COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OPINIONS

State of Tennessee v. Dennis Ray Jones and Pamela Kay Barker
W2002-00402-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: Judge Julian P. Guinn

Appellant Dennis Ray Jones was convicted in the Henry County Circuit Court of manufacturing methamphetamine and was sentenced to three years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction. Appellant Pamela Kay Barker was convicted of criminal responsibility for facilitating the manufacturing of methamphetamine and was sentenced to two years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the appellants raise numerous issues, including the trial court’s ruling on a motion to suppress, the sufficiency of the evidence, and sentencing. Upon review of the record and the parties’ briefs, we affirm the judgments of the trial court but remand for a correction of Appellant Barker’s judgment of conviction.

Henry Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Dennis Ray Jones and Pamela Kay Barker - Concurring/Dissenting
W2002-00402-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge James Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Julian P. Guinn

I concur in affirming defendant Jones’s conviction of manufacturing methamphetamine but respectfully dissent from affirming Barker’s conviction of facilitation of the same offense.

Henry Court of Criminal Appeals

Anthony Murff v. State of Tennessee
W2003-00467-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge Joseph H. Walker, III

This is an appeal by the petitioner from the denial of his post-conviction relief petition. The petitioner was originally convicted of especially aggravated robbery and sentenced to 60 years at 100% service. After careful review, we affirm the denial of post-conviction relief.

Lauderdale Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Danny Wayne Arnold
M2003-01127-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Trial Court Judge: Judge Lee Russell

The defendant was convicted of robbery under a theory of criminal responsibility for the conduct of another. The defendant contends the evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction. We conclude a reasonable jury could have inferred the defendant's intent to assist in the robbery based upon his contemporaneous assault on the victim. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Bedford Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Paul Anthony Buckner
M2003-01743-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Trial Court Judge: Judge Seth W. Norman

The defendant pled guilty to two counts of attempted second degree murder. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court imposed two consecutive ten-year sentences. The defendant contends on appeal the trial court erred in imposing consecutive sentences. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Cecil Moss
M2003-00477-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Judge Robert E. Burch

Defendant, Cecil Moss, appeals from the trial court's order revoking his probation and reinstating his original sentence to be served in the Tennessee Department of Correction. Defendant argues that the trial court erred by failing to consider any alternative sentencing options other than incarceration. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Dickson Court of Criminal Appeals

Robert E. Allen v. State of Tennessee
E2003-01070-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge Richard R. Baumgartner

The Petitioner, Robert E. Allen, pled guilty to aggravated assault, three counts of domestic assault, vandalism, evading arrest, public intoxication and reckless burning. The trial court sentenced him to five years in prison for the aggravated assault and eleven months and twenty-nine days on each of the other charges, with the sentences to run concurrently. The Petitioner did not perfect an appeal of his sentence, but petitioned for post-conviction relief on the grounds that he was denied effective assistance of counsel. Following a hearing on the post-conviction petition, the post-conviction court dismissed the petition. On appeal, the Petitioner contends that he was denied effective assistance of counsel for the following reasons: (1) trial counsel failed to properly advise him as to the potential sentences for all the charges covered in the plea agreement; and (2) trial counsel failed to advise him of his right to appeal the sentence imposed by the trial court. Finding no error, we affirm the post-conviction court's dismissal of the petition.

Knox Court of Criminal Appeals

George Pickle v. State of Tennessee
W2002-02622-CCA-R3-HC
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Judge J. C. McLin

This matter is before the Court upon the State’s motion to affirm the judgment of the trial court by opinion pursuant to Rule 20, Rules of the Court of Criminal Appeals. The Petitioner is appealing the trial court's denial of habeas corpus relief. The Petitioner fails to assert a ground of relief entitling him to habeas corpus relief. Accordingly, the State's motion is granted and the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Christopher Jerome Taylor
W2002-01977-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood

A Fayette County jury convicted the Defendant, Christopher Jerome Taylor, of possession of more than 0.5 grams of cocaine with intent to deliver, possession of more than 0.5 ounces of marijuana with intent to deliver, and felony possession of a handgun. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court imposed concurrent sentences of eighteen years for cocaine possession, three years for marijuana possession, and three years for felony possession of a handgun. On appeal, the Defendant contends: (1) that insufficient evidence exists in the record to support his convictions; and (2) that his sentence is excessive. Finding no reversible error, we affirm the trial court’s judgments.

