State of Tennessee v. Landon Hank Black

The Defendant, Landon Hank Black, was convicted in the Knox County Criminal Court of
second degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and
received an effective sentence of twenty-five years in confinement. On appeal, the
Defendant contends that the State infringed on his right to remain silent; the trial court
erred by allowing a State witness to give opinion testimony but then prohibiting a defense
witness from doing the same; the trial court erred by allowing a State witness to testify that
she had sex with the Defendant just days after the victim’s death; the State was allowed to
attack the integrity of the defense during the presentation of the evidence; the State’s
closing arguments were improper; the trial court erred by instructing the jury that the
Defendant had a duty to retreat before acting in self-defense; the trial court erred by
refusing to give a modified sequential jury instruction; the trial court incorrectly instructed
the jury on voluntary manslaughter; and the cumulative effect of the errors requires a new
trial. Based upon the oral arguments, the record, and the parties’ briefs, we affirm the
judgments of the trial court.