the victim and the co-defendants. He was offered rock cocaine in return for luring the victim to the co-defendant's reach. He initially denied knowledge of the co-defendants' involvement in the crime. On this evidence, some of which was not known until Scott testified at trial, the trial court erred in refusing to give the proffered instruction AMI Crim.2d 403. Due to the error, the jury was not given an opportunity to consider whether Scott was an accomplice and, if so, whether there was sufficient corroborating evidence presented. We therefore reverse the judgment of conviction and remand for a retrial. We are well aware that when there is insufficient evidence to corroborate an accomplice's testimony, the only remedy is reversal and dismissal due to jeopardy considerations. Foster v. State, 290 Ark. 495, 720 S.W.2d 712 (1986), supplemental opinion on denial of reh'g, 290 Ark. 495, 722 S.W.2d 869, cert. denied, 482 U.S. 929, 107 S.Ct. 3213, 96 L.Ed.2d 700 (1987). However, in such cases, the witness's status as an accomplice is not a fact question. See, id. When, as in the present case, the witness's status as an accomplice presents a jury question and the jury was erroneously not given the opportunity to pass on that question, remand for retrial is the appropriate remedy. See Robinson v. State, 11 Ark.App. 18, 665 S.W.2d 890 (1984). Dismissal is not required in such cases because the jeopardy clause has not been violated; error in failing to instruct the jury does not relate to sufficiency of the evidence and the jeopardy clause. See United States v. Miller, 952 F.2d 866 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 505 U.S. 1220, 112 S.Ct. 3029, 120 L.Ed.2d 900 (1992) (citing Forman v. United States, 361 U.S. 416, 80 S.Ct. 481, 4 L.Ed.2d 412 (1960)). Retrial is the proper remedy where, as here, the jury was not given the chance to consider the question of the status of the accomplice, for it is quite possible for the jury to conclude either that the witness was not an accomplice or that there is sufficient corroborating evidence. The judgment of conviction is reversed due to the error in refusing to give AMI Crim.2d 403. The case is remanded for retrial.