COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OPINIONS

State of Tennessee v. Robert James Houston
M2022-00844-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge J. Russell Parkes

A Giles County jury convicted the Defendant, Robert James Houston, of aggravated assault and simple assault, and the trial court sentenced him to a total effective sentence of ten years of incarceration. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the evidence is insufficient to sustain his convictions. After review, we affirm the trial court’s judgments.

State of Tennessee v. Denny Kentra Reynolds
M2022-01212-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge James Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Stella L. Hargrove

A Maury County Circuit Court jury convicted the defendant, Denny Kentra Reynolds, of possession of 26 grams or more of cocaine with the intent to sell, possession of one-half ounce to 10 pounds of marijuana with the intent to sell, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The trial court imposed an effective 12-year sentence. On appeal, the defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his convictions, the trial court’s denial of his motion to suppress, and the length of his sentence. Upon review, we affirm.

Terrance Reese v. Frank Strada, Warden
M2023-00961-CCA-R3-HC
Authoring Judge: Judge Timothy L. Easter
Trial Court Judge: Judge Michael Wayne Collins

Terrance Reese,[1] Petitioner, appeals from the denial of his petition for habeas corpus relief, in which he alleged that he received an illegal sentence, that the trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction, and that one of his convictions was void.  The habeas corpus court summarily dismissed the petition because the judgments were valid on their face and the trial court had jurisdiction over the offenses.  Petitioner appeals the dismissal of the petition.  We affirm the judgment of the habeas corpus court.

Billy Taylor, IV v. State of Tennessee
E2023-00636-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Kyle A. Hixson
Trial Court Judge: Judge G. Scott Green

The Petitioner, Billy Taylor, IV, appeals the Knox County Criminal Court’s denial of his
petition for post-conviction relief challenging his guilty-pleaded convictions for two counts
of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of
methamphetamine over one-half gram with the intent to sell. The Petitioner argues that
the post-conviction court erred by finding that he entered his guilty pleas knowingly and
voluntarily. Specifically, the Petitioner alleges that: (1) trial counsel was ineffective by
failing to explain that the plea agreement did not guarantee the Petitioner probation and
treatment at a substance abuse program and (2) he was under the influence of narcotics at
the time he pleaded guilty. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the postconviction
court.

Brandon Vandenburg v. State of Tennessee
M2022-01548-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Kyle A. Hixson
Trial Court Judge: Judge Monte Watkins

The Petitioner, Brandon Vandenburg, appeals from the Davidson County Criminal Court’s denial of his petition for post-conviction relief from his convictions for four counts of aggravated rape, one count of attempted aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated sexual battery, and one count of unlawful photography of the victim. On appeal, the Petitioner contends that the post-conviction court erred by denying relief on his claims alleging that he received ineffective assistance of counsel by (1) lead counsel’s failure to have a witness qualified as an expert psychiatrist at trial, (2) lead counsel’s failure to introduce prior bad act evidence regarding the Petitioner’s codefendants at trial, and (3) lead counsel’s failure to have the Petitioner’s voicemail to Mr. Quinzio admitted as an exhibit at trial. The Petitioner also raises freestanding post-conviction claims, arguing that the trial court violated the Petitioner’s protection against double jeopardy by (1) allowing him to be retried on amended charges after jeopardy had attached and (2) allowing the State to proceed with a superseding indictment without disposing of the original indictment. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Mickey Edwards v. State of Tennessee
W2023-00653-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert H. Montgomery, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Chris Craft

The Petitioner, Mickey Edwards, appeals from the denial of his petition for post-conviction
relief for his jury trial convictions for four counts of aggravated burglary, four counts of
theft of property, identity theft, and fraudulent use of a credit card, for which he is serving
an effective sixty-year sentence. On appeal, he contends that the post-conviction court
erred in denying relief on his ineffective assistance of counsel claim related to trial
counsel’s lack of objections to instances of alleged prosecutorial misconduct. He also
alleges a free-standing claim that he was denied a fair trial due to the alleged prosecutorial
misconduct. We affirm.

