Jason Meredith v. State of Arkansas

Summary

The court affirmed the denial of Meredith’s motions to amend his Rule 37 petition and the dismissal of the petition. It held that the circuit court acted within its discretion by considering Meredith’s more than twenty-five-year delay and lack of diligence, and that the petition was properly dismissible for noncompliance with formatting requirements. Although the circuit court incorrectly characterized counsel’s parole-eligibility advice, Meredith failed to allege that he would have rejected the plea and insisted on trial, so his ineffective-assistance claim failed for lack of prejudice.