Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

250 Ark. 572

Rogers v. State

Supreme Court of Arkansas

Decided May 3, 1971

Supreme Court of Arkansas · decided 1971-05-03

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently December 1974

1 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

““George Rose Smith, Justice. The appellant, along with two other men, was charged with the crime of having unlawfully possessed a stolen tractor. Tried separately, the appellant was found guilty and was sentenced to imprisonment for five years. For reversal the appellant contends only that the trial court erroneously allowed police' officers to narrate to the jury an admission of guilt which the officers wrongfully obtained by threatening to charge the appellant’s father with the offense, which the appellant himself had allegedly committed. “A study of the record shows that the appellant’s argument is based upon a misconception of what happened at the trial. The defense vigorously argued that the appellant’s admission of guilt was improperly obtained because the officers resorted to a threat against the elder Rogers, as we have indicated. According to the record, however, the court sustained the argument of defense counsel and permitted the jury to hear only an admission made by the younger Rogers before the threat in question was made. We agree with the trial court’s conclusion that the earlier admission was voluntarily made. The court properly ruled that all statements elicited by means of the threat were involuntary and were not to be submitted to the jury. In the circumstances the record is simply devoid of prejudicial error with respect to the only point for reversal that is before us. Affirmed.””

quoted by 1 later decision, including 385 F. Supp. 593 - Rogers v. Meeks

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1971-05-03

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

George Rose Smith, Justice.

¶1The appellant, along with two other men, was charged with the crime of having unlawfully possessed a stolen tractor. Tried separately, the appellant was found guilty and was sentenced to imprisonment for five years. For reversal the appellant contends only that the trial court erroneously allowed police officers to narrate to the jury an admission of guilt which the officers wrongfully obtained by threatening to charge the appellant’s father with the offense, which the appellant himself had allegedly committed.

¶2A study of the record shows that the appellant’s argument is based upon a misconception of what happened at the trial. The defense vigorously argued that the appellant’s admission of guilt was improperly obtained, because the officers resorted to a threat against the elder Rogers, as we have indicated. According to the record, however, the court sustained the argument of defense counsel and permitted the jury to hear only an admission made by the younger Rogers before the threat in question was made. We agree with the trial court’s conclusion that the earlier admission was voluntarily made. The court properly ruled that all statements elicited by means of the threat were involuntary and were not to be submitted to the jury. In the circumstances the record is simply devoid of prejudicial error with respect to the only point for reversal that is before us.

¶3Affirmed.

/250/ark/572 · .json · Public domain