State of Tennessee v. Eric Bledsoe
W2023-00730-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert H. Montgomery, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Chris Craft

The Defendant, Eric Bledsoe, was convicted by a Shelby County Criminal Court jury of
aggravated rape, aggravated burglary, and felony theft, for which he is serving an effective
sixty-five-year sentence. He filed a motion to correct an illegal sentence pursuant to
Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1, which the trial court summarily dismissed for
the failure to state a colorable claim. On appeal, he contends that the trial court erred in
denying relief. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

In Re: Attorney Russell E. Edwards
M2023-00986-CCA-WR-CO
Authoring Judge: Judge Timothy L. Easter
Trial Court Judge: Judge Dee David Gay

Attorney Russell E. Edwards seeks review of the trial court’s order granting his motion to be relieved as counsel for Sergio Bermudez, the defendant in the underlying case, and prohibiting Attorney Edwards from practicing in the Criminal Court for Sumner County. Upon review, we conclude that the trial court exceeded its authority by ordering Attorney Edwards be barred from practicing law in the Criminal Court for Sumner County. We therefore issue a writ of certiorari and order that the trial court’s order prohibiting Attorney Edwards from practicing in the Sumner County Criminal Court is vacated.

Ronald P. Ellis v. State of Tennessee
W2023-00203-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Timothy L. Easter
Trial Court Judge: Judge Jennifer Johnson Mitchell

Ronald P. Ellis, Petitioner, sought post-conviction relief based on ineffective assistance of
counsel after this Court affirmed his first degree murder conviction. State v. Ellis, No.
W2017-01035-CCA-R3-CD, 2018 WL 4584124, at *1 (Tenn. Crim. App. Sept. 21, 2018).
The post-conviction court denied relief. Petitioner appealed, arguing that trial counsel was
ineffective for failing to include proof in the motion to suppress his statement to authorities
about whether Petitioner was brought before a judge or magistrate before making his
statement and whether Petitioner’s cognitive abilities prevented him from adequately
waiving his rights. Because the evidence does not preponderate against the post-conviction
court’s findings and conclusions, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Kennath Artez Henderson v. State of Tennessee
W2023-00515-CCA-R3-ECN
Authoring Judge: Judge John W. Campbell
Trial Court Judge: Judge J. Weber McCraw

The Petitioner, Kennath Artez Henderson, appeals the Fayette County Circuit Court’s
summary denial of his petition for a writ of error coram nobis, challenging the sentence of
death that the trial court imposed after his guilty plea to the first degree premeditated
murder of a law enforcement officer. On appeal, the Petitioner claims that newly
discovered evidence of severe brain damage and serious mental illness at the time of the
offense may have resulted in a different judgment if presented at trial, that he was without
fault in failing to present the evidence at the proper time because trial counsel were
ineffective for failing to discover and present the evidence at sentencing, and that due
process requires tolling the statute of limitations. Based on our review of the oral
arguments, the record, and the parties’ briefs, we affirm the judgment of the coram nobis
court.

G'Wayne Williams v. State of Tennessee
W2023-00511-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge John W. Campbell
Trial Court Judge: Judge A. Blake Neill

The Petitioner, G’wayne Williams, appeals the Lauderdale County Circuit Court’s denial
of his post-conviction petition, seeking relief from his convictions for three counts of rape
of a child, a Class A felony; three counts of rape, a Class B felony; three counts of statutory
rape by an authority figure, a Class C felony; six counts of incest, a Class C felony; three
counts of aggravated statutory rape, a Class D felony; and two counts of violating the sex
offender registry, a Class E felony, and resulting effective sentence of sixty-four years in
confinement. On appeal, the Petitioner contends that trial counsel was ineffective for
failing to file a pretrial motion to sever the counts for violating the sex offender registry,
which prejudiced the jury, and for failing to make contemporaneous objections and
preserve objections to inadmissible evidence in his motion for new trial, which resulted in
waiver on direct appeal. Upon review, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Craig Markeem Taylor v. Brandon Watwood, Warden
W2023-01169-CCA-R3-HC
Authoring Judge: Judge John W. Campbell
Trial Court Judge: Judge Mark L. Hayes

The Petitioner, Craig Markeem Taylor, appeals the dismissal of his petition for writ of
habeas corpus, arguing that the habeas corpus court erred by summarily dismissing the
petition without an evidentiary hearing or the appointment of counsel. Based on our
review, we affirm the summary dismissal of the petition.

