COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OPINIONS

State of Tennessee v. Winfred Lee Faulcon
W2001-01153-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Trial Court Judge: Lee Moore
The Appellant, Winfred Lee Faulcon, was convicted after a trial by jury of two offenses of possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, marijuana, with intent to sell, which stemmed from events that occurred on October 21st and November 16th of 2000. Faulcon received two consecutive eighteen-month community corrections sentences with nine months of continuous confinement in the county jail. On appeal, Faulcon raises the following issues for our review: (1) whether the State's action of releasing a witness which the State had subpoenaed for trial constituted misconduct when the witness thereafter became unavailable to the defense; (2) whether the evidence was sufficient to support his convictions; (3) whether the two charges against Faulcon should have been considered as one continuing criminal enterprise and thus, would have resulted in the imposition of only one sentence; (4) whether the trial court erred in imposing a sentence in excess of the minimum necessary for class E felonies; and (5) whether the trial court erred in not imposing an alternative non-incarcerative sentence for the entire period. After a review of the record, we find that Faulcon's issues are without merit. Accordingly, the judgment of the Dyer County Circuit Court is affirmed.

Dyer Court of Criminal Appeals

Maurice Pierre Teague v. State of Tennessee
W2001-00533-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Judge Julian P. Guinn

The petitioner was convicted of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, and his conviction was affirmed on direct appeal. In his petition for post-conviction relief, he asserted that trial counsel was ineffective. The post-conviction court dismissed the petition, following a hearing.  We affirm the order of the post-conviction court.

Carroll Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Danny Davidson
W2001-00118-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge William B. Acree

Defendant was convicted of attempted manufacture of methamphetamine. On appeal, defendant submits that the evidence was insufficient to support the conviction, and the trial court erred in not charging the jury on facilitation. We conclude the evidence was sufficient to uphold the conviction, and defendant was not entitled to an instruction on facilitation. We affirm.

Weakley Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. F. Chris Cawood
E2000-02478-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge Buddy D. Perry

The Defendant was indicted for two counts of promoting prostitution and for two counts of patronizing prostitution. Following a bench trial, the Defendant was convicted of two counts of attempting to patronize prostitution, a Class C misdemeanor; sentenced to thirty days suspended; and fined $50.00 for each count. The Defendant now appeals, arguing the following: (1) that the evidence is insufficient to support the convictions; (2) that the conduct by law enforcement in this case was so outrageous as to constitute a defense; (3) that a fatal variance exists between the indicted charges and the evidence presented at trial; (4) that the trial court erred in failing to suppress the audio and video tape evidence that was introduced at trial; and (5) that the trial court erred in denying the Defendant's motion to seal the audio and video tape evidence in this case. Concluding that the evidence is insufficient to support the convictions, we reverse the judgment of the trial court and dismiss the charges against the Defendant.

Roane Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Christopher Charles Hall
M2001-00599-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge James K. Clayton, Jr.
The defendant pled nolo contendere to reckless homicide, a Class D felony. The defendant contends the trial court erred in refusing to grant him full probation and sentencing him to two years of split confinement, with six (6) months to be served in the county jail and the remainder served on probation. Due to the reckless nature of the killing, involving alcohol use simultaneous with the handling of weapons, we conclude the trial court did not erroneously sentence the defendant to a two-year sentence involving some form of confinement. We affirm the defendant's sentence imposed by the trial court.

Rutherford Court of Criminal Appeals

James Emmett Moses, Jr. v. State of Tennessee
W2001-01394-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge Joseph H. Walker, III
The Petitioner pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated burglary, two counts of robbery and one count of theft under $500.00. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court sentenced the Petitioner as a Range III persistent offender to twelve years for the aggravated burglary conviction, thirteen years for each of the robbery convictions, and eleven months and twenty-nine days for the misdemeanor theft conviction. The sentencing court imposed consecutive sentences for the robbery convictions, resulting in an effective sentence of twenty-six years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. This Court affirmed the sentences on appeal, and the Tennessee Supreme Court denied the Petitioner's application for permission to appeal. The Petitioner subsequently filed for post-conviction relief, claiming that his plea was constitutionally defective because he was inadequately represented and that his plea was not voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently entered. The trial court denied relief. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Lauderdale Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Jeret Phillips
E2001-00987-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Judge Phyllis H. Miller

Defendant, Jeret Phillips, appeals from the order of the Sullivan County Criminal Court which revoked Defendant's probation and required him to serve his sentence in the Tennessee Department of Correction. After a thorough review of the record, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Sullivan Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Billy Harold Arnold
E2000-03157-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Trial Court Judge: Judge Phyllis H. Miller

The defendant, Billy Harold Arnold, appeals his misdemeanor theft conviction for which the Sullivan County Criminal Court sentenced him to eleven months twenty-nine days, all suspended except for thirty days confinement, "day for day." He contests the sufficiency of the evidence, the admission into evidence of prior similar conduct, and his sentence. We affirm the trial court, although we also note that a "day for day" term of confinement does not bar application of relevant good conduct credit statutes.

