COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OPINIONS

State of Tennessee v. Jeffery McClennon Morris
E2006-00524-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Judge Rex Henry Ogle

The defendant, Jeffery McClennon Morris, was convicted of aggravated sexual battery, a Class B felony, as well as domestic assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Class A misdemeanors. He was sentenced as a violent offender to fifteen years in the Department of Correction for the felony and concurrent sentences of eleven months and twenty-nine days for each misdemeanor. He raises three issues on appeal: (1) the sufficiency of the convicting evidence; (2) whether certain of his statements were admitted at trial in violation of Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 16(a)(1)(A); and (3) the validity of his indictment for domestic assault. Following our review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Sevier Court of Criminal Appeals

James Mario Starnes v. State of Tennessee
M2006-00197-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Trial Court Judge: Judge J. B. Cox

The Petitioner, James Mario Starnes, entered an open guilty plea in the Bedford County Circuit Court to attempted second degree murder and especially aggravated robbery. He received an effective sentence of twenty-five years. He subsequently petitioned for post-conviction relief. In this appeal from the denial of post-conviction relief, the Petitioner argues (1) that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel, (2) that he entered an involuntary guilty plea, and (3) that an insufficient factual basis exists for his plea. Finding no error, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Bedford Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Michael Bailey
W2005-01815-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Judge Joseph B. Dailey

Defendant, Michael Bailey, was indicted on four counts of aggravated robbery. After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted on all four counts. Because the four counts represented four different theories of prosecution for the same criminal episode, the trial court merged the convictions and sentenced Defendant to thirty years as a career offender. After the denial of a motion for new trial, Defendant filed a timely notice of appeal. On appeal, Defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence, the trial court’s decision to admit evidence during rebuttal of another robbery committed by Defendant, the trial court’s refusal to instruct the jury on the lesser included offenses of theft and assault and the trial court’s decision to allow the State to impeach Defendant with evidence of his thirteen prior convictions for aggravated robbery. For the following reasons, the judgment of the trial court is reversed and the case is remanded for a new trial.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Phillip Eugene Johnson
W2006-00503-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. C. McLin
Trial Court Judge: Judge Joseph H. Walker, III

The defendant, Phillip Eugene Johnson, was convicted by a Tipton County jury of statutory rape and sexual battery and was sentenced to an effective term of two years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, he challenges the sufficiency of the convicting evidence and argues that prosecutorial misconduct caused the jury to render an adverse verdict. Following our review of the record and the parties’ briefs, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Tipton Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Clifford Bryant Johnson
W2006-01526-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Roger A. Page

The defendant, Clifford Bryant Johnson, was convicted of one count of aggravated robbery, a class B felony, and sentenced to nine years in prison as a Range I, standard offender. The defendant appeals his conviction, claiming that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction. We conclude that the evidence is sufficient and affirm the defendant’s conviction.

Madison Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Claude Thomas Davis - Concurring
M2005-02007-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge Lillie Ann Sells

I concur in the majority’s affirmance of the defendant’s convictions. I write separately to express my disagreement with the majority’s conclusion that the defendant’s arrest was lawful.  Under the evidence at the suppression hearing, I believe that the defendant was not subject to a warrantless arrest because he was no longer at the “scene of a traffic accident” as contemplated by Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-7-103(a)(6) and that he was not otherwise subject to arrest for a misdemeanor committed in the officer’s presence or for a felony. See T.C.A. § 40-7-103(a)(1)-(3). I believe the defendant was at his home, where he was not subject to a warrantless arrest for misdemeanor driving under the influence. In this regard, I note that after the offense in this case, the law was changed to permit the warrantless arrest of an individual involved in an accident who has left the scene, provided the arrest takes place within four hours of the accident and the officer has probable cause to arrest the defendant for driving under the influence. See T.C.A. § 40-7-103(a)(10).  I do not believe this provision can apply in this case.

Putnam Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Claude Thomas Davis
M2005-02007-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge Lillie Ann Sells

The defendant, Claude Thomas Davis, was convicted of driving under the influence, seventh offense (Class E felony); driving on a revoked license, third offense (Class A misdemeanor); and violation of the implied consent law (Class A misdemeanor) on October 26, 2004. He was sentenced to serve two years in the Department of Correction. On appeal, he contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress all evidence gathered by law enforcement at his home which is also a place of business located on the parking lot where the driving offense occurred. We affirm the judgments from the trial court.

Putnam Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Mark A. Schiefelbein - Amended
M2005-00166-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.

Came the defendant, Mark A. Schiefelbein, through counsel, and the State of Tennessee, through the attorney general, upon the defendant’s appeal from the judgments of the Williamson County Circuit Court, where a jury convicted the defendant of seven counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.  Following extensive briefing, oral argument, and our review of the record and the applicable law, we modify the imposition of consecutive sentences but otherwise affirm the convictions and sentences.

