State of Tennessee v. Benjamin N. Widrick

The Defendant, Benjamin N. Widrick, pleaded guilty in the Sumner County Criminal Court to three counts of statutory rape, a Class E felony.  See T.C.A. § 39-13-506(b)(2) (2018).  The plea agreement called for an effective five-year, Range I, probation sentence, with the issue of judicial diversion reserved for the trial court’s determination.  After a hearing, the court denied diversion, and the Defendant appeals its ruling.  We affirm the trial court’s denial of judicial diversion.