St. Clair v. State

David Newbern, Justice.

Ralph St. Clair, the appellant, was convicted of sexual abuse of his seven-year-old stepdaughter. He contends A.R.E. 803(25)(A) permitting certain hearsay evidence to be admitted in child sexual abuse cases was unconstitutionally enacted by the general assembly after this court had declared its inherent authority to promulgate rules of evidence in Ricarte v. State, 290 Ark. 100, 717 S.W.2d 488 (1986). We hold the separation of powers doctrine does not preclude the general assembly from enacting a rule such as the one in question here. He also contends that the case must…