Fayette Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Michael Dwight Stewart and James Henry Brown
M2002-02592-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Trial Court Judge: Judge Steve R. Dozier

The Appellants, Michael Dwight Stewart and James Henry Brown, appeal the sentencing decisions of the Davidson County Criminal Court. Stewart pled guilty to aggravated robbery and aggravated kidnapping and received an effective twelve-year sentence. Brown pled guilty to aggravated rape and received a twenty-four-year sentence in the Department of Correction. In this consolidated appeal, Stewart and Brown raise the single issue of whether the sentences imposed were excessive. After review of the record, the sentencing decisions are affirmed.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Michael Dwight Stewart and James Henry Brown - Concurring
M2002-02592-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Judge Steve R. Dozier

I concur in the result reached by the majority, and the reasoning used in the majority opinion on all issues except its conclusion that enhancement factor (7), that Defendant Brown was motivated by a desire to satisfy his pleasure or excitement, is inapplicable.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

Donald W. Rhea, Jr. v. State of Tennessee
M2003-01034-CCA-R3-CO
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: Judge Stella L. Hargrove

The petitioner, Donald W. Rhea, Jr., pled guilty in the Davidson County Criminal Court to robbery and attempted robbery and received a nine-year sentence. Subsequently, the petitioner filed for habeas corpus relief in the Wayne County Circuit Court, alleging that his sentence was illegal and that the indictments underlying his conviction were fatally defective. The trial court dismissed the habeas corpus petition and the petitioner timely appealed. Upon review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Wayne Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Perry Singo
M2003-01230-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge Allen W. Wallace

A jury convicted the defendant of four counts of child rape and four counts of aggravated sexual battery. The trial court sentenced the defendant to twenty-five years on each of the child rape convictions and twelve years on each of the aggravated sexual battery convictions, with two of the child rape sentences to run consecutively and all other sentences to run concurrently, for an effective sentence of fifty years. On direct appeal, this Court reversed and dismissed three of the convictions for child rape. We remanded the case for a determination of whether the remaining sentences should run consecutively. Following a re-sentencing hearing, the trial court ordered two of the aggravated sexual battery sentences and the child rape sentence to run consecutively, for an effective sentence of forty-nine years. The defendant contends on appeal that the trial court erred in ordering consecutive sentencing. We conclude that the record supports the grounds for consecutive sentencing under Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-35-115(b)(5), and the sentence is "justly deserved in relation to the seriousness of the offenses" and is "no greater than that deserved for the offenses committed."

Dickson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Jeffery A. Pack
M2003-01431-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge Robert E. Burch

The defendant appeals his conviction for false reporting on the basis of insufficient evidence to support the verdict. After review, we conclude the evidence to be sufficient to support the conviction and affirm the judgment from the trial court.

Dickson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Jimmy Rogers
M2003-00381-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Trial Court Judge: Judge Carol L. Soloman

Following a jury trial, the Defendant, Jimmy W. Rogers, was convicted of aggravated assault. In this direct appeal, he raises the following issues: (1) whether the trial court erred by refusing to allow him and a co-defendant to compare jury strikes; (2) whether the trial court erred by admitting a video tape and an audio tape into evidence; (3) whether the trial court erred by denying him discovery of the victim's medical records; (4) whether the trial court erred by refusing to grant him a continuance; (5) whether the trial court erred by limiting his cross-examination of the victim; (6) whether the trial court erred by refusing to grant a mistrial based on improper comments by the prosecutor during closing argument; (7) whether the trial court erred in its jury instruction; (8) whether the trial court improperly sentenced the Defendant; and (9) whether the trial court erred by refusing to suspend the Defendant's sentence pending the appeal. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. William Herbert Stitts
W2002-01903-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: Judge Donald H. Allen

The appellant, William Herbert Stitts, was convicted by a jury in the Madison County Circuit Court of two counts of robbery, Class C felonies. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court sentenced the appellant on each count as a Range II multiple offender to ten years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction, to be served consecutively to one another and consecutively to sentences for previous, unrelated convictions. On appeal, the appellant asserts that (1) the evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction of robbery as charged in count one of the indictment, and (2) the sentence imposed by the trial court was excessive. Upon review of the record and the parties’ briefs, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Madison Court of Criminal Appeals

William Romero Padilla v. State of Tennessee
W2003-00713-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: Judge Joseph H. Walker, III

The petitioner, William Romero Padilla, was convicted in the Haywood County Circuit Court of rape of a child and was sentenced to twenty-five years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction. Subsequently, he filed for post-conviction relief, alleging that counsel was ineffective and that “fundamental fairness” dictated that a different prosecutor should have represented the State at trial. After an evidentiary hearing, the post-conviction court dismissed the petition, and the petitioner appealed. Upon our review of the record and the parties’ briefs, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Haywood Court of Criminal Appeals

Tracy Lynnette Glenn v. State of Tennessee
W2003-00752-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Trial Court Judge: Judge Joseph H. Walker, III

The petitioner originally entered an open guilty plea to aggravated robbery and child neglect and
received concurrent sentences of eight years and eleven months and twenty-nine days, respectively, to be served in incarceration. She timely sought post-conviction relief, which was denied. In this appeal, the petitioner asserts defense counsel was ineffective and, thus, her guilty plea resulted from defense counsel’s ineffectiveness. We affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Gibson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. David G. Housler
M2003-03122-CCA-R10-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry L. Smith
Trial Court Judge: Judge John H. Gasaway, III

This court granted the State of Tennessee's application for an appeal pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Appellate Procedure 10. The State is seeking reversal of the order of the Montgomery County Circuit Court which supplemented the appellate record in the defendant's direct appeal with the transcript of the trial in the case of State v. Courtney Matthews, Montgomery County Circuit Court No. 33791. Although Housler and Matthews were both charged in the homicides of four Taco Bell employees in Clarksville, Tennessee, the pair was tried separately, and the transcript of Matthews' trial was never introduced into evidence at any stage of the Housler trial or at any post-trial proceedings involving Housler. As a result, the order of the Montgomery County Circuit Court is REVERSED and VACATED, and the clerk of this court is ORDERED to return to the Montgomery County Circuit Court Clerk the transcript of the trial in State v. Courtney Matthews, Montgomery County Circuit Court No. 33791.

