Woodard v. State

553 S.W.2d 259, 261 Ark. 895, 1977 Ark. LEXIS 2167
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJune 27, 1977
DocketCR 76-50
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 553 S.W.2d 259 (Woodard 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
Woodard v. State, 553 S.W.2d 259, 261 Ark. 895, 1977 Ark. LEXIS 2167 (Ark. 1977).

Opinion

Elsijane T. Roy, Justice.

Appellant Billy Woodard was charged with capital felony murder in violation of Ark. Stat. Ann. § 41-4702 (Supp. 1973). The information charged that appellant on September 3, 1975, while robbing C. M. Baker shot the victim, causing his death. The jury returned a verdict of guilty as charged and after further deliberation determined appellant should be sentenced to death. The court entered judgment accordingly. This appeal is from that judgment and sentence.

The record reflects Baker was a resident of Craighead County, Arkansas. The last day he was seen alive was September 3, 1975. Some hunters discovered his body in the floodway area near Payneway on September 7, and notified the Poinsett County sheriff’s office. An investigation revealed appellant had been at the Baker home on the last day that Baker had been seen there by his wife.

After the body was found appellant was brought to the Craighead County sheriff’s office for questioning on September 7, 1975; a statement was taken from him at that time and he signed a consent for the officers to search his mobile home. A search was conducted and appellant gave the officers a 12 gauge shotgun they found there. He was then released.

More than a month later the crime had not been solved, and on October 10, 1975, appellant again was picked up by the Craighead County sheriff’s department and taken to the sheriff’s office in Jonesboro, where he was fingerprinted and photographed. Craighead County Deputy Sheriff Findley and State Police Investigator Odom drove appellant to the scene where the body was found, and, after being questioned and shown photographs of the deceased, appellant gave a statement to the police officers admitting he had shot and killed the deceased and had taken his billfold which contained about SI60. Officers Odom and Findley, after placing appellant under arrest and charging him with capital felony murder, delivered him to the Poinsett County jail.

On the same day appellant gave another statement to the Poinsett County sheriff’s office which was essentially the same statement as that given to the State Police. On October 11, appellant also made a tape recorded statement which was almost identical to the first two statements. All these statements were admitted over objections at the trial. Appellant took the stand and repudiated all three statements and denied having killed or robbed the deceased.

For reversal appellant first contends the court erred in admitting appellant’s confession taken by officers Odom and Findley on October 10, 1975.

Appellant testified that Findley had contacted him following discovery of Baker’s body and had taken him to the sheriff’s office for questioning around 10:30 a.m. on September 7. He stated he did not fully understand at that time that he either had a right to give a statement or not give a statement as he desired; that, although the sheriff’s department knew he was a diabetic he was refused an insulin shot; and that he arrived at the sheriff’s office about 10:30 a.m. and that he did not have anything to eat or have an insulin shot from that time until a little after 4 p.m. (It is noted appellant made no self-incriminating statement at this time.)

Appellant also testified that on the 10th day of October he was arrested at 7 a.m. and was detained in the Craighead County Sheriff’s office until shortly before noon; that he was photographed and fingerprinted; that he was taken to the place where the victim’s body was discovered and was shown a number of photographs of the victim; that he was also told he might have to stay at the scene all night; and that he was physically abused before*he gave the statement.

The trial court, pursuant to Ark. Stat. Ann. § 43-2105 (Supp. 1975), held the required Denno hearing to consider the circumstances surrounding the giving of appellant’s confessions. Jackson v. Denno, 378 U.S. 368, 84 S. Ct. 1774, 12 L. Ed. 2d 908 (1964). Under this statute it is the duty of the court “ . . . before admitting said confession into evidence to determine by a preponderance of the evidence that the same has been made voluntarily.” Appellee contends the record clearly supports the court’s finding that all these confessions were voluntary.

This Court, in Neal v. State, 259 Ark. 27, 531 S.W. 2d 17 (1975), rehearing denied January 26, 1976, has stated that:

* * * Whenever the voluntariness of a defendant’s confession is disputed on federal constitutional grounds, we make an independent determination from a review of the entire record. Degler v. State, 257 Ark. 388, 517 S.W. 2d 515 (1974); Davis v. North Carolina, 384 U.S. 737, 86 S. Ct. 1761; 16 L. Ed. 2d 895 (1966); and Harris v. State, 244 Ark. 314, 425 S.W. 2d 293 (1968). In doing so, however, we do not set aside a trial court’s finding of voluntariness unless the finding is “clearly erroneous.” Degler v. State, supra. This standard of review is in accord with that of the federal courts. United States v. United States Gypsum Co., 333 U.S. 364 (1948), and Maple Island Farm v. Bitterling, 209 F. 2d 867 (8th Cir. 1954).

At the Demo hearing Officer Odom, the State Police investigator who actually took appellant’s confession on October 10, 1975, testified that by the use of a rights form he advised appellant of all his rights. Odom also testified that appellant then signed the waiver of rights form. Appellant had received an insulin shot about ten o’clock that morning. After fingerprinting appellant, Odom took him and Findley to a restaurant for lunch. After lunch appellant, Findley and Odom left Jonesboro and traveled to the scene of the crime. Appellant had stated he did not object. On arriving at the crime scene appellant was again advised of his rights. After more questioning from the officers Woodard made his first statement. Odom denied he told appellant they were going to question him until he confessed and that to his knowledge no one coerced appellant, promised him anything, intimidated him or beat him to obtain the confession.

Appellant’s confession was very detailed, consisting of ten handwritten pages. 1 It was written by Officer Odom, but each page was signed by appellant and the statement concluded as follows: “All of this statement is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. I make this statement without threats or promises being made to me. ” In the margin of the last page and followed by appellant’s initials is the following statement: “Before making this statement I had been informed of my constitutional rights and understood them.” Odom testified further that he then read the entire statement to appellant and appellant signed each page after some corrections were made. Appellant also read the confession and made some changes in it himself according to Odom.

Deputy Findley testified that on October 10 he stopped appellant’s truck and asked him if he would come to the sheriff’s office, and appellant complied with the request.

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Johnson v. State
642 S.W.2d 324 (Court of Appeals of Arkansas, 1982)
Allen v. State
641 S.W.2d 710 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1982)
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617 S.W.2d 861 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1981)
McCorkle v. State
607 S.W.2d 655 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1980)
Jacobs v. Alabama
439 U.S. 1122 (Supreme Court, 1979)

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Bluebook (online)
553 S.W.2d 259, 261 Ark. 895, 1977 Ark. LEXIS 2167, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/woodard-v-state-ark-1977.