Jerry Lard, Appellant v. State of Arkansas, Appellee

Summary

The Supreme Court of Arkansas affirmed Lard’s convictions for capital murder, attempted capital murder, and possession of methamphetamine, along with his consecutive sentences of death, life imprisonment, and ten years. The court held that the challenged evidence was admissible or harmless, that the sequestration violation was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, that several closing-argument claims were unpreserved, and that later changes to the method of execution did not violate ex post facto principles. Justice Corbin, joined by Chief Justice Hannah, dissented and would have affirmed the convictions but remanded for a new sentencing hearing because prejudicial evidence may have influenced the death sentence.