Avery v. State

217 S.W.3d 162, 93 Ark. App. 112
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arkansas
DecidedNovember 16, 2005
DocketCA CR 04-395
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 217 S.W.3d 162 (Avery v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Avery v. State, 217 S.W.3d 162, 93 Ark. App. 112 (Ark. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

Wendell L. Griffen, Judge.

Rodell Avery, Jr., appeals udge. one count of aggravated robbery, three counts of kidnapping, and one count of second-degree escape. He argues that the evidence is not sufficient to support his conviction for kidnapping, that the trial court erred in denying his motions to have an independent mental evaluation and to hold a competency hearing, that the circuit court lacked jurisdiction to try him for the escape charge, and that the trial court erred in refusing to set aside his convictions even though two of the prosecutors had previously represented him. We affirm on each point.

Appellant was charged with aggravated robbery and kidnapping in connection with events that the State alleged took place on April 17, 2002, in Thornton, Arkansas, which is in Calhoun County. On that date, two men forced Robert and Margaret Rosenbaum and their toddler granddaughter into the Rosen-baums’ home and robbed them at gunpoint; also present was the Rosenbaums’ two-month old grandson. Mrs. Rosenbaum identified appellant from a photographic line-up; he was apprehended later that same day near Fordyce in Dallas County. Appellant escaped in Dallas County while being escorted back to Calhoun County by Calhoun County officers. He was apprehended nearly four months later and was charged with second-degree escape.

Prior to trial, appellant requested and received a mental evaluation; the evaluation indicated that he was fit to stand trial. Appellant thereafter filed a motion for an independent mental evaluation, but failed to obtain one. After two hearings during which he presented no evidence regarding his mental status, appellant requested a competency hearing. That request was denied by the trial court because appellant had been declared fit to proceed and because he failed to obtain an independent mental evaluation.

Appellant received a jury trial and was convicted of all charges. He was sentenced to serve 360 months for the aggravated robbery and kidnapping charges, and to serve a consecutive term of 120 months for the escape charge.

I. Kidnapping

Appellant’s first argument is that the trial court erred in denying his motion for a directed verdict on the kidnapping charge. We treat a motion for a directed verdict as a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence. Jordan v. State, 356 Ark. 248, 147 S.W.3d 691 (2004). The test for determining the sufficiency of the evidence is whether the verdict is supported by substantial evidence, direct or circumstantial. Id.

Appellant was charged with kidnapping under Ark. Code Ann. § 5-11-102(a)(3) (Repl. 1997), which provides that a person commits kidnapping if, without consent, he restrains another person so as to interfere substantially with his liberty with the purpose of facilitating the commission of any felony or flight thereafter. Appellant argues that the State’s evidence regarding the kidnapping was insufficient because the State failed to demonstrate that any force was used beyond that force necessary to commit the offense of aggravated robbery.

It is true that a defendant may be prosecuted for kidnapping only when the restraint used exceeds the restraint that is normally incidental to the crimes of rape or robbery. Moore v. State, 355 Ark. 657, 144 S.W.3d 260 (2004). However, we summarily affirm appellant’s kidnapping convictions without reaching the merits of his argument because he is attempting to change the grounds for his argument on appeal.

At the conclusion of the State’s case-in-chief, appellant’s counsel made the following motion:

Judge, as it related to kidnapping, they have to show restraint, and for the purpose of causing physical injury. There as been no, no testimony as it relates to any kind of physical injury.

The trial court denied this motion. 1 At the close of all of the evidence, appellant’s counsel stated, “we renew all of the motions including the directed verdict and all of the prior motions that have been made in this case.” The trial court again denied appellant’s motion.

Thus, it is clear that appellant did not raise a challenge below to the State’s proof regarding whether the physical restraint imposed exceeded that necessary to commit aggravated robbery — he solely challenged whether the restraint was for the purpose of causing physical injury. 2 A party cannot change the grounds for a directed-verdict motion on appeal, but is bound by the scope and nature of the argument presented at trial. Marbley v. State, 81 Ark. App. 165, 100 S.W.3d 148 (2003) (refusing to address an argument that the degree of restraint used during a kidnapping did not exceed the force necessary to commit rape, where that argument was not the basis for the defendant’s directed-verdict motion). Accordingly, we affirm appellant’s kidnapping convictions.

II. Mental Evaluation

Appellant’s next argument is that the trial court erred in denying his motion for an independent mental evaluation and in denying his request to hold a mental competency hearing. Appellant argues that he had the right to be examined by an examiner of his own choosing and that the trial court was required to hold a competency hearing because he challenged the court-ordered mental evaluation report. Greene v. State, 335 Ark. 1, 977 S.W.2d 192 (1988). We hold that the trial court did not err because appellant was not entitled to a second court-ordered mental evaluation and because he, in fact, received a competency hearing.

If a defendant files notice that he or she intends to rely on the defense of mental disease or defect the trial court is required to stay criminal proceedings and to order a mental examination. Ark. Code Ann. § 5-2-305(a)(1)(A) and (b)(1) (Supp. 2005). Further, when a defendant wishes to be examined by a doctor of his own choice, that doctor shall be permitted to have reasonable access to the defendant for the purposes of examination. Ark. Code Ann. § 5-2-306 (Repl. 1997). Additionally, Ark. Code Ann. § 5-2-309 (Repl. 1997) provides:

(a) If the defendant’s fitness to proceed becomes an issue, it shall be determined by the court.
(b) If neither party contests the finding of the report filed pursuant to 5-2-305, the court may make the determination on the basis of the report.
(c) If the finding is contested, the court shall hold a hearing on the issue.

On January 27, 2003, pursuant to § 5-2-305, appellant filed a motion for a mental examination at the Arkansas State Hospital. That same day, the trial court ordered the examination, which was ultimately conducted by Dr. William Peel. In his evaluation, filed on May 28, 2003, Dr.

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Bluebook (online)
217 S.W.3d 162, 93 Ark. App. 112, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/avery-v-state-arkctapp-2005.