State vs. James Cole W2000-00056-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Trial Court Judge: Chris B. Craft
The Defendant, James L. Cole, appeals as of right from his first degree felony murder conviction. On appeal, he asserts that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction. We hold that the evidence was sufficient to support the Defendant's conviction; accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Shelby
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Terry Johnson W2000-00749-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Joseph H. Walker, III
A Lauderdale County jury convicted the defendant of felony reckless endangerment, and in this appeal, the defendant claims two errors: (1) The trial court erroneously determined that the eight-year-old victim was competent to testify, and (2) the defendant was denied his right to a unanimous verdict. We find no error requiring reversal and affirm the conviction.
Lauderdale
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Alexander Lee W1999-01804-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Trial Court Judge: Chris B. Craft
The Appellant, Alexander A. Lee, pled guilty to one count of felony possession of cocaine, a class C felony. The Shelby County Criminal Court sentenced the Appellant to three years, suspended, with nine months to serve in the county workhouse. On appeal, the Appellant contends that the trial judge erred in denying his request for total probation. After review, we find no error. Therefore, the judgment is affirmed.
Shelby
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Donald Lynn Miller E1999-00148-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Trial Court Judge: Ray L. Jenkins
Donald Lynn Miller was convicted by a jury of felony murder and especially aggravated robbery and received respective sentences of life imprisonment and twenty-three years. On appeal, Miller raises the following issues: (1) whether the trial court committed reversible error by allowing the victim's skull to be admitted into evidence; (2) whether the trial court erred by admitting Miller's statement to police into evidence and (3) whether the evidence is insufficient to support the verdict. After review, we find no error and affirm the judgment of the Knox County Criminal Court.
Knox
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Carlos L. Batey M2000-00759-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Trial Court Judge: Seth W. Norman
The defendant appeals a certified question from the trial court's denial of his motion to suppress cocaine seized incident to his warrantless arrest. He contends that the police lacked probable cause to arrest him because the state failed to prove the basis of knowledge and the reliability of the informant who arranged the drug transaction which led to his arrest. We affirm the trial court's denial of the motion to suppress.
Davidson
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Jeffrey Coffey M2000-00770-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Jim T. Hamilton
The defendant was convicted by a Maury County jury of aggravated child abuse of a child six years of age or less, a Class A felony, and was sentenced to twenty-five years in confinement, the maximum sentence for a Range I, standard offender. In this appeal as of right, the defendant presents two issues for our review: (1) whether the evidence was sufficient to support the conviction; and (2) whether the sentence was excessive. We conclude that the convicting evidence was sufficient. We further conclude that, although the trial court erred in applying enhancement factors (5) and (6), two other statutory enhancement factors were appropriately applied. Additionally, we conclude that, although the trial court erred in not applying mitigating factors (6) and (13), the defendant was appropriately sentenced. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
Maury
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Michael Nevens M2000-00815-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Trial Court Judge: Timothy L. Easter
The defendant appeals from his conviction for theft of a bottle of tea, contesting the jury instructions, the effectiveness of his trial counsel, the state's cross-examination of defense witnesses, the state's closing argument and the trial court's failure to rule upon a subsequent objection, and his sentence. Because the trial court erred in instructing the jury, we reverse the defendant's conviction and remand the case to the trial court.
Williamson
Court of Criminal Appeals
Ray Charles Gasaway vs. State M2000-00991-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Steve R. Dozier
Petitioner, Ray Charles Gasaway, filed a Petition for Post-Conviction Relief in the Davidson County Criminal Court, which the post-conviction court subsequently denied. Petitioner challenges the denial of his petition, raising the following issue: whether the trial court erred in ruling that the Petitioner was provided effective assistance of counsel. Specifically, Petitioner argues that his trial counsel failed to investigate, failed to raise the fatal variance between the indictment and the proof at trial and failed to raise as an issue the violation of Petitioner's right to due process because of the delay between the commission of the crimes and commencement of adversarial proceedings. After a thorough review of the record, we affirm the trial court's denial of the Petitioner's post-conviction petition.
Davidson
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Martin Charles Jones E1999-01296-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Trial Court Judge: Ray L. Jenkins
The Appellant, Martin Charles Jones, pled guilty to nine counts of criminal exposure to HIV, class C felonies, and to three counts of statutory rape, class E felonies. Following a sentencing hearing, the Knox County Criminal Court imposed an effective sentence of seventeen years incarceration. On appeal, the Appellant asserts that the trial court erred by denying his request for alternative sentencing. After review, we find no error and affirm the judgment.
