Opinion ID: 1720797
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Mandamus Against the Sheriff

Text: Prior to trial, defense counsel requested that the Pulaski County Sheriff's office serve a subpoena on one of his witnesses. The witness lived in Garland County, and the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office, citing a lack of jurisdiction, refused to serve the subpoena. Defense counsel next filed a writ of mandamus, praying that the court order the sheriff's office to serve the subpoena. The trial court dismissed the petition for mandamus. Pursuant to Ark.Code Ann. § 16-43-208 (Repl.1994), a circuit clerk has a duty to issue subpoenas for witnesses upon the request of either party. The statute is silent, however, about the duty of the sheriff to serve those subpoenas once they have been issued. From the facts before us, it does not appear that MacKintrush ever established a legal right which the court would be required to enforce. We note that service of the subpoena could have been accomplished by mail, by the Garland County Sheriff, or by one authorized to serve process in Garland County. Our standard of review for denial of a writ of mandamus is abuse of discretion by the trial court, and we hold that there was no abuse in this case. See Hicks v. Gravett, 312 Ark. 407, 849 S.W.2d 946 (1993).