Ward v. State

Petitioner, Bruce Earl Ward, requests this court to recall the mandate from his resentencing in Ward v. State , 338 Ark. 619, 622, 1 S.W.3d 1, 3 (1999) ( Ward III ), asserting that he was entitled to an independent defense expert to aid in his defense regarding his competency.

In early 2017, the governor of Arkansas set Ward's execution for April 17, 2017. Subsequently, Ward filed a motion to recall the mandate in this matter and stay of execution until the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in McWilliams v. Dunn , --- U.S. ----, 137 S.Ct. 1790, 198 L.Ed.2d 341 (2017), contending…