Lazerrick Black v. State of Arkansas

── Lazerrick Black v. State of Arkansas ── Court: Court of Appeals of Arkansas Date: April 29, 2026 Category: General Cite as 2026 Ark. App. 257 ARKANSAS COURT OF APPEALS DIVISION II No. CR-25-505 Opinion Delivered April 29, 2026 LAZERRICK BLACK APPEAL FROM THE ASHLEY APPELLANT COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT [NO. 02CR-22-102] V. HONORABLE CREWS PURYEAR, JUDGE STATE OF ARKANSAS APPELLEE AFFIRMED BART F. VIRDEN, Judge The Ashley County Circuit Court revoked appellant Lazerrick Black’s suspended sentence and sentenced him to six years’ imprisonment in connection with his 2022 conviction for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. Black argues on appeal that there was insufficient evidence that he violated the terms and conditions of his suspended sentence. We affirm. I. Background In September 2022, Black pleaded guilty to aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and he was placed on a six-year suspended imposition of sentence (SIS). One condition of his SIS included that he would not commit any felony, misdemeanor, or other criminal offense punishable by confinement in jail or prison. In December 2024, the State filed a petition to revoke Black’s SIS alleging that he had committed criminal trespass on or about November 27, 2024. In February 2025, the State amended its petition to add that Black had committed aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer on or about January 6, 2025, and arson on or about January 8, 2025. At the revocation hearing, Carrie Grey, jail administrator at the McGehee Police Department, testified that Black was an inmate at the facility. She explained that the jail cells have telephones in them and that Black was in a locked cell by himself. She said that during cell check, an employee saw smoke coming from Black’s cell. Grey stated that the telephone in Black’s cell had been manipulated such that it had caught fire. An exhibit was introduced showing that the cost of repairing or replacing the telephone was over $600. Pictures of the burned phone and burned material in the cell’s sink were also admitted. Kalia Kimmey testified that in early January 2025—she believed it was January 1 or 2— she was employed at the McGehee Police Department and encountered Black as an inmate during her duties at the facility. She said that Black had told another inmate to shut up and then asked her for ibuprofen but had referred to her as “a bitch.” She said that she would get him something when he calmed down. Kimmey testified that Black replied that he would rape and kill her. Kimmey further testified that, when she went to pull down the screen on the window of Black’s cell door, Black scooped up a combination of urine, water, feces, and toilet paper and threw it under the door, hitting her shoes. Kimmey said that Black then threw the wastewater over the door and that it “rained down” on her hair, face, and jacket. She testified that what was thrown on her smelled like urine and feces. A video was played showing Kimmey wiping something from her head and face. 2  Grey was re-called to the stand and said that Black had been in the cell for twenty- four hours before smoke started coming from the cell and that there was nothing wrong with the telephone before he was placed in the cell. She stated that she believed Black had removed the telephone from the wall and crossed its wires to start a fire. Grey admitted, however, that no matches or lighter were found in the cell. She testified that Black made a remark about burning something but that she did not want to say the curse w