State of Tennessee v. Michael D. Sweat

The Defendant, Michael D. Sweat, was convicted by a jury in the Knox County Criminal Court of aggravated robbery, a Class B felony, and was sentenced by the trial court as a Range II, multiple offender to seventeen years in the Department of Correction. The Defendant appeals, contending (1) that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction, (2) that he was denied his constitutional right to a fair trial when the State suborned perjury, (3) that the State impermissibly shifted the burden of proof to the Defendant when it questioned why additional alibi witnesses were not called, (4) that the trial court erred when it allowed the admission into evidence of his prior convictions, (5) that the trial court erred when it failed to allow the Defendant to poll the jury, and (6) that he was denied a fair trial because the verdict was based on juror misconduct. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.