Walden v. State, CR-12-669

Decision Date16 January 2014
Docket NumberNo. CR-12-669,CR-12-669
Citation2014 Ark. 10
PartiesLARRY EUGENE WALDEN APPELLANT v. STATE OF ARKANSAS APPELLEE
CourtArkansas Supreme Court
PRO SE APPEAL FROM THE
SEBASTIAN COUNTY CIRCUIT
COURT, FORT SMITH DISTRICT

[66CR-09-676]

HONORABLE J. MICHAEL

FITZHUGH, JUDGE

REVERSED AND REMANDED.

PER CURIAM

In 2011, appellant Larry Eugene Walden was found guilty by a jury of aggravated robbery and sentenced as a habitual offender to a term of 720 months' imprisonment. The Arkansas Court of Appeals affirmed. Walden v. State, 2012 Ark. App. 307, ___ S.W.3d ___.

Subsequently, appellant timely filed in the trial court a verified pro se petition for postconviction relief pursuant to Arkansas Rule of Criminal Procedure 37.1 (2011). The trial court denied the petition without a hearing, and appellant brings this appeal. Appellant contends on appeal that the trial court's order was inadequate, and the State in its brief concedes that the matter must be remanded for a proper order. Upon review of the order, we agree, and the order is reversed and the matter remanded to the trial court so that the court may enter an order that complies with Rule 37.3(a). If the order is adverse to appellant and appellant desires review of the order by this court, he will be required to perfect an appeal in accordance with the prevailing rules of procedure.

In the Rule 37.1 petition, appellant raised multiple allegations of ineffective assistance of counsel. The claims were either not addressed by the trial court in its order or were only superficially addressed. Where no evidentiary hearing is held on a Rule 37.1 petition, the trial court has an obligation to provide written findings specifying any parts of the files or record that are relied on to sustain conclusively the trial court's decision that the petitioner is entitled to no relief. Moten v. State, 2013 Ark. 503; Riley v. State, 2011 Ark. 394 (per curiam); Sandoval-Vega v. State, 2011 Ark. 393, 384 S.W.3d 508 (per curiam); Camacho v. State, 2011 Ark. 235 (per curiam); Davenport v. State, 2011 Ark. 105 (per curiam); see also Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.3. This court may affirm the denial of a Rule 37.1 petition, regardless of the adequacy of the order, if we can determine from the record that the petition was wholly without merit or that the allegations in the petition are such that it is conclusive on the face of the petition that no relief is warranted. Riley, 2011 Ark. 394; Sandoval-Vega, 2011 Ark. 393, 384 S.W.3d 508; Davenport, 2011 Ark. 105. Here, it is evident that sufficient written findings by the trial court are required to conclusively show that the appellant was entitled to no relief.

Reversed and remanded.

Larry Walden, pro se appellant.

Dustin McDaniel, Att'y Gen., by: Brad Newman, Ass't Att'y Gen., for appellee.

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5 cases
  • Walden v. State
    • United States
    • Arkansas Supreme Court
    • September 15, 2016
    ...We reversed the order and remanded the matter to the trial court for entry of an order that complied with Rule 37.3(a). Walden v. State , 2014 Ark. 10 (per curiam).On remand, the trial court held a hearing on the petition and again denied postconviction relief. Walden brings this appeal. An......
  • Turner v. State, CR–15–572
    • United States
    • Arkansas Supreme Court
    • March 10, 2016
    ...to this court that Turner was entitled to no relief on his speedy-trial-ineffective-assistance claim. See Walden v. State, 2014 Ark. 10, at 2, 2014 WL 197824 (per curiam). The circuit court's findings are insufficient for our review. Accordingly, we reverse and remand the dismissal of the s......
  • Lee v. State
    • United States
    • Arkansas Supreme Court
    • July 21, 2016
    ...in the petition are such that it is conclusive on the face of the petition that no relief is warranted. Walden v. State , 2014 Ark. 10, at 2, 2014 WL 197824 (per curiam); Johnson v. State , 362 Ark. 453, 455, 208 S.W.3d 783, 784 (2005). For the reasons set forth below, it is evident that ad......
  • Brown v. State
    • United States
    • Arkansas Supreme Court
    • November 19, 2015
    ...he will be required to perfect an appeal of the new order in compliance with our rules of procedure. See, e.g., Walden v. State, 2014 Ark. 10, 2014 WL 197824 (per curiam).Reversed and remanded.1 The supplemental record on the verification issue was lodged here on October 29, 2015. On Novemb......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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