Verdict . News

6d ago•4 min read

•Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed denial of postconviction relief petition filed by Chris Allen Oliger

Arkansas Supreme Court Affirms Denial of Postconviction Relief in Murder Case

The Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed a lower court's denial of postconviction relief for Chris Allen Oliger, who represented himself in appealing his murder conviction. Oliger's petition alleged ineffective assistance of counsel and prosecutorial misconduct involving suppressed laptop evidence.

•Oliger alleged ineffective counsel for failing to investigate laptop contents and DNA evidence on murder weapon

6d ago•4 min read

•Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed that Casey Reed is ineligible for House District 92 Republican primary ballot

Arkansas Supreme Court Issues Split Ruling in House District 92 Primary Ballot Dispute

The Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed a lower court's ruling that declared Republican candidate Casey Reed ineligible for the House District 92 race, while reversing the denial of attorney's fees to challenger Ken Yang. The mixed decision affects the upcoming Republican primary and involves multiple county election boards and state officials.

•Court reversed lower court's denial of attorney's fees to challenger Ken Yang, remanding for reconsideration

6d ago•4 min read

•Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed ER physician Tyler Tait's second-degree murder conviction

Arkansas Supreme Court Upholds ER Doctor's Murder Conviction

The Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed the second-degree murder conviction of Tyler Edward Tait, an emergency room physician, rejecting his appeals regarding insufficient evidence, jury instruction errors, and alleged juror misconduct. The court's Feb. 12 decision upholds a Chicot County jury's verdict in the 2021 death of Tait's girlfriend.

•Tait was convicted in the Oct. 11, 2021 death of his girlfriend Moria Kinsey on U.S. Highway 65

•Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed circuit court denial of petition to disqualify Republican primary candidate

Arkansas Supreme Court Affirms Election Challenge Denial in House Race

The Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed a circuit court's decision denying John Kyle Day's petition to disqualify his Republican primary opponent Laura Wardlaw from the House District 94 race. Day had argued Wardlaw was ineligible due to a hot check law conviction.

•John Kyle Day challenged Laura Wardlaw's eligibility based on Arkansas Hot Check Law conviction

•Arkansas Supreme Court reprimanded attorney Dana McClain for filing AI-generated fake case citations

Arkansas Court Reprimands Attorney for Filing AI-Generated Fake Case Law

The Arkansas Supreme Court issued a formal reprimand to attorney Dana McClain after she filed legal pleadings containing case law and statutes generated by artificial intelligence. McClain admitted to professional misconduct and accepted self-imposed sanctions after using Microsoft Office Copilot to generate citations to non-existent cases.

•McClain used Microsoft Office Copilot to generate non-existent legal precedents and statutes

1w ago•2 min read

•Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed life sentence for Ayden Merrell, who killed convenience store clerk Christa Shockley when he was 12 years old

Arkansas Supreme Court Affirms Life Sentence for 12-Year-Old Murderer

The Arkansas Supreme Court has affirmed a life sentence for Ayden Merrell, who was convicted of capital murder and aggravated robbery for killing a convenience store clerk when he was 12 years old. The court rejected Merrell's appeal arguing he should not have been sentenced as an adult.

•Court rejected Merrell's appeal arguing he should not have been sentenced as an adult for capital murder and aggravated robbery

•Cash convicted of capital murder for fatally running over Pea Ridge Police Officer Kevin Apple in 2021

Arkansas Supreme Court Affirms Life Sentence for Officer's Killer

The Arkansas Supreme Court has affirmed the life sentence of Shawna Cash, who was convicted of capital murder for running over and killing Pea Ridge Police Officer Kevin Apple. Cash's appeal challenging evidence admission and prosecutorial conduct was unanimously rejected.

•Arkansas Supreme Court unanimously affirmed her life imprisonment sentence on February 5, 2026

•Arkansas Supreme Court proposes expanding who can receive legal service for incarcerated persons beyond just facility administrators

Arkansas Supreme Court Seeks Comment on Service Rule Changes for Inmates

The Arkansas Supreme Court has published proposed amendments to Rule 4(f)(4) of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure that would streamline how legal documents are served on incarcerated persons. The court is accepting public comments through April 1, 2026, before considering final adoption of the changes.

•Current rule requiring service specifically on "the administrator" has proven impractical when administrators are unavailable

•Proposed Rule 412 would only allow evidence of medical costs actually paid or legally owed in Arkansas courts

Arkansas Supreme Court Proposes Rule Limiting Medical Cost Evidence

The Arkansas Supreme Court has proposed a new evidentiary rule that would restrict what medical cost evidence can be presented in personal injury lawsuits. The proposed Rule 412 would only allow evidence of costs actually paid or legally owed, potentially reducing damage awards by excluding inflated medical bills.

•The rule responds to 2025 legislative changes and aims to prevent recovery based on inflated medical bills