Williamson Court of Criminal Appeals

Shannon Mayes v. State of Tennessee
M2005-02910-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Judge Stella L. Hargrove

Following a jury trial, Petitioner, Shannon Mayes, was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. This Court affirmed his conviction on direct appeal. State v. Shannon Mayes, No. M2002-02091-CCA-R3-CD, 2004 WL 49111, at *1-4 (Tenn. Crim. App., at Nashville, Oct. 15, 2003), perm. app denied (Tenn. May 3, 2004). Petitioner then brought a petition for post-conviction relief alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. The post-conviction court subsequently denied the petition. He now appeals that denial, arguing that he is entitled to post-conviction relief because his trial counsel was ineffective in failing to file a motion to suppress his statement to police. After a thorough review of the record, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Wayne Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Carolyn J. Nobles
M2006-00695-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge Lee Russell

The Defendant, Carolyn J. Nobles, pled guilty to three counts of check forgeries, and a jury found her guilty of sixty-eight check forgeries. The trial court sentenced the Defendant, a Range I offender, to an effective sentence of seventeen years and six months. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the evidence is insufficient to sustain her convictions and that the trial court erred when sentencing her by denying her alternative sentencing and by ordering that some of her sentences run consecutively. Concluding there exists no error, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Bedford Court of Criminal Appeals

Wendell Daniel Washington v. State of Tennessee
W2006-00922-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: Judge Roy Morgan

The petitioner, Wendell Daniel Washington, pled guilty in the Madison County Circuit Court to nine counts of child rape and one count of especially aggravated kidnapping and, pursuant to the plea agreement, received an effective forty-five-year sentence to be served at one hundred percent. In this appeal, he contends that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel and that he did not knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily plead guilty. Upon review of the record and the parties’ briefs, we affirm the post-conviction court’s denial of relief.

Madison Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. William Clay Bohanan, Jr.
M2006-00360-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Trial Court Judge: Judge Steve R. Dozier

The Appellant, William Clay Bohanan, Jr., was convicted by a Davidson County jury of felony escape and vandalism of property valued under $500, a Class A misdemeanor. On appeal, Bohanan raises two issues for our review: (1) whether the trial court erred in failing to charge the jury on the defenses of duress and necessity; and (2) whether the evidence was sufficient to support the convictions. Following review, the judgments of conviction are affirmed.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Thomas Edward Hogue
M2005-02874-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge J. Randall Wyatt, Jr.

Before the court is petitioner Thomas Edward Hogue’s appeal from the Davidson County Criminal Court’s dismissal of his October 2005 “Petition to Set Aside Guilty Plea and to Issue a Writ of Error Coram Nobis.” Based upon an untimely filing of the petition, we affirm the order of dismissal.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Thomas Edward Hogue - Order
M2005-02874-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.

This cause came before the court upon the State of Tennessee’s petition for a rehearing, wherein the State posited that the court’s opinion in this cause incorrectly referred to the statutory provision for the writ of error coram nobis in civil cases when a reference to the statute governing criminal cases should have been used. We agree.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Daniel Eugene Bradford
W2006-01166-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Trial Court Judge: Judge C. Creed McGinley

The Appellant, Daniel Eugene Bradford, appeals the sentencing decision of the Hardin County Circuit Court. Under the terms of a plea agreement, Bradford pled guilty to aggravated assault and misdemeanor assault, receiving concurrent sentences of three years for the felony conviction and eleven months and twenty-nine days for the misdemeanor conviction. The manner and service of the sentences were to be determined by the trial court. On appeal, Bradford challenges the trial court’s denial of probation. After review of the record, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Hardin Court of Criminal Appeals

Anthony Keshun Goods v. Tony Parker, Warden
W2006-00849-CCA-R3-CO
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge R. Lee Moore Jr.

The State appeals the habeas court’s grant of a petition for habeas corpus relief filed by the Petitioner, Anthony Keshun Goods. The Petitioner alleged in his petition that his sentence was illegal because he was sentenced to concurrent terms when the law required him to be sentenced to consecutive terms. On appeal, the State contends the statutory requirement of consecutive sentences does not apply to the Petitioner, his petition is not yet ripe, and the remedy set out by the habeas court is improper. Finding reversible error in the judgment of the habeas court, we reverse the judgment and dismiss the habeas corpus petition.

