Bowden v. State

Two weeks ago, this court dismissed the State’s appeal because its attorney was 89 days late in filing a brief. That dismissal resulted in two defendants’ confessions being suppressed at a murder trial without this court determining the legality of suppressing those confessions. See State v. Tien, 326 Ark. 71, 929 S.W.2d 155 (1996).

Today we have the flip-side of the Tien case. Here the defendant Bowden, convicted of murder, has appealed, but his attorney has not, as yet, filed a correct or proper brief even though 249 days have passed since his first brief was due. Even though Bowden’s…