Knox
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Gary Russell E1999-01511-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: James B. Scott, Jr.
The appellant pled guilty in the Anderson County Criminal Court to three counts of selling over .5 grams of cocaine. Pursuant to a plea agreement, the trial court imposed concurrent sentences of eight years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction for each conviction. The trial court denied the appellant any form of non-incarcerative alternative sentencing, including probation. On appeal, the appellant challenges the trial court's denial of alternative sentencing. Upon review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.
State vs. Walter Jackson E1999-02186-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Trial Court Judge: Mary Beth Leibowitz
Walter Jackson appeals the judgment of the Knox County Criminal Court revoking his placement in the community corrections program and reinstating his original eight-year Department of Correction sentence. Prior to his revocation, Jackson was serving an eight-year community corrections sentence resulting from his 1991 guilty pleas to two counts of sale of cocaine. Jackson challenges the revocation of his community corrections sentence and the redesignation of his confinement with the Department of Correction. Finding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion, we affirm.
Knox
Court of Criminal Appeals
Luther Brown, III vs. State E1999-02290-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: R. Jerry Beck
The petitioner, Luther Robert Brown, III, appeals from the Sullivan County Criminal Court's summary dismissal of his petition for the writ of habeas corpus. Brown seeks relief from a "parole hold" that Tennessee officials have caused to be placed upon him within the Virginia prison system. According to the allegations of his petition, the parole hold has resulted in the Virginia prison system denying him inmate privileges to which he would otherwise be entitled. Additionally, he complains that he has not been granted a Tennessee parole hearing even though he has served his Tennessee sentence past the release eligibility date. Because we agree with the lower court that these complaints are not cognizable in a habeas corpus proceeding, we affirm the lower court's dismissal of the petition.
Sullivan
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. David Mitchell E1999-02761-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: James B. Scott, Jr.
The defendant, David Calvin Mitchell, appeals the manner of service of his sentence for second offense DUI. Notwithstanding Anderson County's lack of a work release program for jail inmates, he claims that he is statutorily and constitutionally entitled to work release during the mandatory, 45-day period of jail confinement for his crime. Because we hold that the defendant was not statutorily entitled to work release consideration and that there was no equal protection violation, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Anderson
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Juliann Whitehead E2000-00031-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
The appellant, Juliann Lynn Whitehead, pled guilty in the Blount County Circuit Court to one count of burglary, a class D felony, and one count of theft under $500, a class A misdemeanor. The trial court sentenced the appellant to four years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction for the burglary conviction and to eleven months and twenty-nine days incarceration in the Blount County Jail for the theft conviction. The trial court ordered that these sentences run concurrently, and allowed the appellant to serve her sentences on intensive probation. During a random drug screen conducted by the appellant's probation officer approximately three months after sentencing, the appellant tested positive for cocaine. Additionally, the appellant admitted to her probation officer that she had left the state without permission. Pursuant to a probation revocation hearing, the trial court revoked the appellant's probation and ordered her to serve the balance of her sentences in the Tennessee Department of Correction and recommended that she be placed into a Special Needs Facility to assist with her substance abuse and mental health problems. On appeal, the appellant raises the following issue for our review: whether the trial court erred in sentencing the appellant to serve the balance of her sentences in the Tennessee Department of Correction after revoking her probation. Upon review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Blount
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Teresa R. Hodge E2000-00040-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
The defendant appeals the Blount County Circuit Court's determination that her plea-bargained, eleven-month and 29-day effective sentence for theft and possession of cocaine shall be served in confinement, subject to 75 percent of service before the defendant is eligible for rehabilitative programs. The record supports the trial court's determination, and we affirm.
Blount
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Howard W. Weaver E2000-00066-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: E. Eugene Eblen
The defendant appeals his convictions of two counts of aggravated sexual battery. He claims that the trial court erred (1) in denying his motion to suppress his statement given to investigators from the Department of Children's Services and sheriff's department, and (2) in failing to require the state to elect the particular offenses upon which it sought convictions. He also claims that the evidence presented at trial is insufficient to support his convictions. Upon review, we accept the state's concession of error in the failure to elect, but we are unpersuaded of merit in the defendant's suppression and sufficiency issues. We reverse the defendant's convictions and remand for a new trial.
