Austin v. State

Wendell L. Griffen, Judge.

Mark Austin appeals from four criminal convictions, one of which is for being a violent felon in possession of a firearm. He does not challenge the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his convictions but argues that the trial court erred in rejecting his offer to stipulate that he had been convicted of a prior felony and in allowing the State to inform the jury that he had a prior conviction for second-degree battery. We agree and reverse and remand.

As part of its burden to prove that Austin was a violent felon in possession of a firearm under Ark. Code Ann. §…