State of Tennessee v. John Palladin Gibson - concurring in part and dissenting in part

Case Number
E2017-01567-CCA-R3-CD

I agree with the majority’s conclusion to affirm Defendant’s conviction for driving on a cancelled, suspended, or revoked license. Additionally, I agree with the majority’s conclusion on the ineffective assistance of counsel claim. However, I respectfully disagree with the majority’s conclusion to reverse both DUI convictions. I am of the opinion that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by admitting the blood-sample evidence because there was sufficient authentication to establish a chain of custody. Therefore, I would affirm the decision of the trial court regarding both DUI convictions. Further, even if the trial court erred in admitting the blood-sample evidence, it was harmless error with regard to the DUI by impairment conviction. A rational jury could have grounded its verdict on both Deputy Sulewski’s testimony and the dashboard video showing Defendant’s speech and performance on three field-sobriety tests. Therefore, I would affirm the conviction for DUI by impairment on that basis as well.

Authoring Judge
Judge Timothy L. Easter
Originating Judge
Judge Steven W. Sword
Case Name
State of Tennessee v. John Palladin Gibson - concurring in part and dissenting in part
Date Filed
Dissent or Concur
No
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