State of Tennessee v. Jennifer Lopez and Sergio H. Gonzalez

Following a jury trial, Jennifer Lopez (“Defendant Lopez”) was convicted of one count of aggravated child neglect, and her ex-boyfriend, Sergio H. Gonzalez (“Defendant Gonzalez”) was convicted of two counts of aggravated child neglect in connection with severe abdominal injuries received by Defendant Lopez’s two-year-old son, N.L, in September 2011. On appeal, Defendant Gonzalez argues that: (1) the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress his September 27, 2011 interview with lead investigator, Detective Pilarski; (2) the trial court erred in allowing the State to introduce evidence of N.L.’s bruises; (3) the trial court erred in preventing Defendant Gonzalez from impeaching Detective Pilarski with evidence from the detective’s personnel file; (4) the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions; and (5) the trial court erred when it sentenced Defendant Gonzalez to twenty years for one of his aggravated child neglect convictions.  Defendant Lopez argues that: (1) the trial court erred in failing to strike “improper statements made by the State’s attorney in closing arguments”; (2) the evidence was insufficient to support her conviction; and (3) the trial court erred when it sentenced her to seventeen years.  Discerning no error, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.