Kevin D. Buford v. State of Tennessee
Petitioner, Kevin D. Buford, appeals the denial of his post-conviction petition, arguing that the post-conviction erred in denying his claims that trial counsel was ineffective by failing to seek a continuance, failing to establish a defense, calling him to testify, and failing to call an expert witness. He further argues that trial counsel’s representation resulted in prejudice and that he is entitled to relief based on the cumulative effect of trial counsel’s errors. Following our review of the entire record, the briefs of the parties, and arguments of counsel, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court. |
Davidson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Lionel Vashon Champion
The Defendant, Lionel Vashon Champion, was convicted by a Madison County Circuit Court jury of possession with intent to sell .5 grams or more of cocaine, a Class B felony; possession with intent to deliver .5 grams or more of cocaine, a Class B felony; use or unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor; two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm with the intent to go armed during the commission of a dangerous felony, Class D felonies; four counts of unlawful possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony drug offense, Class C felonies; unlawful possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a crime of violence, a Class C felony; and eight counts of unlawful possession of a firearm during the commission of or attempt to commit a dangerous felony having previously been convicted of a felony drug offense, Class D felonies. See T.C.A. §§ 39-17-417 (Supp. 2022) (subsequently amended) (possession of a controlled substance), 39-17-425 (2018) (possession of drug paraphernalia); 39-17-1324 (Supp. 2024) (armed dangerous felonies); 39-17-1307 (Supp. 2022) (subsequently amended) (carrying or possession of weapons). The trial court sentenced the Defendant, a career offender, to serve an effective sentence of forty-two years, eleven months, and twenty-nine days. On appeal, the Defendant contends that (1) the trial court erred in admitting evidence of the Defendant’s incoming and outgoing text messages, (2) the court erred in permitting a witness to read one of the text messages to the jury, and (3) the court erred in denying the motion for a new trial. We affirm the trial court’s judgments. |
Madison | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Dawson Young, et al. v. Jackson Radiology Associates, A Professional Association
The sole issue in this interlocutory appeal is whether the plaintiffs properly served the corporate defendant with process. The trial court determined that plaintiffs did so because the employee who signed for the documents was an appointed subagent of the defendant’s registered agent. Having reviewed the record and relevant authorities, we reverse. |
Madison | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Keenan Alexander v. State of Tennessee
The Petitioner, Keenan Alexander, appeals from the Fayette County Circuit Court’s denial of post-conviction relief from the Petitioner’s jury-trial convictions for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of drug paraphernalia, speeding, and failing to maintain financial responsibility and his effective two-year sentence. On appeal, the Petitioner contends that the post-conviction court erred by denying relief on his ineffective assistance of counsel claim. We affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court. |
Fayette | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. John Wendell Lewis
The Defendant, John Wendell Lewis, appeals from his guilty-pleaded conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a Class B felony. See T.C.A. § 39- 17-1307(b)(1)(A) (Supp. 2022) (subsequently amended). The trial court ordered the Defendant to serve an eight-year sentence in confinement. On appeal, the Defendant, a Range I offender, contends the court erred by denying alternative sentencing. We affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Madison | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Timothy Laquan Davis, Jr. and Braze Roland Rucker
On August 27, 2025, Defendant Timothy Laquan Davis, Jr. filed an application seeking an extraordinary appeal of the trial court’s order, filed on July 24, 2025, denying his motion to strike the State’s notice to seek enhanced punishment in this case pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-202(d). Tenn. R. App. P. 10. Pursuant to prior order, the State filed its response on September 8, 2025. In the meantime, on September 2, 2025, Defendant Braze Roland Rucker filed an almost identical application for permission to appeal. Given the fact Mr. Davis and Mr. Rucker are co-defendants, and considering the identical issue being raised, the court hereby consolidates the two applications for purposes of its review. Tenn. R. App. P. 16(b). Upon full consideration, the applications are denied for the reasons stated below. An extraordinary appeal may be granted from an interlocutory order of a trial court if this Court determines the trial court “has so far departed from the accepted and usual course of judicial proceedings as to require immediate review” or “if necessary for complete determination of the action on appeal.” Tenn. R. App. P. 10(a). A party must obtain permission from this Court for an extraordinary appeal; it is not a matter of right. Id. To that end, an application for permission to appeal must contain a statement of the question(s) presented for review, a statement of the facts, a statement of the reason(s) supporting an extraordinary appeal, and the relief sought. Tenn. R. App. P. 10(c). Furthermore, the application must contain a copy of the trial court order from which an appeal is being sought, as well as copies of other parts of the record necessary for determination of the application, such as the transcript of any hearing held on the motion at issue. Id. Because, generally, there is no record on appeal when a party seeks an extraordinary appeal, it is the party’s responsibility to provide this Court with an ad hoc 09/12/2025 2 record of the proceeding below. The Defendants’ applications are adequate for this Court’s review. |
Putnam | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Brian Michael Jarrett
The defendant, Brian Michael Jarrett, pleaded guilty to two counts of statutory rape by an authority figure, two counts of incest, and one count of soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor, and the trial court imposed an effective sentence of twenty-eight years’ incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the defendant argues the trial court erred in imposing partial consecutive sentences. After reviewing the record and considering the applicable law, we affirm the judgments of the trial court. |
