Butler v. State

Frank Holt, Justice.

This appeal is a sequel to Butler v. State, 261 Ark. 369, 549 S.W. 2d 65 (1977). There we affirmed appellant’s conviction of capital felony murder and his sentence to life imprisonment without parole. However, since appellant was not allowed to be personally present at a post-trial proceeding to settle the record, which was necessary because the court reporter’s tape recording of the trial was destroyed by fire, we held the denial of appellant’s presence was a violation of a constitutional right and remanded the case to allow him to be present at another post-trial hearing…