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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Judge W. Fred Axley
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.
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Judge John P. Colton, Jr.
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.
Authoring Judge: Judge Gary R Wade
Trial Court Judge: Stephen M. Bevil
The defendant, Carl Preston Durham, was indicted for two counts of first degree murder (premeditated and felony), aggravated robbery, and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery in connection with the murder of the victim, Rene Earl Cabirac, Sr. After a nine-day trial, verdicts of guilt were rendered on all four charges. At the conclusion of the guilt phase of the trial, the trial court merged the defendant's two first degree murder convictions and the jury sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The trial court found the defendant to be a career offender and imposed a concurrent sentence of 30 years for the aggravated robbery and a consecutive sentence of 15 years for the conspiracy. The effective sentence is, therefore, life without the possibility of parole plus fifteen years. Because there was no prejudicial error, the convictions and sentences are affirmed; however, because the trial court failed to indicate on the judgment form a merger of the felony murder and the premeditated murder, the judgment is modified to reflect a single conviction for first degree murder.
Trial Court Judge: Carroll L. Ross
The petitioner, Ross Gunter, pled guilty in the McMinn County Criminal Court to second degree murder and was ordered to serve one hundred percent (100%) of his fifteen year sentence in confinement. The petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction relief alleging fault in the plea agreement, and the post-conviction court denied relief. On appeal, the petitioner raises the following issues for our review: (1) whether the post-conviction court erred in not granting the petition for post-conviction relief based on the State's breach of the plea agreement, and (2) whether the post-conviction court erred in not granting the petition for post-conviction relief because the petitioner did not knowingly and voluntarily enter a guilty plea. Upon review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Trial Court Judge: James K. Clayton, Jr.
The defendant appeals from his convictions for first degree felony murder and aggravated rape, for which he received consecutive sentences of life and twenty-two years, respectively. The defendant contests the sufficiency of the evidence, whether certain statements which he made to investigators were taken in violation of his rights, the validity of the search warrant for samples of his hair and blood, certain evidentiary and procedural rulings of the trial court, the ordering of consecutive sentences, and the denial of his motion for a new trial based upon newly discovered evidence. We affirm the judgments of conviction.
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: J. O. Bond
The defendant, Michael Wayne Perry, was convicted by a Wilson County jury of second degree murder and first degree felony murder committed during the perpetration of, or attempted perpetration of, rape. The trial court sentenced Defendant to life without parole for the first degree murder conviction, twenty years as a standard Range I offender for the second degree murder conviction, and then merged the two counts into a single conviction for first degree murder. Defendant appeals his convictions and presents the following issues: 1) whether the trial court erred in admitting Defendant's recorded confession; 2) whether the trial court erred in admitting evidence obtained from the vehicle that Defendant drove on the night of the murder; 3) whether the trial court erred in admitting photographs of the victim's body; 4) whether the trial court's instructions to the jury were proper; 5) whether the evidence was sufficient for a rational trier of fact to find Defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt; and 6) whether the conduct of law enforcement officials in the case "shocks the conscience." Based upon a careful review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Judge Timothy L. Easter
The defendant, Jesse C. Goodman, Jr., was convicted by a Hickman County jury of one count of aggravated assault, a Class C felony, three counts of reckless endangerment, a Class E felony, and one count of assault, a Class A misdemeanor. All counts arose out of a single incident of domestic violence, with ramifications that included a four-hour standoff between the defendant and five law enforcement officers. The defendant was sentenced as a Range II, multiple offender to nine years for aggravated assault; two years for each of the reckless endangerment convictions; and eleven months and twenty-nine days for assault. The sentences for aggravated assault and reckless endangerment were ordered to be served consecutively, and the misdemeanor conviction was ordered to be served concurrently as to the other sentences, for an effective sentence of fifteen years in confinement. In this appeal as of right, the defendant presents two issues: (1) Whether the evidence was sufficient to convict him of either aggravated assault or assault; and (2) Whether the sentences were appropriate, both as to length of the aggravated assault sentence and the consecutive manner of service of the aggravated assault sentence and the reckless endangerment sentences. We conclude that the convicting evidence was sufficient, both as to the aggravated assault charge and the assault charge. We further conclude that the nine-year sentence for aggravated assault was appropriate, as was the consecutive manner of service of the sentences for aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Trial Court Judge: Judge Roy B. Morgan, Jr.
Jeffrey Bivens appeals from the Madison County Circuit Court's denial of his petition for post-conviction relief. Although the petition was filed outside the one year limitations period, the post-conviction court excused the "late-filed" petition "in the interest of justice." Following a hearing upon the merits of the petition, the court denied post-conviction relief. Because the petition was time-barred, the post-conviction court was without jurisdiction to conduct a hearing on the merits. For this reason, dismissal of the petition is affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: William B. Acree
The defendant appeals from jury trial convictions for reckless homicide, felony murder, aggravated burglary, and two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping. In this appeal, the defendant alleges insufficient evidence, errors in admitting certain evidence, prosecutorial misconduct, improper instructions, and error in denying his writ of error coram nobis. Concluding that it was reversible error to not instruct on the lesser-included offenses of felony murder, we remand for a new trial on the felony murder count. We affirm the remaining convictions.
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Rex H. Ogle
After a jury trial, a Cocke County jury found the Defendants, Deborah Graham and Denice Smith, guilty of the first degree murder of Aaron Smith. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court sentenced both Defendants to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole. In this appeal as of right, the Defendants raise the following issues: 1) whether the trial court erred in not dismissing the indictments because of the State's failure to provide the Defendants with a speedy trial; 2) whether the trial court erred by allowing the State to decide not to consolidate Alexandro Rivera's case with the Defendants' case, because of a potential Bruton problem, without first granting the Defendants an opportunity to be heard on the issue; 3) whether the trial court erred in failing to sever Defendant Smith's case from Defendant Graham's case; 4) whether the trial court erred in consolidating Defendant Graham's case with Defendant Smith's case; and 5) whether the evidence was sufficient to convict each of the Defendants of first degree murder. After a thorough review of the evidence and the applicable law, we affirm the decision of the trial court.
