Kaufman v. State

PER CURIAM

Appellant Ashley Eugene Kaufman was found guilty of one count of first degree murder and sentenced to a term of life imprisonment. An appeal from the judgment has been lodged in this court. Kaufman is represented on appeal by Timothy Sharum. Sharum now asks that he be relieved as counsel on the ground that he is ineligible for compensation for services as appellate counsel.

Arkansas Code Annotated section 19-4-1604(b)(2)(B) (Repl 2007) provides that persons employed as full-time public defenders who are not provided a state-funded secretary are eligible to seek compensation for appellate work. Counsel affirms that he is a full-time public defender with a full-time, state-funded secretary. Under these circumstances, he is not entitled to be paid for services in this appeal, and his request to be relieved is well founded. See Craigg v. State, 2012 Ark. 95 (per curiam).

Therefore, we grant Sharum's motion to be relieved, and we appoint attorney Greg

A. Knutson to represent Kaufman. Our clerk is directed to set a new briefing schedule.