Maury | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Kevin Leon Brazelton, Jr. v. State of Tennessee
The Petitioner, Kevin Leon Brazelton, Jr., appeals the denial of his petition for postconviction |
Knox | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Gerald Lovelace
The defendant, Gerald Lovelace, was convicted by a Stewart County Circuit Court jury of three counts of first-degree felony murder, which were merged into one conviction and for which the defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment. On appeal, the defendant argues that: (1) the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress his statement to law enforcement; (2) his Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures was violated; (3) the trial court erred in allowing witness testimony concerning his prior purchase of drugs from the victim, his “habit” of keeping a gun under the hood of his car, and his being “suited and booted” when he left the house the night of the murder; and (4) the evidence is insufficient to sustain his convictions. Following a thorough review of the record, the briefs, and oral arguments of the parties, we affirm the judgments of the trial court. |
Stewart | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. David James Paul
Following a bench trial, the Defendant, David James Paul, was convicted of two counts of driving under the influence. The trial court merged the convictions and imposed a sentence of eleven months and twenty-nine days. On appeal, the Defendant challenges the trial court’s denial of his pretrial motion to suppress. He contends that the State failed to establish reasonable suspicion for the initial seizure because the officers who detained him did not testify, leaving the record without proof of the circumstances justifying the stop. The State responds that reasonable suspicion was established through a “be on the lookout” dispatch report, or BOLO, and the testimony of the arresting officer, who arrived after the Defendant had been detained. Upon our review, we hold that because the State offered no admissible evidence concerning the circumstances of the initial seizure, it fell short of establishing that the detention was supported by reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct. Accordingly, we respectfully reverse and vacate the judgments of the trial court and remand for dismissal. |
Williamson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Serena N. Hammond
Serena N. Hammond, Defendant, was indicted by a Knox County Grand Jury for one count |
Knox | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Christopher Hodge v. State of Tennessee
This matter is before the Court upon the Petitioner’s application for permission to appeal the trial court’s denial of his motion to reopen post-conviction proceedings. See T.C.A. § 40-30-117(c); Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 28, § 10(B). The Petitioner argues that Smith v. Arizona, 602 U.S. 779 (2024), established a new, retroactive rule of constitutional law regarding the application of the Confrontation Clause to expert testimony. Upon our review of the application and the State’s response, we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying the Petitioner’s motion to reopen post-conviction proceedings. |
Lauderdale | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. John W. Smith
A Grundy County jury convicted the defendant, John W. Smith, of one count of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, one count of attempted second-degree murder, one count of aggravated assault, and eight counts of reckless endangerment, for which he received an effective sentence of life imprisonment plus twenty-two years. On appeal, the defendant contends the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support his convictions. The defendant also argues the trial court erred in admitting the 911 calls, in refusing to admit Jerome Powell’s statement that “she had her gun then,” and in imposing an excessive sentence. Following our review, we affirm the defendant’s convictions. However, we reverse the imposition of consecutive sentences and remand to the trial court for a new sentencing hearing for consideration of the consecutive sentencing factors outlined in State v. Wilkerson, 905 S.W.2d 933 (Tenn. 1995). We also remand for corrected judgment forms in counts five, fourteen, and fifteen. |
Grundy | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Matthew James Wood
Defendant, Matthew James Wood, appeals from his Polk County Criminal Court |
Polk | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Louis Wayne Frazier
The Defendant, Louis Wayne Frazier, pled guilty to the attempted sexual battery of his granddaughter. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court imposed a sentence of six years and ordered that the sentence be served in custody. On appeal, the Defendant argues that the trial court abused its discretion in imposing the maximum sentence and denying his request for an alternative sentence. Upon our review, we affirm the trial court’s decision to impose a six-year sentence. However, we respectfully remand the case to the trial court for a new hearing regarding the denial of an alternative sentence. |
Giles | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Robert Lawrence Ryder
In this interlocutory appeal, the State asks this court to review the trial court’s suppression of Defendant’s blood alcohol test. After reviewing the entire record, the briefs and oral arguments of the parties, and the applicable law, we reverse the trial court’s order granting Defendant’s motion to suppress the result of his blood alcohol test. |
Rutherford | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee Guy Willie Toles
A Dyer County jury convicted the Defendant, Guy Willie Toles, of felony reckless endangerment. The trial court sentenced the Defendant to one and a half years of confinement, suspended to probation after the service of sixty days of incarceration, and it imposed a $750 fine. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the trial court erred when it set his fine because the trial court failed to place any findings on the record in support of the fine. After review, we affirm the trial court’s judgment. |
Dyer | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Jerome Cole, Jr.
