Opinion ID: 2428738
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Failure by trial judge to recuse

Text: At a hearing held prior to the trial of this matter, appellant asserted that he had learned that the trial judge was a friend of a man named Roland Smith. Smith, according to appellant's attorney, owned a pawnshop that appellant had been charged with burglarizing in another case, unrelated to the present case, and the judge had recused from presiding over that case. The trial judge denied that he knew anyone by the name of Roland Smith but stated that he probably recused from a case involving a pawnshop owner by the name of Troy Braswell, whom the judge did know. Based upon defense counsel's statement that there was no relationship between the two cases, the judge declined to recuse from this case and no further request or discussion of the judge's recusal was ever mentioned throughout the trial. Recusal was not required in this case. The Arkansas Constitution, Article 7, § 20, as well as the Arkansas Code of Judicial Conduct, Canon 3(C), provide that judges must refrain from presiding over cases in which they might be interested and must avoid all appearances of bias. Matthews v. State, 313 Ark. 327, 854 S.W.2d 339 (1993). However, a judge is not required to recuse because of his or her life experiences. Reel v. State, 318 Ark. 565, 886 S.W.2d 615 (1994). In addition, there exists a presumption of impartiality. Turner v. State, 325 Ark. 237, 926 S.W.2d 843 (1996). Even if the judge knew someone connected with another criminal case involving appellant, that alone would not require him to recuse. The decision to recuse is within the trial court's discretion, and it will not be reversed absent abuse. An abuse of discretion can be proved by a showing of bias or prejudice on the part of the trial court. Id. at 244, 926 S.W.2d 843; Trimble v. State, 316 Ark. 161, 871 S.W.2d 562 (1994). We should first consider this issue by determining if there is any evidence of bias or prejudice in the record. In Turner v. State, 325 Ark. 237, 926 S.W.2d 843 (1996), we stated that the party seeking the disqualification bears the burden of proving bias or prejudice on the part of the trial court. See also Keene v. State, 56 Ark.App. 42, 938 S.W.2d 859 (1997); Gentry v. State, 47 Ark. App. 117, 886 S.W.2d 885 (1994). Applying that rule, appellant has made no showing here that he was treated unfairly during trial. He has alleged no specific instances of bias or shown in what way he was prejudiced by the trial judge's failure to recuse. Appellant never established that Braswell owned the pawnshop that appellant had allegedly burglarized. Defense counsel specifically stated that Roland Smith owned that store, and the judge did not know Smith. While the judge recalled having recused in a case involving a pawnshop owned by Troy Braswell, it was never conclusively stated that that particular recusal had occurred in one of the appellant's cases. Appellant has simply failed to establish any connection between this case and a case involving Braswell's pawnshop and has further failed to establish any bias or prejudice on the part of the trial court.