COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OPINIONS

State of Tennessee v. Arnold V. Porter
01C01-9410-CC-00353
Authoring Judge: Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Trial Court Judge: Judge Gerald L. Ewell, Sr.

The defendant, Arnold V. Porter, appeals from a jury conviction in the Circuit Court of Coffee County for two counts of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, a Class E felony. The defendant received two two-year sentences as a Range I, standard offender to be served concurrently in addition to a fine of twenty-five hundred dollars in each count. In this appeal as of right, he presents the following issues:


I. whether the evidence is sufficient to support guilty verdicts for felony reckless endangerment,
II. whether he was denied a fair trial because the jury did not represent a fair cross-section of the community,
III. whether the trial court imposed an excessive sentence, and
IV. whether the trial court abused its discretion in raising his bond pending appeal.

Coffee Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v Carla Jo Fitch - Concurring
01C01-9209-CC-00290
Authoring Judge: Judge Penny J. White
Trial Court Judge: Judge William Charles Lee

I concur with Judge Cornelius' reversal of this case, but write separately to address other issues.

Lincoln Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Darryl Gene Farmer
01C01-9409-CC-00328
Authoring Judge: Judge William M. Barker
Trial Court Judge: Judge Charles D. Haston

The appellant, Darryl Gene Farmer, appeals as of right pursuant to Rule 3 (b) of the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure from his conviction of murder in the first degree following a jury trial in the Circuit Court for Warren County. The appellant was sentenced to life in prison. In this appeal he presents five (5) issues for our review.


(1) Whether the evidence was sufficient for a rational trier of fact to find the appellant guilty of first degree murder beyond a reasonable doubt;
(2) Whether the indictment against the appellant was invalid because of irregularities in the selection of the venire and/or the presence of an unauthorized individual during grand jury proceedings;
(3) Whether certain statements made by the prosecuting attorneys during closing argument constituted prosecutorial misconduct;

(4) Whether the trial court erroneously admitted into evidence statements made by the appellant on the night of his arrest;
(5) Whether the trial court erroneously admitted into evidence statements made by the decedent.


After a thorough review of the record in this case, the applicable law, and arguments of counsel, we conclude that with regard to issues one (1) through three (3) no reversible error appears in this case. However, because the record is inadequate with regard to whether the appellant’ s right to counsel was violated during police questioning, we remand the case for further factual findings on issue number four (4). We conclude that error exists with regard to issue number five (5).

Warren Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee vs. Carla Jo Fitch
01C01-9209-CC-00290
Authoring Judge: Special Judge Allen R. Cornelius, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge W. Charles Lee

A Lincoln County jury convicted Carla Jo Fitch of murder in the first degree. The trial court approved the verdict and imposed a sentence of life in the Tennessee State Penitentiary for Women. Her motion for a new trial was denied, and she has appealed to this Court. The defense presents four main issues, of which the first three issues have sub-issues.

Lincoln Court of Criminal Appeals

03C01-9304-CR-00135
03C01-9304-CR-00135

Johnson Court of Criminal Appeals

02C01-9504-CC-00102
02C01-9504-CC-00102
Trial Court Judge: C. Creed Mcginley

Decatur Court of Criminal Appeals

02C01-9502-CR-00049
02C01-9502-CR-00049
Trial Court Judge: Arthur T. Bennett

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

02C01-9505-CR-00145
02C01-9505-CR-00145
Trial Court Judge: Arthur T. Bennett

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

02C01-9503-CC-00059
02C01-9503-CC-00059

Gibson Court of Criminal Appeals

02C01-9412-CC-00298
02C01-9412-CC-00298
Trial Court Judge: Julian P. Guinn

Henry Court of Criminal Appeals

Probable Cause Standard&Quot; Applied In State v. White, No. 03C01-9408-Cr-00277, Sullivan
02C01-9412-CC-00298

Henry Court of Criminal Appeals

02C01-9412-CR-00263
02C01-9412-CR-00263

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

Eligibility; (2) Finding a Violation of Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123 (1968);
02C01-9503-CC-00059

Gibson Court of Criminal Appeals

02C01-9503-CR-00087
02C01-9503-CR-00087
Trial Court Judge: Arthur T. Bennett

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

02C01-9505-CC-00119
02C01-9505-CC-00119
Trial Court Judge: C. Creed Mcginley

Hardin Court of Criminal Appeals

02C01-9504-CC-00103
02C01-9504-CC-00103
Trial Court Judge: Julian P. Guinn

Henry Court of Criminal Appeals

02C01-9412-CR-00294
02C01-9412-CR-00294
Trial Court Judge: Arthur T. Bennett

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

02C01-9501-CC-00001
02C01-9501-CC-00001

Obion Court of Criminal Appeals

02C01-9505-CR-00120
02C01-9505-CR-00120

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

02C01-9411-CR-00254
02C01-9411-CR-00254
Trial Court Judge: W. Fred Axley

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

03C01-9507-CR-00192
03C01-9507-CR-00192

Knox Court of Criminal Appeals

03C01-9404-CR-00156
03C01-9404-CR-00156
Trial Court Judge: Richard R. Baumgartner

Knox Court of Criminal Appeals

03C01-9108-CR-00236
03C01-9108-CR-00236
Trial Court Judge: Douglas A. Meyer

Hamilton Court of Criminal Appeals

01C01-9410-CC-00338
01C01-9410-CC-00338
Trial Court Judge: Donald P. Harris

Hickman Court of Criminal Appeals

01C01-9503-CC-00092
01C01-9503-CC-00092

Williamson Court of Criminal Appeals