The Defendant, Jerome Cole, Jr., pled guilty in the Knox County Criminal Court to |
Knox | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. John M. Bybee
This matter is before the Court upon application of the Defendant, John M. Bybee, for permission to pursue an interlocutory appeal. Tenn. R. App. P. 9. The State has filed a response in opposition. The Defendant seeks review of the trial court’s order denying his motion to suppress evidence. Upon full consideration, the application is denied for the reasons stated below. Rule 9 outlines the procedure for obtaining interlocutory appellate review of a trial court order. Both the trial and appellate court must approve the appeal. To that end, a party must first file a motion in the trial court requesting the appeal within thirty days of the order being appealed. Tenn. R. App. P. 9(b). If the trial court determines the interlocutory appeal shall be allowed to proceed, the party must then file an application for permission to appeal in this Court within ten days of the trial court’s order granting the appeal. Tenn. R. App. P. 9(c). The application must be accompanied by copies of the trial court order from which appellate review is being sought, the trial court’s statement of reasons for granting the appeal, and the other parts of the record necessary for consideration of the application. Tenn. R. App. P. 9(d). Thus, and because there is generally no record already on file when a party seeks a Rule 9 appeal, it is that party’s responsibility to provide this Court with an ad hoc record of the proceeding below. The Defendant’s application is sufficient for this Court’s review. |
Dickson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Kenyon DeMario Reynolds
On July 31, 2025, the pro se Appellant filed a notice of appeal seeking an appeal as |
Knox | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Marty Ray Rouse
Defendant, Marty Ray Rouse, appeals the trial court’s judgment revoking his probation and ordering him to serve his full sentence in confinement after Defendant admitted to violating his probation. Defendant asserts the trial court abused its discretion by focusing on Defendant’s past criminal history and failing to apply the correct legal standard in determining the consequence of Defendant’s probation violation. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Hancock | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Marcus Wilson v. State of Tennessee
The pro se Petitioner, Marcus Wilson, appeals from the habeas corpus court’s summary dismissal of his petition for writ of habeas corpus. We affirm the summary dismissal of the petition. |
Shelby | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Travis Michael Barnett
After a bench trial in the Tipton County Circuit Court, the Defendant, Travis Michael Barnett, was convicted of one count of theft of property valued at $10,000 or more but less than $60,000, and the trial court imposed a six-year sentence as a Range II multiple offender with a 35% release eligibility. On appeal, the Defendant argues that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction. Discerning no error, we affirm. |
Tipton | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Michael Chad Owens
The Defendant, Michael Chad Owens, appeals his DeKalb County convictions for the sale and delivery of heroin and methamphetamine and resulting forty-five-year effective sentence. Specifically, the Defendant challenges that (1) the State failed to sufficiently establish the chain of custody for the narcotics; (2) the evidence was not sufficient to sustain his convictions due to chain of custody issues; (3) his right to confrontation was violated when the confidential informant (“CI”) involved in the controlled buys did not testify at trial; (4) the probative value of the admitted photograph of the CI was substantially outweighed by its danger of unfair prejudice; (5) the Defendant’s alleged impairment at trial prejudiced the jury against him; (6) his sentences are excessive; and (7) the fines imposed by the trial court are excessive. After review, we remand the case to the trial court for a hearing with regard to the fines and for entry of corrected judgment forms reflecting the sentence and fine for each conviction. We affirm the judgments of the trial court in all other respects. |
DeKalb | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Samantha Louise Bledsoe
Defendant, Samantha Louise Bledsoe, was indicted by the Sullivan County Grand Jury for one count of driving under the influence ("DUI"), one count of DUI per se, one count of driving on a revoked license, and one count of DUI sixth offense. At the close of the State's proof, the trial court granted Defendant's motion for judgment of acquittal as to the charge of driving on a revoked license. A jury found Defendant guilty of the alternate DUI counts, and after a bifurcated proceeding, the DUI sixth offense count. The trial court merged the other offenses into the DUI sixth offense count and imposed an agreed upon four-year sentence. Defendant appeals her conviction and challenges the sufficiency of the evidence of her identity as the driver of the vehicle. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the criminal court. |
Court of Criminal Appeals |
