Court Opinion

ID: 9621973
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 06:10:26.807276+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:33:10.110623
License: Public Domain

Per Curiam. The judgment in this case was entered January 4, 2005, and appellant filed notice of appeal on February 2, 2005. Appellant then filed a motion to extend the time to file the record on May 2, 2005. On the same day the court conducted a hearing and entered an order extending the time for filing the record to August 3, 2005, one day before the expiration of the seven-month period. On August 1, 2005, appellant filed a certified partial record and a petition for writ of certiorari to complete the record within thirty days. His attorney states, in her petition, that the court reporter has notified counsel that she is unable to complete the transcript within the statutory time allowed due to demands of the trial court docket. The court reporter is Kathryn F. Pierson of Bentonville, Arkansas. Ark. R. App. P.-Civ. Rule 5(b)(2) provides that in no event shall the time for filing the record on appeal be extended more than seven months from the date of the entry of the judgment. This court has consistently stated that it expects compliance with this rule so that unnecessary delays will be eliminated. Coggins v. Coggins, 353 Ark. 431, 108 S.W.3d 588 (2003). Yet, to date, a complete record has neither been filed nor tendered for filing, and it is now 56 days past the August 4 deadline, well past the thirty days requested. It is also noted that in the past 14 months, in at least five other cases in this court, petitions for writs of certiorari have been granted, extending the due dates for filing the complete record from 70 days to more than 120 days past the seven-month period, because Ms. Pierson was unable to meet the deadlines. The five cases are: CR04-1368 Warren Camp v. State of Arkansas; CR04-817 Wayne Bowker v. State of Arkansas; CA04-90 Sharon White v. Randy Mattingly; CACR04-350 Francisco Bartes Palma v. State of Arkansas; and, CACR04-1315 Michael L. Venn v. State of Arkansas.  The direct appeal of a criminal conviction is a matter of right, and a state cannot penalize a criminal defendant by declining to consider his or her first appeal when counsel has failed to follow mandatory appellate rules. Holland v. State, 358 Ark. 366, 190 S.W.3d 904 (2004) (per curiam); Franklin v. State, 317 Ark. 42, 875 S.W.2d 836 (1994) (per curiam). Here, counsel has complied with the four requirements of Coggins; (1) the appellant must request the extension; (2) notice must be given to the appellee; (3) a hearing must be held on the request; and (4) the trial court must make findings to support an extension. However, this court is concerned that Ms. Pierson continues to have difficulty in preparing and filing records in a timely manner. We therefore grant the petition for writ of certiorari to complete the record, a final extension, directing the court reporter to complete the record within thirty days. We also refer this matter to the State Board of Court Reporter Examiners for appropriate review. Glaze, J., dissents. Hannah, C.J., not participating.