Opinion ID: 2276886
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Latifah Johnson's Status as an Accomplice

Text: The circuit court declined to submit the question of Latifah Johnson's status as an accomplice to the jury. On appeal, Appellant contends that Latifah's status as an accomplice was an issue of fact that should have been submitted to the jury pursuant to AMI Criminal 2d 403. This court has repeatedly stated that if there is some evidentiary basis for a jury instruction, giving the same is appropriate. Hickman v. State, 372 Ark. 438, 277 S.W.3d 217 (2008). A party is entitled to an instruction if there is sufficient evidence to raise a question of fact or if there is any supporting evidence for the instruction. Id. There is no error in refusing to give a jury instruction where there is no basis in the evidence to support the giving of the instruction. Id. In determining whether the circuit court erred in refusing an instruction in a criminal trial, the test is whether the omission infects the entire trial such that the resulting conviction violates due process. Id. Appellant claims that the following evidence supports the giving of a jury instruction on Latifah Johnson's status as an accomplice: (1) Latifah's fabrication of evidence when questioned by the police; (2) Latifah's close proximity to the victims, Albert Reed, Mariah Powell, and Cameron Williams; and (3) her improbable explanation as to why she did not enter the Reck Road house that night. We disagree. The cited evidence would not support a finding that Latifah was an accomplice. Indeed, no such finding could be made without engaging in pure speculation. The record is devoid of any evidence indicating that Latifah knew about the reason for bringing Monte Johnson and Sean Johnson to the Reck Road house. Likewise, there is no evidence suggesting that she knew anything about a plan to commit the offenses of kidnapping and murder. The circuit court's ruling on this point is affirmed.