Davis v. Kelley
Davis v. Kelley
Opinion of the Court
Richard Alan Davis seeks leave from this court to proceed with a belated appeal of a circuit court order that dismissed his pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus filed pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated sections 16-112-101 to -123 (Repl. 2016). Because the record reflects that Davis timely filed a notice of appeal but did not tender the record to this court in a timely manner, we treat the motion as a motion for rule on clerk. Marshall v. State ,
In his habeas petition, Davis contended that the writ should issue because his judgment of conviction entered in 1988 for capital murder, aggravated robbery, and theft of property was obtained in violation of the constitutional provision against self-incrimination, he was denied effective assistance of counsel at trial and in his proceeding under Arkansas Rule of Criminal Procedure 37.1 (1988), and his trial attorney did not perfect an appeal from the judgment of conviction in the case.
*514A writ of habeas corpus is proper when a judgment of conviction is invalid on its face or when a circuit court lacks jurisdiction over the cause. Philyaw v. Kelley ,
A circuit court's decision on a petition for writ of habeas corpus will be upheld unless it is clearly erroneous. Hobbs v. Gordon ,
Davis argues that the judgment in his case was illegal on its face and the trial court lacked jurisdiction to enter the judgment because he was not advised by police investigators during interrogations before trial of his right against self-incrimination as required by Miranda v. Arizona ,
With respect to Davis's allegation that he was not afforded effective assistance of counsel, ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claims are not cognizable in habeas proceedings. McConaughy v. Lockhart ,
As to Davis's contention that the writ should issue because his attorney failed to pursue a direct appeal from the judgment in his criminal case, the argument does not establish a ground for the writ. Davis's remedy for counsel's failure to pursue a direct appeal was a timely motion for belated appeal. In 2001, Davis filed a motion for belated appeal of the judgment, but it was denied because it was *515not timely filed within eighteen months of the date the judgment was entered as required by Arkansas Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.9, which was in effect at the time the judgment was entered. Davis v. State , CR-00-899,
Motion treated as a motion for rule on clerk and dismissed.
Hart, J., dissents.
Josephine Linker Hart, Justice, Dissenting.
Mr. Davis has not yet perfected his appeal. In fact, he has not even been allowed to file his appeal. Accordingly, this court's jurisdiction is limited to considering his motion for rule on clerk. Thus, while dismissing Mr. Davis's appeal might comport with due process, summary dismissal, purportedly on the merits, does not.
Motions for rule on clerk are governed by Arkansas Supreme Court Rule 2-2, which states:
(a) Record Tendered Late. Where a record is tendered which, on its face, appears to be outside the time allotted for docketing the case, it shall be the duty of the Clerk to notify the attorney representing the appellant and note on the record the date the tender was made.
(b) Docketing for Purpose of Presenting Request for Rule-Service of Motion. If the appellant contends that the Clerk is in error in refusing to file the record, then upon payment of the regular filing fee, the case shall be tentatively docketed and numbered. The appellant shall then file a motion in accordance with Rule 2-1 to require the Clerk to docket the case as an appeal. A copy of the motion shall be served by the appellant upon opposing counsel, and evidence of service shall be furnished to the Clerk with the motion at the time of filing.
(c) Procedure When Rule Granted. If the motion is granted, the case shall proceed in the regular manner for appeals without payment of any additional fee.
(d) Procedure When Rule Denied. If the motion is denied, the case shall be stricken from the docket, the jurisdiction of the Court terminated, and the filing fee forfeited.
In the case before us, Mr. Davis's record was only tendered pending the resolution of his motion for rule on clerk. Ark. Sup. Ct. R. 2-2(a). In order for this appeal to be considered on the merits, the motion for rule on clerk must be granted. Ark. Sup. Ct. R. 2-2(c). Thus it is patently absurd for this court to dispose of this case on a record that is not before it.
Regarding Mr. Davis's motion for rule on clerk, he alleges irregularities in the handling of his notice of appeal by the Lee County Circuit Clerk. Given the recent history of how inmate filings were handled by circuit clerks in this state, see, e.g. , Halfacre v. Kelley ,
I dissent.
Arkansas Rule of Appellate Procedure-Civil 5(a) (2017) provides that "[t]he record on appeal shall be filed with the clerk of the Arkansas Supreme Court and docketed therein within 90 days from the filing of the first notice of appeal," unless the time is extended. See State v. Bragg ,
In 2005, the judgment reflecting the convictions entered in 1988 was amended as the result of Davis's having filed a petition for postconviction relief that was granted in 1991 on the ground that the aggravated-robbery and theft-of-property convictions were underlying offenses to the charge of capital murder. (The cause of the delay in amending the judgment is not clear from the record.) Also in 1988, Davis was found guilty by a jury in a separate case of an additional aggravated robbery. A direct appeal was not perfected from any of the judgments.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Richard Alan DAVIS v. Wendy KELLEY, Director, Arkansas Department of Correction
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published