Terry David Stephens v. State of Tennessee

The petitioner was convicted in 1996 of aggravated rape and sentenced to confinement for twenty years as a Range I, standard offender. The conviction was affirmed on direct appeal and, subsequently, he filed a timely petition for post-conviction relief. The post-conviction court dismissed the petition following a hearing, and the petitioner timely appealed, alleging that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to convey settlement offers and to request jury instructions as to lesser-included offenses. The post-conviction court dismissed the petition following a hearing, and we affirm that dismissal.