Opinion
No. CR-13-180
01-15-2014
CHRISTOPHER C. CORY APPELLANT v. STATE OF ARKANSAS APPELLEE
C. Brian Williams, for appellant. No response.
APPEAL FROM THE CRITTENDEN
COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT
[NO. CR-10-1108]
HONORABLE JOHN N.
FOGLEMAN, JUDGE
REBRIEFING ORDERED; MOTION
TO WITHDRAW DENIED
BRANDON J. HARRISON, Judge
On 30 September 2010, Christopher Cory pled guilty to theft by receiving and received a sentence of thirty-six months' probation. A petition to revoke his probation was filed 6 August 2012, alleging failure to pay fines, costs, and fees as directed; failure to report to probation as directed; failure to pay probation fees; and failure to notify sheriff and probation of his current address and employment. After a hearing, his probation was revoked, and he was sentenced to twenty-four months' imprisonment and five years' suspended imposition of sentence. Cory's counsel has filed a brief suggesting that there is no merit to this appeal and that the revocation should be affirmed. We cannot reach the merits of this appeal because counsel has deficiencies in his brief.
As allowed by Rule 4-3 of the Rules of the Arkansas Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, Cory's counsel has filed what is characterized as a no-merit brief and a motion asking to withdraw as counsel. A request to withdraw on the ground that the appeal is wholly without merit must be accompanied by a brief including an abstract and addendum. Ark. Sup. Ct. R. 4-3(k)(1). Counsel's brief must contain an argument section that lists all the circuit court's adverse rulings and explains why each adverse ruling is not a meritorious ground for reversal. Id. To further protect the constitutional rights of an appellant like Cory, both counsel and this court must fully examine the lower court proceedings as a whole to determine if an appeal would be wholly frivolous. Walton v. State, 94 Ark. App. 229, 228 S.W.3d 524 (2006).
We hold that counsel's brief is deficient for several reasons. First, counsel has failed to follow the "framework" for no-merit appeals or to cite Rule 4-3 in his brief. And while counsel's motion to withdraw does state that the appeal is "wholly without merit," it cites Rule 4-3(j), which governs the preparation of briefs for indigent appellants. Rule 4-3(k) is the applicable rule. The brief also violates the requirements of Rule 4-2, which requires that all material parts of the transcript in the record be abstracted (emphasis added). In this case, the abstract contains portions that are not relevant to this appeal and are from an entirely different case.
Due to these deficiencies, we deny counsel's motion to withdraw, and we remand for rebriefing. Counsel has fifteen days from the date of this opinion to file a substituted brief that complies with the rules. See Ark. Sup. Ct. R. 4-2(b)(3). The deficiencies we have noted should not be considered as an exhaustive list, and counsel is encouraged to review Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), and Rule 4-3(k) of the Arkansas Rules of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals for the requirements of a no-merit brief.
Rebriefing ordered; motion to withdraw denied.
GRUBER and WOOD, JJ., agree.
C. Brian Williams, for appellant.
No response.