State of Tennessee v. Larry Pittman
The defendant, currently serving a life sentence as the result of a 1984 conviction for armed robbery, filed a motion to correct an illegal sentence, pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1, claiming that the sentencing court erred in finding him to be a “persistent offender.” His motion was denied without a hearing, and he appealed. Following our review, we affirm the order of the trial court dismissing the motion. |
Madison | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Darrian White
The Appellant, Darrian White, appeals as of right from the Shelby County Criminal Court’s denial of his Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1 motion to correct an illegal sentence. The Appellant contends that he was released on bail prior to committing several offenses and that his sentences are illegal because the trial court ordered them to be served concurrently rather than consecutively. Discerning no error, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Shelby | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Joseph Jordan
The defendant, Joseph Jordan, was convicted of rape, a Class B felony, two counts of false imprisonment, Class A misdemeanors, and one count of domestic assault, a Class A misdemeanor. On appeal, he argues that the trial court erred by not requiring the State to make an election of offenses; that the evidence is insufficient to sustain his convictions; that the testimony of a witness did not open the door to his prior conviction for domestic assault; that the trial court erred in restricting the testimony of a second witness to impeach the victim; that the trial court erred by instructing the jury regarding the mens rea of recklessness for the crime of rape; that the trial court should have instructed the jury regarding the defense of voluntary intoxication; that the trial court erred in admitting evidence of his prior bad acts; that the State committed prosecutorial misconduct in its opening statement; that it was plain error to allow the victim to testify that the defendant was incarcerated; and that his convictions should be reversed under the doctrine of cumulative error. Following our thorough review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court. |
Shelby | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Ernest Lee Jennings v. Gerald McAllister, Warden
A jury convicted the petitioner of three counts of rape of a child, a Class A felony, and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, a Class B felony. In this petition for the writ of habeas corpus, the petitioner alleges that various errors at trial and on post-conviction render his convictions void. The trial court dismissed the petition without a hearing, and the petitioner appeals the dismissal. We conclude that the trial court did not err in dismissing the petition, and we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
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Johnson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Bashan Murchison
Defendant, Bashan Murchison and his Co-Defendant, Garrick Graham, were convicted by a Sullivan County Jury of numerous drug offenses. Specifically, Defendant Murchison was convicted of delivery of .5 grams or more of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school zone (count 9), sale of .5 grams or more of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school zone (count 10), delivery of .5 grams or more of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a daycare (count 11), sale of .5 grams or more of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a daycare (count 12), facilitation of the delivery of .5 grams or more of cocaine (count 13), sale of .5 grams or more of cocaine (count 14), sale of .5 grams or more of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school (count 15), delivery of .5 grams or more of cocaine within 1,000 of a school (count 16), conspiracy to sell more than 26 grams of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school (count 21) and conspiracy to deliver more than 26 grams of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school (count 22). Count 10 charging Defendant Murchison with sale of more than .5 grams of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school was dismissed by the trial court upon motion by the State. The trial court merged counts 11 and 12, counts 13 and 14, counts 15 and 16, and counts 21 and 22. Defendant Murchison received twelve-year sentences for counts 11, and 14. He received twenty-five-year sentences for counts 9, 15, and 21. The trial court imposed concurrent sentences for counts 11, 14, 15, and 21 to be served consecutively to the twenty-five-year sentence in count 9 for an effective fifty-year sentence. On appeal, Defendant Murchison raises the following issues: (1) that the trial court erred by admitting laboratory reports prepared by the TBI forensic scientists and forensic drug chemists concerning testing on the substances purchased by Mr. Dukes from Defendants Murchison and Graham; (2) the evidence was insufficient to support Defendant Murchison's convictions; (3) the trial court erred in denying Defendant Murchison's Batson challenge; (4) the trial court erred in denying Defendant Murchison's request to determine the competency of the CI; (5) the trial court erred by allowing the State to “repeatedly” show the CI his statement to refresh his recollection; (6) the State committed prosecutorial misconduct; (7) the trial court erred by not severing the offenses; and (8) the trial court incorrectly sentenced Defendant Murchison. Defendant Graham also filed an appeal which is addressed in a separate opinion of this court. Following our review of the parties' briefs, the record, and the applicable law, we affirm the judgments of the trial court. |
Sullivan | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Valdez Domingo Wilson
