Holloway v. State

205 S.W.3d 797, 361 Ark. 238
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedMarch 25, 2005
DocketCR 04-555
StatusPublished

This text of 205 S.W.3d 797 (Holloway v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Holloway v. State, 205 S.W.3d 797, 361 Ark. 238 (Ark. 2005).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

Appellant Joel Holloway was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the murder of Tracy Holloway. On appeal, the appellant argues that the circuit court erred: (1) in denying his motion to suppress involuntary statements; (2) in denying his motion for new trial after receiving evidence that the verdict was the result of undue influence and juror misconduct; (3) in restricting his constitutional right to confront his accuser in the cross-examination of the State’s expert; (4) in permitting the cross-examination of an expert beyond the scope of direct examination; and (5) permitting the introduction of inflammatory and prejudicial photographs. We order supplementation of the record and rebriefing.

In the present case, the appellant argues that the circuit court erred in failing to suppress his involuntary statements made to the police. At issue are statements made to Officer Wes Baxter and Officer Matt Cossey. Both statements were tape recorded and transcribed. In making his suppression argument, the appellant argues, inter alia, that “the transcript of the first statement undisputably demonstrates that Holloway was suffering from such an extreme mental state that he was out of touch with reality [,]” and that “[a] cursory review of the transcript quickly demonstrates the inaccuracy of the police’s representations.” Although the appellant repeatedly directs this court to the transcripts of the statements, he fails to include copies of the transcribed statements in the Addendum.1 Pursuant to Ark. Sup. Ct. R. 4-2(a)(8), the appellant’s Addendum shall contain “any. . . relevant documents, or exhibits essential to an understanding of the case. . . .” Without the transcribed statements, upon which the appellant relies in his first point on appeal, we are unable to reach the merits of his argument. Our review of the record indicates that the appellant failed to include the transcribed statement made to Officer Baxter. Pursuant to Ark. R. App. P.-Civ. 6(e), we order the appellant to supplement the record with the transcribed statement made to Officer Baxter, as a review of the transcript is necessary for an understanding of the issue on appeal.

Further, we note that the appellant failed to include in his Addendum a copy of the transcribed statement made to Officer Cossey. Supreme Court Rule 4-2 (b)(3) explains the procedure to be followed when an appellant has failed to supply this court with a sufficient brief. Rule 4-2(b)(3) provides, in part:

Whether or not the appellee has called attention to deficiencies in the appellant’s abstract or Addendum, the Court may address the question at any time. If the Court finds the abstract or Addendum to be deficient such that the Court cannot reach the merits of the case, or such as to cause an unreasonable or unjust delay in the disposition of the appeal, the Court will notify the appellant that he or she will be afforded an opportunity to cure any deficiencies, and has fifteen days within which to file a substituted abstract, Addendum, and brief, at his or her own expense, to conform to Rule 4-2(a)(5) and (8). Mere modifications of the original brief by the appellant, as by interlineation, will not be accepted by the Clerk. Upon the filing of such a substituted brief by the appellant, the appellee will be afforded an opportunity to revise or supplement the brief, at the expense of the appellant or the appellant’s counsel, as the Court may direct.

Accordingly, we order the appellant to submit a substituted brief that contains a revised Addendum that includes the transcribed statement made to Cossey and, upon the appellant’s supplementation of the record with the transcribed statement made to Baxter, we order the appellant to include in his Addendum a copy of that statement. See, e.g., Union Pac. R. R. v. Barber, 356 Ark. 268, 308, 149 S.W.3d 325, 351 (2004) (“This court will not consider a document which is included in the addendum and not in the record.”).

The appellant further argues that the circuit court erred in failing to remove Juror Hickman for personal bias. The appellant asserts that during the course of the proceedings, it was discovered that Juror Hickman was a friend of the victim’s cousin. The State points out that in his brief, the appellant refers to matters concerning Juror Hickman and cites page 174 of his abstract, but that page contains no mention of the juror. “Reference in the argument portion of the parties’ briefs to material found in the abstract and Addendum shall be followed by a reference to the page number of the abstract or Addendum at which such material may be found.” Ark. Sup. Ct. R. 4-2(a)(7). Rather than correcting the erroneous citation in his reply brief, the appellant submits a reply that is virtually identical to the argument he makes in his opening brief and, again, he provides an erroneous citation. Upon rebriefing, the appellant must provide accurate citations to the abstract.

The State also points out that the appellant “has not shown where in the record that he obtained a ruling on this issue.” In order to address the appellant’s claim of reversible error on this point, we must be apprised of the circuit court’s ruling. Upon filing his substituted brief, the appellant must inform this court of the circuit court’s ruling on this issue. Further, the appellant must provide an accurate citation to the page in the abstract where the ruling may be found.

We further note that there is abstracted testimony from a colloquy between Juror Hickman and the circuit court that includes a reference to a conversation between the juror and the court on the first day of voir dire. Apparently, during voir dire, Juror Hickman informed the court that she knew the victim’s cousin. It is unclear whether counsel was present during that conversation between the juror and the court because the colloquy is not abstracted. Upon rebriefing, the appellant must abstract the colloquy between the court and Juror Hickman that took place on the first day of voir dire.

The appellant further argues that the circuit court improperly restricted his constitutional right to confront his accusers by limiting his right to cross-examine the State’s expert. Holloway’s entire argument on this issue is as follows:

Holloway’s confrontation rights were prejudiced when the State’s key witness who performed the decedent’s autopsy, forensic pathologist Dr, Charles Kokes, testified about Holloway’s being affected by methamphetamine at the time of the shooting; the defense objected vigorously to Kokes’s testimony repeatedly throughout. (AB. 196-217,246-274). Kokes was neither qualified to testify about the effects of methamphetamine, nor did he ever examine Holloway, let alone meet or interact with him. The State did not provide discovery to the defense of Kokes’s status as an expert in methamphetamine or its plans to ask him to testify as such. That the trial court did not allow Holloway to cross-examine Kokes on these issues demonstrates its abuse of discretion and constitutes absolute prejudice to Holloway.

The State points out that it is unclear where the appellant made a Confrontation Clause objection below, and that his bare reference to the entirety of abstract pages covering the testimony at issue is no aid in finding one.

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Related

Union Pacific Railroad v. Barber
149 S.W.3d 325 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 2004)

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Bluebook (online)
205 S.W.3d 797, 361 Ark. 238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/holloway-v-state-ark-2005.