Rutledge v. State

Rodney Rutledge was convicted in Pulaski County Circuit Court of capital murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. This court affirmed that judgment in Rutledge v. State, 345 Ark. 243, 45 S.W.3d 825 (2001) (“Rutledge i”). Rutledge subsequently filed a petition for postconviction relief pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1. The circuit court issued an order denying relief without holding an evidentiary hearing. On the same date, Rutledge’s motion for testing of physical evidence was denied. Later, Rutledge filed a motion to supplement his original petition, which was also denied.…