Appellant, Valdez Domingo Wilson, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to sell more than twenty-six grams of a substance containing cocaine, possession with intent to sell not less than one-half ounce but not more than ten pounds of marijuana, possession with intent to sell less than 200 grams of a Schedule II controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Appellant received a total effective sentence of ten years in confinement. As part of the plea agreement, appellant reserved a certified question of law that challenged the denial of his motion to suppress. On appeal, he argues that the trial court improperly denied his motion to suppress evidence discovered in his vehicle and home. Following our review of the briefs, the record, and the applicable law, we dismiss appellant’s appeal. |
Knox | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Dwight David Foster
Appellant, Dwight David Foster, pleaded guilty to possession of less than point five (.5) grams of methamphetamine with intent to sell or deliver, a Class C felony; simple possession of marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor; simple possession of buprenorphrine, a Schedule III controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor. He received the agreed-upon effective sentence of five years as a Range I, standard offender to be served in the Tennessee Department of Correction. Pursuant to the plea agreement, he certified a question for our review. Upon the record, we affirm the judgments of the trial court. |
Hamblen | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Craig Beene v. State of Tennessee
The petitioner, Craig Beene, appeals the summary dismissal of his petition for the writ of habeas corpus. Because the petitioner failed to follow the procedural requirements governing the writ of habeas corpus and failed to state a cognizable claim for relief, we affirm the dismissal of the petition. |
Dickson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Amilcar C. Butler
The defendant, Amilcar C. Butler, appeals the denial of his Rule 36.1 motion to correct an illegal sentence. On appeal, he argues that he illegally received concurrent sentences when he should have received consecutive sentences. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Sumner | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Horace Dunlap
The defendant, Horace Dunlap, appeals the denial of his Rule 36.1 motion to correct an illegal sentence. Because the defendant’s sentences have expired, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Davidson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Eddie Lee Murphy, Sr. v. State of Tennessee
The Petitioner, Eddie Lee Murphy, Sr., appeals the Sumner County Criminal Court’s denial of his petition for post-conviction relief from his conviction for first degree felony murder and his life sentence. The Petitioner contends that the post-conviction court erred by denying his request for DNA testing pursuant to the Post-Conviction DNA Analysis Act. We affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court. |
Sumner | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Ronnie Lee Johnson
The Appellant, Ronnie Lee Johnson, is appealing the trial court’s denial of his motion to correct an illegal sentence filed pursuant to Rule of Criminal Procedure Rule 36.1 The State has filed a motion asking this Court to affirm pursuant to Court of Criminal Appeals Rule 20. Said motion is hereby granted. |
Putnam | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. James Edward Church
Defendant, James Edward Church, was indicted by the Davidson County Grand Jury for three counts of rape of a child in Counts 1-3, five counts of aggravated sexual battery in Counts 4-8, and two counts of sexual battery by an authority figure in Counts 9-10. Upon motion by the State, Counts 9 and 10 were stricken from the indictment. Upon the State’s election of offenses, Count 3 was amended to allege aggravated sexual battery. A jury found Defendant guilty as charged on all counts. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court imposed an effective sentence of 60 years to be served at 100 percent. Defendant appeals his convictions and sentences. |
Davidson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Jodi N. Teets
Defendant, Jodi N. Teets, appeals her Robertson County conviction for assault. Her single issue on appeal is a claim of insufficient evidence of bodily injury to sustain a conviction for an assault. Upon our review of the record, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Robertson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Jacob A. Wright
The defendant, Jacob A. Wright, appeals the revocation of the probationary sentence imposed for his Davidson County Criminal Court conviction of kidnapping. Discerning no error, we affirm. |
Davidson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Melody Danielle Corum
Appellant, Melody Danielle Corum, entered guilty pleas to seven counts of aggravated burglary, seven counts of theft of property, one count of tampering with evidence, and one count of vandalism, for which she received the agreed-upon effective sentence of twelve years, suspended after time served. Appellant’s probation was revoked after she was convicted of an additional theft of property offense; the trial court reinstated her probation and added a consecutive four-year sentence, suspended to probation, to her probationary term, for an effective sixteen-year term of probation. The State obtained the instant probation of violation warrant alleging that appellant was found to be in possession of controlled substances, that she admitted using controlled substances, and that she had failed to pay restitution as required. Following a hearing, the trial court revoked appellant’s probation and ordered her sentence into execution. Appellant appeals the revocation, alleging that the trial court abused its discretion. We affirm. |
Lawrence | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Rhyunia Lamont Barnes v. State of Tennessee
