COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OPINIONS

State vs. Derrick Vernon, et al
W1998-00612-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Arthur T. Bennett

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Robert Rainey
W1999-00692-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Trial Court Judge: C. Creed Mcginley

Hardin Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Lisa Marie Garren
E1999-02420-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Trial Court Judge: D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.

Blount Court of Criminal Appeals

Harold Wayne Nichols vs. State
E1998-00562-CCA-R3-PD
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
The petitioner filed petitions for post-conviction relief for his conviction for first degree felony murder and his sentence of death, as well as for a number of convictions for sexual attacks on four additional victims. The bases of his complaints were that he had ineffective assistance of counsel at both the guilt and punishment phases of his capital trial, as well as in the noncapital cases, two of which were resolved by pleas of guilty. Specifically, he claimed that counsel failed to adequately investigate and prepare his cases; failed to question the probable cause for his arrest; and failed to question whether his confessions were "false." He raised additional claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and claims regarding the unconstitutionality of the imposition of capital punishment. The post-conviction court denied the claims other than to order new sentencing hearings in the noncapital cases. The petitioner then timely appealed the post-conviction court's rulings, other than the ordering of new sentencing hearings. We have carefully reviewed the record and, based upon our review, we affirm the judgments of the post-conviction court.

Hamilton Court of Criminal Appeals

Ronnie Ray Hoover vs. State
E1999-01114-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Trial Court Judge: Leon C. Burns, Jr.

Cumberland Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Delores Babb
W2001-00415-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Trial Court Judge: Julian P. Guinn
The defendant was found guilty of DUI by a Henry County jury and sentenced to 11 months and 29 days, all suspended except for ten days. On appeal, she argues the evidence was insufficient to support her conviction. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Henry Court of Criminal Appeals

Sammie Eugene Smith vs. state
M1998-00083-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Leon C. Burns, Jr.

Putnam Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Cornelius Starks
M1999-00340-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry Smith
Trial Court Judge: L. Craig Johnson

Coffee Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. James M. Smith
M1999-00252-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Trial Court Judge: Cornelia A. Clark

Williamson Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. James Geddings
M1999-00333-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry Smith
Trial Court Judge: Allen W. Wallace

Dickson Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Antonio Smith
W1999-01096-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: W. Fred Axley

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Dennis Menzies
W1998-00608-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Julian P. Guinn

Benton Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Lori Ray
W1999-00641-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Sr. Judge L. Terry Lafferty
Trial Court Judge: Lee Moore

Dyer Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Joe W. Steward
M2001-2431-CCA-RM-CD
Trial Court Judge: Cornelia A. Clark

Lewis Court of Criminal Appeals

Issac Earl Edgin vs. State
M1999-01620-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Robert W. Wedemeyer
The petitioner appeals from a Montgomery County trial court's order dismissing his petition for post-conviction relief. He argues that he is entitled to a new trial because, among other things, his trial counsel provided him ineffective assistance of counsel. Because the judgment fails to contain findings of fact and conclusions of law, the order dismissing this cause is reversed and the case is remanded to the trial court for a new post-conviction proceeding.

Montgomery Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Michael Q. Ray
E1999-00208-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: James B. Scott, Jr.

Anderson Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Harold Wayne Shaw
M1999-01119-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry Smith
Trial Court Judge: Seth W. Norman
The defendant, Harold Wayne Shaw, was convicted by a Davidson County jury of second-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in 1996. The trial court sentenced the defendant as a Range II offender to serve eighteen (18) years for the aggravated kidnapping and thirty-five (35) years for the second-degree murder, both sentences to be served consecutively. Following the defendant's direct appeal, this Court affirmed the defendant's conviction but remanded the case to the trial court for resentencing because the trial court mistakenly sentenced the defendant as a Range II, persistent offender, misapplied two statutory enhancement factors, and failed to make findings of fact and conclusions of law sufficient to support the imposition of consecutive sentences. The trial court then resentenced the defendant as a Range I, standard offender to serve ten (10) years for the aggravated kidnapping and twenty-two (22) years for the second-degree murder. The court again ordered the sentences to be served consecutively. On appeal, this Court finds (1) that the length of the defendant's sentence is appropriate, and (2) that although the record does not support the trial court's finding that the defendant is a professional criminal, the trial court was correct in finding that the defendant has an extensive criminal history; thus consecutive sentences are also appropriate. The judgment of the trial court is therefore affirmed.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Andrew Charles Helton
M1999-01405-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Seth W. Norman
The Defendant, Andrew Charles Helton, was indicted, along with co-defendants Shirley Crowell and Shayne Cochran, for two counts of premeditated murder and two counts of felony murder for the shooting deaths of Robert Cole and Michael Chatman. After the trial court granted a motion for a judgment of acquittal on the felony murder charges, the Defendant was convicted by a jury of first degree murder for the death of Robert Cole and of second degree murder for the death of Michael Chatman. The Defendant was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment for the first degree murder conviction and to twenty-three years imprisonment for the second degree murder conviction. The Defendant now appeals and argues that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to sustain his convictions. The Defendant also contends that the trial court erred in admitting certain crime scene and autopsy photographs into evidence. After a thorough review of the record and applicable law, we find no merit to the Defendant's contentions and thus affirm his convictions.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Darrell Dodson
M1998-00067-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Trial Court Judge: Leon C. Burns, Jr.

White Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Frederick James Brush
M1999-00622-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Trial Court Judge: Robert E. Burch

Stewart Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Victoria S. Galindo
M1999-00768-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Trial Court Judge: Timothy L. Easter

Williamson Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Alton Darnell Young
M1999-01166-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Trial Court Judge: Seth W. Norman

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Robert Allen Leggett
M1999-01066-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Trial Court Judge: Cheryl A. Blackburn

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Michael Gilliam
E1999-01112-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: James E. Beckner

Hawkins Court of Criminal Appeals

Lawrence Strickland vs. State
E1999-00119-CCA-R3-CD
Trial Court Judge: E. Eugene Eblen

Roane Court of Criminal Appeals