Alexander v. State

2021 Ark. App. 113

618 S.W.3d 472

Ricky Cleveland ALEXANDER, Appellant

v.STATE of Arkansas, Appellee

No. CR-20-182

Court of Appeals of Arkansas, DIVISION III.

Opinion Delivered: March 10, 2021

Davis Firm, PLLC, by: Leah Ryals Jacobs, for appellant.

Leslie Rutledge, Att'y Gen., by: David L. Eanes, Jr., Ass't Att'y Gen., for appellee.

ROBERT J. GLADWIN, Judge

Ricky Alexander appeals the August 14, 2019 sentencing order entered by the Garland County Circuit Court. Alexander argues that the circuit court abused its discretion when it failed to rule on or dispose of his pro se motions. We affirm.

On March 13, 2017, the State filed a one-count information against Alexander, charging him with the crime of solicitation of murder in the first degree, a Class A felony. On April 4, Alexander entered a plea of not guilty on the count.

The facts alleged in the information are that on or about February 21, a witness appeared at the Hot Springs Police Department stating that he was approached to perform a murder for hire. The witness consented to act as an informant and subsequently recorded four separate interactions with Alexander. During each, Alexander agreed to pay the witness to murder the potential victim.

Relevant to the issue on appeal, although he was represented by counsel throughout the proceedings,¹ Alexander filed multiple pro se motions, the majority of which addressed bond issues. At a hearing on August 22, the circuit court noted Alexander's filing of pro se motions while being represented by counsel and that, in order to be considered, any such motions would have to be adopted by his attorney, filed "the proper way," and served on opposing counsel. Alexander acknowledged the circuit court's direction, stating, "That sounds good."

On October 22, after Mark Fraiser entered an appearance on behalf of Alexander, he noted on the record, "I would like to review both files, all pro se pleadings in—before I adopt anything or file anything on my own." Fraiser stated to the circuit court that, by the next hearing, "I will have filed anything I feel is appropriate or adopt anything that Mr. Alexander or even Mr. Hurst or his law firm ever filed." At a hearing on November 14, the court took up a motion for a reduction in bond, which was granted.

During a hearing on November 19, multiple previously filed pro de motions were discussed with Fraiser, and the circuit court inquired about any remaining pro se motions:

COURT : Now, are you going to file something to indicate which of the pro se motions you're going to adopt?

FRAISER : That is what—at this point, for Mr. Graham and Ms. Alexander [prosecuting attorneys], unless I file something with my signature on it, it's not a motion that will be addressed on 1-28 [omnibus hearing date] ...

COURT : Okay.

FRAISER : ‘Cause what I'll do is any motion Mr. Alexander filed, I'll re-write it and tweak it and then put it under—

COURT : Under your signature?

FRAISER : Correct.

COURT : Very good. We're clear on that, Mr. Graham? You can pass that on to M[r]. Alexander. We're, more or less, starting over. He's going to re-file everything that we're going to consider on the 28th omnibus date.

Fraiser adopted and refiled several motions that had originally been filed pro se by Alexander, including a motion for a bond hearing and a discovery motion. At a pretrial hearing on January 28, 2019, Fraiser stated there were three pending motions filed on behalf of Alexander. The circuit court heard the motion to reduce bond and subsequently issued an order granting it on February 8, 2019, pursuant to which the bond was reduced from $300,000 to $100,000. On April 17, yet another pro se motion was filed—this one for a speedy trial, while Alexander was represented by Fraiser, but Fraiser did not adopt or refile that motion.

Alexander's bench trial was held on August 1, after which the circuit court found him guilty and sentenced him to eight years in the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) with credit for twenty-eight months and nineteen days, with judicial transfer to the ADC, court costs, and costs of DNA exonerated on time served.

Alexander then filed a pro se posttrial motion on September 16, which the circuit court treated as a motion for new trial and denied on September 17. Fraiser filed a motion to withdraw as counsel on September 20, and the Garland County Public Defender's Office was appointed on October 7 for appeal purposes. That same day, Alexander filed a notice of appeal. This court granted Alexander's motion for a belated appeal on April 8, 2020.

A circuit court's failure to address pro se motions is reviewed under an abuse-ofdiscretion standard. Urquhart v. Davis , 342 Ark. 9, 25 S.W.3d 411 (2000).

Citing Monts v. Lessenberry , 305 Ark. 202, 806 S.W.2d 379 (1991), Alexander notes that Arkansas courts have recognized that circuit courts may choose to hear motions submitted pro se by a party who is represented by counsel. See also Shields v. QHG of Springdale, Inc. , 2009 Ark. 88, at 12, 302 S.W.3d 598, 604 ; Urquhart, supra.

Alexander argues that the circuit court had a duty to either strike his pretrial pro se motions or otherwise make appropriate rulings on them yet failed to do so. He cites article 2, section 10 of the...