Sullivan Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Timothy S. Oglesby
M2000-02134-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry L. Smith
Trial Court Judge: Judge L. Craig Johnson

The appellant, Timothy S. Oglesby, pled guilty to the offense of felonious possession of a weapon.  He received a two (2)-year sentence. Contemporaneously with the entry of the guilty plea the appellant and the State entered an agreed order purporting to reserve a certified question of law for appeal pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 37(b)(2)(i). The certified question of law alleged to be dispositive of the case is stated in the agreed order as “the denial of his suppression motion.” We hold that the absence in the judgment of the certified question of law or of a statement incorporating the agreed order into the judgment compels a dismissal of this appeal. In addition, the failure of the agreed order to set forth the certified question with sufficient specificity compels the dismissal of this appeal even if the agreed order had been incorporated by reference into the judgment.

Coffee Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Gonzalo Moran Garcia
M2000-01760-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: Judge Steve R. Dozier

The appellant, Gonzalo Moran Garcia, appeals his conviction by a jury in the Davidson County Criminal Court of one count of possession of one thousand grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, a class A felony. He raises the following issues for our review: (1) whether the trial court erred in denying his pre-trial motion to suppress; (2) whether the trial court erred in admitting at trial the testimony of Daniel A. Rosales, an officer employed by the Houston Police Department in Texas; (3) whether the evidence underlying the appellant’s conviction is sufficient; and (4) whether the trial court erred in rejecting his proposed jury instructions. Following a thorough review f the record and the parties’ briefs, we reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand this case
to the trial court for a new trial.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Gonzalo Moran Garcia
M2000-01760-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge Steve R. Dozier

After careful review of the record, I write separately because I reach a different conclusion than that expressed in the majority opinion with respect to the defendant's motion to suppress the evidence obtained during the search of his vehicle. I agree with the majority on all other matters raised in this appeal.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

Eric Wallace v. State of Tennessee
W2000-02854-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Gary R. Wade
Trial Court Judge: Judge W. Otis Higgs, Jr.

The petitioner, Eric Wallace, appeals the trial court's denial of his petition for post-conviction relief. The issues presented for review are (1) whether the petitioner received effective assistance of counsel; (2) whether the petitioner was denied the right to a speedy trial; and (3) whether the state used improper impeachment evidence. Because the evidence does not preponderate against the findings of the trial court, the order denying post-conviction relief is affirmed.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Kathryn Lee Adler
W2001-00951-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Trial Court Judge: Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood
The Fayette County Grand Jury returned an indictment against the defendant alleging one count of aggravated child neglect and a second count of aggravated child abuse. A jury convicted the defendant of the indicted charge of aggravated child neglect and the lesser-included offense of felony child abuse. The trial court sentenced the defendant to concurrent sentences of twenty years and two years, respectively. In this appeal, the defendant alleges (1) the evidence is insufficient to support the conviction for aggravated child neglect; (2) the applicable child abuse/neglect statutes are unconstitutionally vague and overbroad; (3) the trial court erred by refusing to charge reckless endangerment as a lesser-included offense of aggravated child neglect; and (4) the defendant's sentence is excessive. After a thorough review of the record, we find no reversible error and affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Fayette Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Otis Campbell
W2001-01121-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Judge Donald H. Allen

The defendant, Otis Campbell, was convicted of two misdemeanor counts of a three-count indictment and sentenced to eleven months and twenty-nine days for possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana. The trial court ordered that the sentences be served consecutively to each other as well as to two other sentences for which he had earlier been placed into the community corrections program. He timely appealed, presenting as his sole argument the claim that the trial court erred in ordering that all of the sentences be served consecutively. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Madison Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Paul Payne, Jr.
W2001-00216-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Gary R Wade
Trial Court Judge: Judge Joseph H. Walker, III

The defendant, Paul Payne, Jr., was convicted in a bench trial of driving under the influence of an intoxicant. The trial court imposed a sentence of 11 months and 29 days and suspended all but 48 hours. The defendant was fined $350.00. In this appeal of right, the defendant complains that the stop of his vehicle was unlawful, that the evidence at trial was insufficient, and that there was no reasonable basis for the administration of the blood alcohol test. The judgment is affirmed.

Tipton Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Jeannie Hudson
E2001-00377-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge Rex Henry Ogle

After pleading guilty to aggravated assault and receiving a sentence of split confinement of three years with nine months to be served day-for-day, defendant appeals her sentence. She requests full probation or allowance of good conduct credits while serving the incarceration portion of her sentence. We affirm the denial of full probation and reverse that portion of the sentence that provides day-for-day service. We hold that a defendant sentenced to the county jail for less than one year is entitled to earn good conduct credits pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 41-2-111(b).