Lake Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Michael D. Gilliam
M2006-01528-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Trial Court Judge: Judge John H. Gasaway, III

The Defendant, Michael D. Gilliam, appeals from the order of the Montgomery County Circuit Court revoking his probation and ordering that his eight-year sentence be served in the Department of Correction. In December of 2003, the Defendant pled guilty to possession of .5 grams or more of cocaine for resale and received an eight-year sentence. The sentence was suspended following service of twenty days in the county workhouse, and the Defendant was placed on probation. On June 23, 2005, a warrant was issued, wherein it was alleged that the Defendant violated the conditions of his probation. After a hearing, the trial court concluded that the Defendant violated the conditions of his probationary sentence and ordered that his original eight-year sentence to the Department of Correction be reinstated. On appeal, the Defendant argues that the trial court abused its discretion by revoking his probation and ordering that his sentence be served in confinement. After a review of the record, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

Montgomery Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Calvin Fleming
W2006-00098-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge Joseph H. Walker, III

The Defendant, Calvin Fleming, was convicted of attempted first degree murder and aggravated assault. The Defendant was sentenced, as a career offender, to an effective sentence of sixty years. On appeal, the Defendant contends that: (1) the trial court erred when it admitted photographs of the victim’s wounds into evidence because the State failed to authenticate them; (2) the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support the Defendant’s convictions for attempted first degree murder because there was no proof of premeditation; and (3) his convictions for attempted first degree murder and aggravated assault violate constitutional principles of double jeopardy. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court as to the attempted murder, but we reverse the judgment as to the aggravated assault because the aggravated assault should have been merged into the attempted murder. Thus, we remand the case for the trial court to enter a judgment consistent with this opinion.

Tipton Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Raymond Earl McKay
W2006-00920-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Trial Court Judge: Judge J. Weber McCraw

The Appellant, Raymond Earl McKay, appeals the dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief by the Fayette County Circuit Court. McKay pled guilty to one count of theft of property valued between $1,000 and $10,000, a Class D felony, and was sentenced, as a career offender, to twelve years in the Department of Correction. On appeal, he asserts that his plea was not knowingly and voluntarily entered due to the ineffective assistance of counsel. After review, we conclude that McKay received erroneous advise from counsel during the plea bargaining process, which resulted in the entry of an involuntary and unknowing guilty plea. Finding both deficient performance and prejudice, the case is remanded to the trial court for withdrawal of the guilty plea.

Fayette Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Jim Corbett Corder
M2005-02860-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Leon C. Burns, Jr.

The defendant, Jim Corbett Corder, was convicted of attempted voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to four years in prison. On appeal, the defendant argues that the evidence is not sufficient to support his conviction. We conclude that the evidence is sufficient and affirm the judgment of the trial court.

White Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Jikinte Lashane Morris
M2005-02909-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Robert G. Crigler

The defendant, Jikinte Lashane Morris, was convicted of sale of a schedule II drug, fined $3,000, and sentenced to eleven years and nine months as a Range I standard offender. On appeal, Defendant argues that the evidence is not sufficient to support his convictions, and that the trial court abused its discretion by denying the jury access, as part of its deliberations, to the surveillance video introduced as evidence at trial. We conclude that the evidence is sufficient and that the trial court did not abuse its discretion regarding the surveillance video. Thus, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Bedford Court of Criminal Appeals

Richard Madkins v. State of Tennessee
M2005-02873-CCA-R3-HC
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Mark J. Fishburn

The petitioner, Richard Madkins, filed a February 2005 Davidson County Criminal Court petition for habeas corpus relief from his 1994 jury-tried conviction of especially aggravated robbery, for which he was originally sentenced to a term of 60 years and re-sentenced in 2003 to a term of 25 years. Before the habeas corpus court, the petitioner argued that he was illegally re-sentenced because the 1994 jury verdict and conviction were void and because, instead of re-sentencing, he should have been immediately released from custody. Following a hearing, the habeas corpus court dismissed the petition, and we affirm.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Jimmy Wayne Green
W2005-02623-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge Donald H. Allen

The Defendant, Jimmy Wayne Green, was indicted for theft of property and two counts of assault. In accordance with a plea agreement, he submitted a best interest plea to one count of assault in exchange for the State dismissing the other count of assault and the theft charge. The trial court accepted the plea and sentenced the Defendant to eleven months and twenty-nine days, thirty days of which was to be served in confinement with the remainder to be served on probation. The Defendant now appeals, contending that the trial court erred when it sentenced him. Finding no error, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Madison Court of Criminal Appeals

Demond Gardner v. State of Tennessee
W2006-00170-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge W. Mark Ward

The Petitioner, Demond Gardner, filed a pro se petition for post-conviction relief claiming that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel. After appointing the Petitioner counsel and holding a hearing, the post-conviction court denied relief. The Petitioner filed this appeal, contending that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel. Finding no error, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Donte Montgomery
W2006-00347-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge W. Mark Ward

The Petitioner, Donte Montgomery, pled guilty to one count of possession with the intent to sell more than 0.5 grams of cocaine, and the trial judge imposed a sentence of six years in the workhouse as a standard offender. The Petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction relief, which was dismissed by the post-conviction court after a hearing. On appeal, the Petitioner contends he was not afforded the effective assistance of counsel, and his guilty plea was not voluntarily entered. We affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals