Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

272 Ark. 248

Williams v. State

Supreme Court of Arkansas

Decided March 30, 1981

Supreme Court of Arkansas · decided 1981-03-30

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently March 1984

1 state decisions

Relies on Waters v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1981-03-30

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Richard B. Adkisson, Chief Justice.

¶1The issue of whether racial discrimination was present in the selection of petit jurors for the trial of this case is controlled by our holding in Waters & Adams v. State, 271 Ark. 33 (1980).

¶2It appears from the record that the present case was consolidated with the cases of State v. Waters and State v. Adams at the trial level for purposes of hearing motions to quash the Howard County Circuit Court jury panel. After a hearing, these motions were denied although found properly raised by the trial court. On appeal we held in Waters & Adams v. State that the Howard County jury panel was unconstitutionally infirm because of the systematic exclusion of blacks from the panel. Since the same jury panel was used in the present case, we must reverse and remand for a new trial.

¶3The State’s argument that no objection was timely made to quash the jury panel is without merit since the record reflects that the trial judge acknowledged that the objection to the jury panel was made and proceeded with the hearing.

¶4Reversed and remanded.

Hickman, J., dissents for the reason stated in Waters & Adams v. State, supra.
/272/ark/248 · .json · Public domain