Sevier Court of Criminal Appeals

Camila Ray v. State of Tennessee
E2001-01189-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Trial Court Judge: Judge Ray L. Jenkins

The petitioner appeals from the Knox County Criminal Court's denying her post-conviction relief from her especially aggravated robbery and especially aggravated kidnaping convictions and resulting concurrent fifteen-year sentences that she received in 2000 based upon her pleas of guilty. She contends that her guilty pleas resulted from the ineffective assistance of counsel in that counsel misadvised her about the percentage of her sentence that she would have to serve in confinement. We affirm the trial court's denial of relief.

Knox Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Kenneth England
E2001-01253-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge E. Shayne Sexton

The Defendant pled guilty to three counts of retaliation for past action, a Class E felony, and the trial court sentenced him to four years on community corrections. Three separate violation warrants were subsequently issued against the Defendant. Following a revocation hearing, the trial court revoked the Defendant’s placement on community corrections and ordered that the Defendant serve his original sentence in the Tennessee Department of Correction. The Defendant now appeals, arguing that the trial court erred in revoking his community corrections sentence and ordering him to serve his sentence in confinement. Finding no error, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Campbell Court of Criminal Appeals

Kenneth R. Griffin v. State of Tennessee
E2001-01932-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Judge Lynn W. Brown

Petitioner, Kenneth R. Griffin, appeals from the trial court's summary dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief. Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-30-206, the trial court entered an order dismissing the petition without an evidentiary hearing. In its order, the trial court made a finding of fact that the petition contained no verification of any facts under oath. Since the petition was devoid of verified facts upon which the trial court could grant relief, it concluded that a dismissal was required. On appeal, the State agrees with Petitioner that the trial court's judgment should be reversed. After a thorough review of the record, we reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand this case for further proceedings.

Washington Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Greg Stewart
M2001-01056-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: Judge John W. Rollins

Pursuant to a bench trial, the appellant, Greg Stewart, was convicted of two counts of simple possession of a controlled substance. The trial court sentenced the appellant to two concurrent terms of eleven months and twenty-nine days incarceration in the Coffee County Jail. On appeal, the appellant contests the trial court's denial of his motion to suppress the drug evidence due to the lack of proper consent to the search. Upon review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Coffee Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Sean E. Miller
W2001-02045-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Trial Court Judge: Judge Chris B. Craft
The defendant was found guilty by a Shelby County jury of DUI, second offense, and reckless driving. He was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days, all suspended except 60 days for DUI, second offense, and fined $50 for reckless driving. On appeal, he argues: (1) the results of his breath alcohol test were not properly admitted; (2) the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction for reckless driving; (3) the trial court improperly aided the prosecution in the presentation of its case; and (4) the trial court erred in ordering the defendant to consent to breath alcohol tests as a condition of his probation. We reverse the judgments of the trial court, dismiss the charge of reckless driving, and remand the DUI charge to the lower court for a new trial.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Thaddeus Morris
W2001-01691-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Judge Chris B. Craft

The defendant, Thaddeus Morris, was convicted of three counts of assault, three counts of reckless aggravated assault, one count of aggravated robbery, and one count of carjacking following a jury trial. The trial court merged the three assault convictions with the three reckless aggravated assault convictions and the aggravated robbery conviction with the carjacking conviction. The defendant was sentenced to seven years, six months for each of the reckless aggravated assault convictions, with two of the sentences to be served concurrently and the third to be served consecutively. For the carjacking conviction, the trial court sentenced the defendant to twelve years to be served consecutively to the third reckless aggravated assault sentence, for an effective sentence of twenty-seven years in the Department of Correction. On appeal, the defendant argues: (1) the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions for carjacking and aggravated robbery; (2) the trial court erred by not including "moral certainty" in its jury instruction on reasonable doubt; (3) cumulative error occurred during the trial; and (4) the trial court erred in imposing consecutive sentencing. After a careful review of the record, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Paul Flannigan
W2001-00907-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Trial Court Judge: Judge Arthur T. Bennett
The defendant, Paul Flannigan, was convicted by a Shelby County jury of one count of attempted first degree murder, two counts of especially aggravated robbery, three counts of aggravated rape, and one count of aggravated burglary. He received an effective sentence of 125 years. He appeals, raising two points: (1) there was insufficient proof to support his convictions, and (2) his sentences are excessive. We reverse one conviction for aggravated rape and remand that charge for a new trial; we modify some of the judgments for an effective sentence of 93 years; we affirm in all other respects.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Annetta Bell
M2001-00771–CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Gary R. Wade
Trial Court Judge: Judge Donald P. Harris

The defendant, Annetta Bell, was convicted after a bench trial of theft of property having a value less than $500.00. The trial court imposed a sentence of 11 months and 29 days. All but six months was suspended. In this appeal as of right, the defendant contends that the evidence was insufficient to support her conviction.

Williamson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Michael D. Wright
M2001-00793-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Judge Timothy L. Easter

In this appeal, Defendant raises the following issues: (1) whether the trial court incorrectly applied two enhancement factors, thereby causing his sentences to be excessive, and (2) whether the trial court erred by ordering that certain of his sentences run consecutively. Following a thorough review of the record, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Williamson Court of Criminal Appeals