Elser v. State

George Rose Smith, Justice.

This is a petition for post-conviction relief under our Criminal Procedure Rule No. 1. 239 Ark. 850a. The trial court denied the petition.

In October, 1965, the appellant, Ronnie Lee Elser, and a codefendant, Victor Houk, were charged with having robbed two motels in Garland county. At the arraignment Elser declined the offer of the trial judge, P. E. Dobbs, to appoint counsel for him. Elser pleaded guilty to one charge and not guilty to the other. No evidence was introduced except written statements by the two defendants, both of whom said that Elser had nothing to…