Court Opinion

ID: 9680256
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 07:27:37.285396+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:27.271807
License: Public Domain

Melvin Mayfield, Chief Judge, concurring. I agree that the evidence is insufficient to support the judgment from which the defendant has appealed and that the prohibition against double jeopardy contained in the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States prevents the defendant from being tried again on the same charge. Burks v. United States, 437 U.S. 1, 98 S. Ct. 2141, 57 L. Ed. 2d 1 (1978) and Greene v. Massey, 437 U.S. 19, 98 S. Ct. 2151, 57 L. Ed. 2d 15 (1978). I think, however, that we should reverse and remand with directions to the trial court to reduce the conviction to a class A misdemeanor and to assess the defendant’s punishment within the limits provided for that offense. This is what this court did in Scott v. State, 1 Ark. App. 207, 614 S.W. 2d 239 (1981) and Griffin v. State, 2 Ark. App. 145, 617 S.W. 2d 21 (1981). lamnotawareof anyreason why our procedure in this case should not be consistent with what we have done before and I certainly think the trial court is in a better position to determine the punishment than is this court.