State v. Hatton

I heartily concur with the majority that the State’s appeal must be dismissed. The majority predicate their action on the premise that this court does not have jurisdiction to decide the efficacy of the juvenile court’s ruling in this appeal from the circuit court proceeding, whereas I would dismiss on the basis that the circuit court had lost its jurisdiction over Hatton when it transferred his case to juvenile court. This court has a duty to raise the question of subject-matter jurisdiction on its own motion. See State v. Edwards, 310 Ark. 516, 838 S.W.2d 356 (1992).

To support my position,…