Montgomery Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Tavarus La'Trent Martindale
M2003-00051-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Trial Court Judge: Judge Stella L. Hargrove

The defendant, Tavarus La'Trent Martindale, was convicted by a jury in the Giles County Circuit Court of murder in the first degree and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In this appeal as of right, the defendant contends (1) that the evidence is insufficient to convict him of murder in the first degree, (2) that the trial court erred by not excluding the autopsy evidence, and (3) that the trial court's sentencing instructions to the jury were unclear as to the standard for imposing life in prison without the possibility of parole or for imposing life in prison. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Giles Court of Criminal Appeals

Joseph D. Taylor v. State of Tennessee
M2003-00138-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Judge W. Charles Lee

Petitioner, Joseph Taylor, filed a petition for post-conviction relief which was subsequently amended. Following an evidentiary hearing, the trial court dismissed the petition. On appeal, Petitioner argues that his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance of counsel because he (1) failed to adequately meet with Petitioner prior to trial; (2) failed to interview and call certain witnesses to testify; (3) failed to request a jury instruction on assault as a lesser-included offense of attempted rape; and (4) failed to object to the classification of Petitioner as a career offender when the trial court sentenced Petitioner for attempted rape. Petitioner also alleges that his appellate counsel rendered ineffective assistance of counsel when he failed to appeal the classification of Petitioner as a career offender for purposes of sentencing. After a thorough review of the record, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed in part and reversed in part, and this case is remanded to the trial court for a new sentencing hearing in accordance with this opinion.

Marshall Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Shaun David Pierce
M2003-01076-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Trial Court Judge: Judge W. Charles Lee

The Defendant, Shaun David Pierce, pled guilty to four counts of burglary of an automobile, a Class E felony, two counts of theft over one-thousand dollars, a Class D felony, two counts of theft over five-hundred dollars, a Class E felony, four counts of theft under five-hundred dollars, a Class A misdemeanor, and two counts of vandalism under five-hundred dollars, a Class A misdemeanor. The Defendant received an effective sentence of sixteen years. The sole issue in this direct appeal is whether the trial court erred by not allowing the Defendant to serve his sentence in the community corrections program. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Marshall Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Terry Clark
M2003-01925-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge George C. Sexton

A Dickson County jury convicted the Defendant, Terry Clark, of driving under the influence of an intoxicant ("DUI") and assault. The Defendant alleges that the evidence is insufficient to support her assault conviction. After reviewing the record, we conclude that sufficient evidence exists and, accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Dickson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Deji A. Ogundiya
M2002-03099-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Trial Court Judge: Judge Carol L. Soloman

After a mistrial in August of 2001, the Defendant, Deji Ogundiya, was retried and convicted by a jury of three counts of sexual battery. In this appeal, the Defendant raises several issues, including whether the trial court erred by failing to charge misdemeanor assault as a lesser-included offense of sexual battery. The State concedes that the trial court so erred. We agree that the trial court committed reversible error by failing to charge the jury with the lesser-included offense. Therefore, the Defendant's convictions are reversed and the case is remanded for a new trial.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

Ronnie M. Cauthern v. State of Tennessee
M2002-00929-CCA-R3-PD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Michael R. Jones

The petitioner, Ronnie M. Cauthern, appeals the Montgomery County Circuit Court's denial of his petition for post-conviction relief. In 1988, the petitioner was convicted by a jury of two counts of felony murder and sentenced to death. He was also convicted of the related crimes of first degree burglary and aggravated rape. His convictions were affirmed on direct appeal by the Tennessee Supreme Court, but his death sentences were reversed and remanded for a new sentencing trial. Upon retrial before a jury in 1995, the petitioner received the death penalty for the murder of one victim and a sentence of life imprisonment for the second victim's murder. Those sentences were appealed and affirmed, following which the petitioner instituted a collateral proceeding seeking post-conviction relief from his convictions and sentences. Lengthy hearings were conducted on the petitioner's claims, the majority of which involved allegations that counsel representing him in his 1988 and 1995 trials rendered constitutionally ineffective assistance of counsel. On appeal, the petitioner contends (1) that trial counsel's services were deficient and prejudicial; (2) that the state suppressed exculpatory evidence in violation of his due process rights; (3) that the United States Supreme Court's opinions in Apprendi v. New Jersey and Ring v. Arizona require that his death sentence be set aside; (4) that he was entitled to but was not notified of his right to seek German consular assistance pursuant to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations; (5) that the lower court erroneously concluded that some of his claims had been waived or previously determined; (6) that Tennessee's system of capital punishment is unconstitutional; and (7) that erroneous jury instructions impaired his right to a fair trial. After an extensive review of the record and consideration of applicable law, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Montgomery Court of Criminal Appeals