Opinion ID: 2458924
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the court erred in refusing to give amci 403 in conjunction with amci 401.

Text: Over defendant's objection, the court gave AMCI 401 on AccomplicesDefinition and Joint Responsibility: In this case the State does not contend that the defendant acted alone in the commission of the offenses of capital murder and aggravated robbery. A person is criminally responsible for the conduct of another person when he is an accomplice in the commission of an offense. A person is an accomplice if, with the purpose of promoting or facilitating the commission of an offense, he solicits, advises, encourages or coerces the other person to commit the offenses or he aids, agrees to aid or attempts to aid the other person in planning or committing the offenses. A person acts with a purpose with respect to his conduct or a result thereof when it is his conscious object to engage in conduct of that nature or to cause such a result. The defense then requested AMCI 403 on Accomplice Status in DisputeCorroboration. The court noted AMCI 403 tendered and refused. The appellant is correct in his argument that AMCI 403 should be given under the evidence in this case. This instruction must be given when an alleged accomplice has testified and the sufficiency of the corroborating evidence presents an issue of fact for the jury. This Court has held that, when the status of a witness presents issues of fact, the defense is entitled to have this question submitted to the jury. Jackson v. State, 193 Ark. 776, 102 S.W.2d 546 (1937); Simms v. State , 105 Ark. 16, 150 S.W. 113 (1912). As stated in Jackson v. State, supra , one's status as an accomplice is a mixed question of law and fact and the issue must be submitted to the jury where there is any evidence to support a jury's finding that the witness was an accomplice. Powell v. State, 231 Ark. 737, 332 S.W.2d 483 (1960). In view of the fact that the witness was jointly charged with this offense, the charge against him was still undisposed of, and the extraneous evidence adduced on the trial tended to connect the witness with the commission of the crime, an issue of fact was raised and it is error to not give AMCI 403 under these circumstances.