State of Tennessee v. Joy Kennedy

Case Number
M2003-01745-CCA-R3-CD

The Defendant, Joy Kennedy, was found guilty by a jury of vehicular homicide, two counts of reckless aggravated assault, and reckless driving. However, the trial court granted the Defendant's motion for judgment of acquittal, concluding that she had established the defense of insanity by clear and convincing evidence. The State appealed on the ground that the trial court erred by granting the Defendant's motion for judgment of acquittal. The sole issue on appeal is whether a reasonable juror could have concluded that the defense of insanity had not been established by clear and convincing evidence. We hold that no reasonable juror could have failed to find that the Defendant was legally insane at the time of the crimes. Therefore, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge
Judge David H. Welles
Originating Judge
Judge Thomas W. Graham
Case Name
State of Tennessee v. Joy Kennedy
Date Filed
Dissent or Concur
No
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