A Davidson County jury convicted the Petitioner, Rhyunia Lamont Barnes, of first degree premeditated murder, and the trial court sentenced him to life in prison. The Petitioner appealed, arguing that there was newly discovered evidence. This Court affirmed the Petitioner’s conviction. State v. Rhyunia Lamont Barnes, No M2010-00631-CCA-R3-CD, 2002 WL 1358717, at *1 (Tenn. Crim. App., at Nashville, June 24, 2008), perm. app. denied (Tenn. Dec. 2, 2002). In 2009, the Petitioner filed a petition for a writ of error coram nobis, which the coram nobis court summarily dismissed on the basis of it being untimely filed. This Court affirmed that judgment. In 2015, the Petitioner filed this, his second petition for a writ of error coram nobis, alleging that he had newly discovered evidence in the form of an ATF report that exonerated him as well as some emails between his attorney and the prosecutor that indicated his innocence. The coram nobis court summarily dismissed the petition, finding that it was untimely filed and that the allegations contained therein, even taken as true, did not prove his innocence or that the result of his trial would have been different. On appeal, the Petitioner contends that the coram nobis erred when it summarily dismissed his petition and that he is entitled to coram nobis relief. After a thorough review of the record and applicable authority, we affirm the coram nobis court’s judgment. |
Davidson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Calvin Rogers
The defendant, Calvin Rogers, was convicted of first degree felony murder, two counts of attempted second degree murder, aggravated robbery, employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, and felon in possession of a handgun. He was ordered to serve an effective sentence of life without parole plus fifty years. On appeal, he argues the unconstitutionality of Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-13-203 and that the trial court erred in denying his motion to declare him ineligible for the death penalty, that the State should not have been allowed to present proof of a prior consistent statement of one of the victims, and that the evidence is insufficient to sustain the convictions. Following our review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court. |
Shelby | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Cassidy Johnson
The defendant, Cassidy Johnson, was convicted of one count of rape of a child, a Class A felony. On appeal, he argues that the evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction; that the trial court erred in admitting the forensic interviews of the victim and another witness; and that the trial court improperly excluded evidence. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Shelby | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Darrell Kennedy v. State of Tennessee
Petitioner, Darrell Kennedy, was convicted of one count of aggravated rape and two counts of theft of property, for which he received an effective sentence of forty-one years in confinement. He filed a request pursuant to The Post-Conviction DNA Analysis Act of 2001 seeking retesting of various swabs that were analyzed in 1993. The post-conviction court denied relief, and this appeal follows. Upon review, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court. |
Shelby | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Raymond A. Klein
Raymond A. Klein (“the Defendant”) proceeded to trial on one count of aggravated sexual battery and was convicted as charged. On appeal, the Defendant argues that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction. Discerning no error, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Montgomery | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. John Eugene Grigsby
Appellant, John Eugene Grigsby, was convicted of attempted second degree murder and reckless endangerment. Appellant later filed a motion to correct an illegal sentence pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1, which the trial court summarily dismissed, holding that appellant had failed to state a colorable claim. On appeal, appellant argues that the trial court erred in summarily dismissing his motion. Following our review of the parties’ briefs, the record, and the applicable law, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Davidson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Timothy Lamont Thompson v. State of Tennessee
Petitioner, Timothy Lamont Thompson, was convicted of aggravated robbery and aggravated assault after a jury trial. The trial court sentenced him as a repeat violent offender to life in prison without the possibility of parole and fifteen years, respectively. After an unsuccessful direct appeal process, petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction relief. The post-conviction court held an evidentiary hearing and denied relief thereafter. Appealing the denial of relief, petitioner raises the following allegations of ineffective assistance of counsel: (1) failure to request a second preliminary hearing or to explain why this was not possible; (2) failure to schedule a polygraph examination for petitioner; (3) failure to coordinate a physical line-up; (4) questioning petitioner’s religious beliefs; and (5) failure to withdraw from petitioner’s case upon request. We affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court. |
Davidson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Garner S. Gordon
The defendant, Garner S. Gordon, appeals the revocation of the probationary sentence imposed for his Davidson County Criminal Court conviction of aggravated assault. Discerning no error, we affirm. |
Davidson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Tevin Dominique Lumpkin
Following a jury trial, Defendant, Tevin Dominique Lumpkin, was convicted of first degree premeditated murder. He received a sentence of life imprisonment. On appeal, Defendant argues that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction. After a thorough review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Henry | Court of Criminal Appeals |
