Griffin v. State

The folly a court can reap when it will not follow the constitution is demonstrated by this case and its companion case, Pschier v. State, decided this same date. The 1874 Arkansas Constitution created a logical and comprehensive court system. It consisted of an appellate court, a general trial court which was the circuit court, a court of equity, a probate court and a county court. See Ark. Const, art. 7, §§ 1, 2, 11, 14, 28 and 34.

Lower level courts consisted of courts of common pleas, which could have county-wide jurisdiction on certain civil matters, justice of the peace courts with…