State of Tennessee v. Eric Pike
W2023-00351-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Matthew J. Wilson
Trial Court Judge: Judge A. Blake Neill

The Lauderdale County Grand Jury indicted Defendant, Eric Pike, on one count of attempted second degree murder, one count of aggravated assault by strangulation, and one count of violating an order of protection. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Defendant pleaded guilty to the count of aggravated assault by strangulation, and the remaining counts were dismissed. Per the parties’ agreement, the trial court classified Defendant as a Range III persistent offender and imposed a ten-year sentence. After a sentencing hearing, the trial court ordered Defendant to serve this sentence in custody of the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) and consecutively to an existing sentence for initiation of the process to manufacture methamphetamine. Defendant then filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea, which the trial court denied. Defendant appeals, arguing: (1) the trial court erred in denying Defendant’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea; and (2) the trial court abused its discretion by ordering Defendant to serve his sentence consecutively to his existing sentence. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

State of Tennessee v. Robert Winters
E2023-00705-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Timothy L. Easter
Trial Court Judge: Judge Amanda B. Dunn

Robert Winters, Defendant, appeals from the dismissal of a motion filed under Rule 36.1
of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure. In the motion, he challenged his sentence
for aggravated robbery, stemming from State v. Winters, 137 S.W.3d 641 (Tenn. Crim.
App. 2003), perm. app. denied (Tenn. Mar. 22, 2004). After a thorough review, we
determine that Defendant failed to state a colorable claim for relief, attempted to challenge
a sentence that was already expired, and raised claims that were previously determined.
Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

State of Tennessee v. Alexander Ruben Carino
E2023-01089-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Tom Greenholtz
Trial Court Judge: Judge Wesley Thomas Bray

The Defendant, Alexander Ruben Carino, filed a motion to correct an illegal sentence pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1. He alleged that his consecutive sentences were illegal because the trial court made no findings that consecutive sentences were appropriate. The trial court denied the motion after finding that the sentences were imposed pursuant to the Defendant’s valid plea agreement. On our review, we respectfully affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Roger Terrell v. State of Tennessee
W2023-00039-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Matthew J. Wilson
Trial Court Judge: Judge Kyle C. Atkins

Petitioner, Roger Terrell, appeals from the Madison County Circuit Court’s denial of his petition for post-conviction relief. On appeal, Petitioner contends he received the ineffective assistance of counsel at trial. After review, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

State of Tennessee v. Joshua Steven Sullivan
E2022-00962-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Tom Greenholtz
Trial Court Judge: Judge Steven Wayne Sword

A Knox County jury convicted the Defendant, Joshua Steven Sullivan, of two counts of
rape of a child, one count of attempted rape of a child, and one count of aggravated sexual
battery. The trial court imposed a total effective sentence of forty-two years. The
Defendant argues that the trial court committed several evidentiary errors, including by
admitting evidence that (1) the victim made statements to her sister and best friend as
excited utterances; (2) he told officers they needed a warrant to enter the house and that he
was on his way to his attorney’s office; (3) he had prior convictions for purposes of
impeachment; and (4) he removed his GPS monitoring bracelet and left the jurisdiction
while on pretrial release. The Defendant also asserts that the trial court erred in instructing
the jury regarding flight and that the cumulative effect of these errors entitles him to a new
trial. Finally, he asserts that the trial court erred in imposing consecutive sentences. Upon
review, we conclude that harmless errors exist in the admission of the Defendant’s
statements related to his purported exercise of constitutional rights. Otherwise, we
respectfully affirm the judgments of the trial court.

State of Tennessee v. Matthew F. Beasley
M2023-00419-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Jill Bartee Ayers
Trial Court Judge: Judge Brody N. Kane

Defendant, Matthew F. Beasley, appeals the trial court’s order revoking his probationary sentence for aggravated assault and ordering him to serve the balance of his ten-year sentence in confinement. Following our review of the entire record and the briefs of the parties, we find no abuse of discretion and affirm the judgment of the trial court.

