James M. Meese v. State of Tennessee

The Petitioner, James M. Meese, entered guilty pleas to aggravated statutory rape, aggravated assault, simple possession of marijuana, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, with a negotiated Range I seven-year sentence to be served on probation. The Petitioner filed a post-conviction petition, asserting that his trial counsel failed to properly investigate his charges and inaccurately advised him regarding his cumulative exposure. We conclude that trial counsel was ineffective in failing to accurately advise the Petitioner of his range of punishment and that as a result, the Petitioner did not knowingly enter into the plea agreement. Accordingly, we reverse the post-conviction court’s judgment, and we remand for a new trial on all charges.