Opinion ID: 2438519
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: state's filing of charge on day of trial

Text: Gillie contends that the trial court erred by permitting the state to file the charge of aggravated robbery against him on the day of trial. However, his reliance on Harmon v. State, 211 Ark. 265, 641 S.W.2d 21 (1982), is misplaced. In Harmon, we stated that it was reversible error for the trial court to permit the prosecutor, on the first day of trial, to amend the charge of capital murder committed during the course of kidnapping to also include capital murder committed during the course of robbery in the absence of any notice to the defendant that he was to be required to defend an essentially different charge of capital murder. Here, the initial information that the State filed against Gillie was Capital Murder... while attempting or attempting to commit the felony crime of Robbery.... On the day of trial, the State also charged Gillie with aggravated robbery with a firearm involving the second incident. Gillie can hardly claim lack of notice under these circumstances because his counsel stated, ... I have been aware from the outset that this capital felony involved some actual basis entwined with this aggravated robbery. To the contrary, Gillie did not claim that his opportunity to prepare a defense was inadequate, nor did he ask for a continuance on this basis. In fact, when asked by the trial court as to whether or not the defense was ready for trial, counsel stated Defense is ready, your Honor. Gillie has not shown that he was prejudiced by the delayed filing of the aggravated robbery charge. We will not reverse a conviction in the absence of a showing of prejudicial error. See Berna v. State, 282 Ark. 563, 670 S.W.2d 434 (1984), cert, denied, 470 U.S. 1085, 105 S.Ct. 1847, 85 L.Ed.2d 145 (1985).