Roane
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Patty Pace Purkey E2000-00308-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: O. Duane Slone
The appellant, Patty Pace Purkey, pled guilty in the Grainger County Criminal Court to one count of vehicular assault, a class D felony, one count of reckless endangerment, a class E felony, three counts of simple possession of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor, and one count of driving on a revoked license, a class B misdemeanor. The trial court sentenced the appellant to the following terms of incarceration: three years in the Tennessee Department of Correction for vehicular assault; two years in the Tennessee Department of Correction for reckless endangerment; eleven months and twenty-nine days in the county jail for each of the simple possession convictions; and six months in the county jail for driving on a revoked license. The trial court further ordered that all of the appellant's sentences be served concurrently and assessed a total of $750 in fines. The trial court denied the appellant any form of alternative sentencing. On appeal, the appellant raises the following issue for our review: whether the trial court erred in failing to order probation or another alternative sentence. Upon review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.
Grainger
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Kenneth England E2000-00535-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: E. Shayne Sexton
The defendant appeals the revocation of his community corrections sentence. Finding a lack of justiciable, substantial evidence to support the revocation, we reverse.
Campbell
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Danielle Walker E2000-00578-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
The appellant, Danielle L. Walker, pled guilty in the Blount County Circuit Court to one count of theft of property over $1000, a class D felony. The trial court sentenced the appellant as a standard Range I offender to two years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction. The trial court ordered the appellant to serve twenty days of her sentence in periodic confinement and to serve the balance of her sentence on supervised probation. The trial court also ordered the appellant to make restitution to the victim in the amount of $2,928.56. On appeal, the appellant raises the following issues for our review: (1) whether the trial court erred by refusing to grant the appellant judicial diversion; and (2) whether the trial court erred by refusing to grant the appellant full probation. Upon review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Blount
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Josh Moon E2000-00690-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Rex Henry Ogle
The defendant appeals from his Sevier County Circuit Court sentence for simple assault, a Class A misdemeanor. The trial court sentenced the defendant to eleven months and 29 days, with six months of the sentence to be served incarcerated in jail and the balance on supervised probation. The trial court ordered restitution to the victim in the amount of $18,700 for medical expenses. In this direct appeal, the defendant complains that he should have received full probation. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Sevier
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. William Washington a/k/a "Freddie" E2000-00695-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Trial Court Judge: Robert E. Cupp
William Washington was found guilty by a Washington County jury of one count of possession of less than one-half gram of cocaine with intent to sell. Washington, a range III offender, was sentenced to twelve years in the Department of Correction. The following issues are presented on appeal: (1) the sufficiency of the convicting evidence and (2) whether the trial court impermissibly limited the scope of his voir dire examination of prospective jurors with regard to racial bias. Finding no error, the judgment is affirmed.
Washington
Court of Criminal Appeals
State vs. Michael Colvin E2000-00701-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: Lynn W. Brown
A jury found the defendant guilty of aggravated assault for shooting a coworker with a handgun during an altercation at their workplace. The trial court sentenced him to five years in the county workhouse, denying his request for probation. The defendant appeals his conviction and sentencing, arguing that the jury's verdict was not supported by the evidence, and that the trial court erred in sentencing him to five years imprisonment. Based upon our review, we conclude that the evidence at trial was sufficient to support the conviction, and that the nature and circumstances of the defendant's offense justifies the sentence imposed. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
The defendant was convicted in the Shelby County Criminal Court of rape of a child. In this appeal as of right, the defendant presents two issues, one with subparts: (1) whether the trial court erred in admitting the following: (a) testimony of the sister of the victim concerning a prior bad act of the defendant; (b) testimony of the mother of the victim concerning statements made by the victim to her following the rape; and (c) testimony of the nurse practitioner concerning statements made to her by the victim and his mother; and (2) whether the evidence was sufficient to support his conviction. We conclude that the trial court erred in admitting the testimony of the victim's sister concerning the defendant's sitting her on his lap and asking for a kiss. Nevertheless, we conclude that such error was harmless. The testimony of the mother of the victim was properly admitted pursuant to the excited utterance exception to the hearsay rule. The defendant's failure to timely object to the testimony of the nurse practitioner constitutes a waiver of that issue. We further conclude that the evidence was sufficient to support the defendant's conviction for child rape. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