State of Tennessee v. Charles Felix Bell, Jr.
M2023-00534-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Jill Bartee Ayers
Trial Court Judge: Judge Steve R. Dozier

Defendant, Charles Felix Bell, Jr., appeals the trial court’s order revoking his probationary sentence for possession of cocaine with intent to sell. Following our review of the entire record and the briefs of the parties, we find no abuse of discretion and affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Kip Dylane Buie v. State of Tennessee
M2022-01232-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Tom Greenholtz
Trial Court Judge: Judge Stella L. Hargrove

The Petitioner, Kip Dylane Buie, pled guilty to second degree murder and attempted second degree murder. He received an effective forty-year sentence. Subsequently, he filed a petition for post-conviction relief, alleging that his plea counsel was ineffective during the plea process and that his guilty pleas were not knowingly and voluntarily entered. After a hearing, the post-conviction court denied the petition, and the Petitioner appealed to this Court. On our review, we respectfully affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Jim George Conaser v. State of Tennessee
M2023-00271-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Tom Greenholtz
Trial Court Judge: Judge Steve R. Dozier

A Davidson County jury convicted the Petitioner, Jim George Conaser, of aggravated assault, and the trial court sentenced him to serve a term of twelve years as a Range III, persistent offender. Thereafter, he filed a petition for post-conviction relief alleging that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel when trial counsel failed to object to character evidence and hearsay. The post-conviction court denied the petition after a hearing. On our review, we respectfully affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

State of Tennessee v. Christopher Layne Spencer
E2022-01276-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert H. Montgomery
Trial Court Judge: Judge Kyle A. Hixson

The Defendant, Christopher Layne Spencer, was convicted by a Knox County Criminal Court jury of two counts of aggravated sexual battery, a Class B felony, and violating the sexual offender registration act, a Class E felony. See T.C.A. §§ 39-13-504 (2018) (aggravated sexual battery); 40-39-211(k) (2019) (sexual offender registry). The Defendant was sentenced to an effective fourteen years for the convictions. On appeal, the Defendant contends that (1) the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction for violating the sexual offender registry, (2) the trial court erred by admitting text messages as evidence, (3) the trial court erred by denying his request for a mistrial, (4) the trial court erred by limiting his closing argument, (5) the prosecutor engaged in improper closing argument, (6) the trial court erred with its jury instructions, and (7) the cumulative effect of the alleged errors entitles him to relief. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.

State of Tennessee v. Terrell Craft
W2023-00152-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge James Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Paula Skahan

The defendant, Terrell Craft, appeals his Shelby County Criminal Court jury convictions
of second degree murder and three counts of aggravated assault, challenging the sufficiency
of the convicting evidence and the trial court’s omission of a jury instruction on the defense
of necessity. Discerning no error, we affirm.

State of Tennessee v. Kendrick Rodgers
E2023-01503-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Kyle A. Hixson
Trial Court Judge: Judge G. Scott Green

The Defendant appeals his convictions for aggravated robbery, carjacking, and driving on
a revoked license. He argues that (1) the trial judge erred in denying his motion for a
mistrial and the trial judge to recuse itself; (2) the evidence adduced at trial was insufficient
to support a guilty verdict on the carjacking charge; and (3) cumulative error warrants
reversal of his convictions. After our review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

State of Tennessee v. Jeffrey Clay Dale
M2023-00167-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert H. Montgomery, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge J. Russell Parkes

The Defendant, Jeffrey Clay Dale, was convicted by a Maury County Circuit Court jury of two counts of driving under the influence, third offense, which the trial court merged. See T.C.A. §§ 55-10-401(1) (2020) (driving under the influence of an intoxicant), -401(2) (driving with a blood- or breath-alcohol concentration of 0.08% or more), 55-10-402 (a)(3)(A) (2020) (subsequently amended) (third offense driving under the influence). The trial court sentenced the Defendant to eleven months, twenty-nine days, with 140 days to be served in jail and the balance on probation. On appeal, the Defendant contends that: (1) the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions and (2) the trial court erred in allowing a law enforcement officer to testify about his observations during field sobriety testing of the Defendant. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.