Williams v. State

W.H. “Dub” Arnold, Chief Justice.

The appellant was the duly elected sheriff of Montgomery County. He was charged by a special prosecuting attorney with tampering with a pubbc record, in violation of Ark. Code Ann. § 5-54-121 (Supp. 1999), by knowingly altering or making a false entry in a public record, specifically, a Montgomery County claim for allowance; he was also charged with theft by deception. The trial judge granted a directed verdict of acquittal on the charge of theft by deception at the close of the State’s case. After a trial by jury, the appellant was convicted of tampering with…