APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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State of Tennessee v. John Frank Mullins

W2015-00916-CCA-R3-CD

Defendant, John Frank Mullins, pled guilty to theft of property valued over $1000 and was sentenced to eight years on Community Corrections. After a hearing, the trial court found that Defendant violated the terms of his Community Corrections sentence, revoked the Community Corrections sentence, and ordered Defendant to serve the remainder of his sentence in incarceration. On appeal, we affirm the decision of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Timothy L. Easter
Originating Judge:Judge R. Lee Moore, Jr.
Dyer County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/28/15
State of Tennessee v. Ryan Scott Haraway

M2014-02397-CCA-R3-CD

Pursuant to a plea agreement, the Defendant, Ryan Scott Haraway, pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated burglary, one count of forgery, one count of theft of property, two counts of burglary of a motor vehicle, and three counts of assault. The total effective sentence was seven years with the trial court to determine the manner of service of the sentence. After a sentencing hearing, the trial court ordered the Defendant to serve his sentence in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the Defendant asserts that the trial court erred when it denied him an alternative sentence. After a thorough review of the record and applicable law, we affirm the trial court’s judgments.

Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Judge Cheryl A. Blackburn
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/28/15
Kenneth A. Adams v. State of Tennessee

W2014-02160-CCA-R3-PC

The Petitioner, Kenneth A. Adams, appeals as of right from the Tipton County Circuit Court's summary dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief. The Petitioner contends that the post-conviction court erred in summarily dismissing his petition on the grounds that it was untimely filed. Discerning no error, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Authoring Judge: Judge D. Kelly Thomas
Originating Judge:Judge Joseph H. Walker, III
Tipton County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/28/15
State of Tennessee v. Steven Darrell Little

M2014-01927-CCA-R3-CD

A Davidson County judge convicted the Defendant, Steven Darrell Little, of one count of indecent exposure and sentenced him to six months of probation and ordered a $500 fine. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the evidence is insufficient to sustain his conviction. After review, we conclude that there is no error, and we affirm the trial court’s judgment.

Authoring Judge: Judget Robert T. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Judge Monte Watkins
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/28/15
Laquint Deco Holder v. State of Tennessee

M2015-00107-CCA-R3-PC

The Petitioner, Laquint Deco Holder, pleaded guilty to sale of less than .5 grams of cocaine in a drug-free zone, and the trial court entered the agreed sentence of six years to be served at 100%. The Petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction relief, alleging that he had received the ineffective assistance of counsel and that his guilty plea was unknowingly and involuntarily entered. After a hearing, the trial court dismissed the petition. On appeal, the Petitioner maintains that his counsel was ineffective and that his guilty plea was not knowingly and voluntarily entered. After review, we conclude that the post-conviction court did not err when it dismissed the Petitioner’s petition for post-conviction relief. We therefore affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Judge Cheryl Blackburn
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/28/15
State of Tennessee v. Dennis Allen Rayfield

M2013-02167-CCA-R3-CD

The Defendant, Dennis Allen Rayfield, was convicted of first degree murder by a Wayne County Circuit Court jury. See T.C.A. § 39-13-202 (2014). He was sentenced to life in prison. On appeal, he contends that (1) the evidence is insufficient to support the conviction, (2) the trial court erred in allowing the State to call a witness for the sole purpose of impeaching him, (3) the trial court erred in failing to dismiss the alternate jurors at the close of the proof, and (4) the trial court erred in permitting the sequestered jurors to have their cell phones in their possession during the trial. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Robert H. Montgomery, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Jim T. Hamilton
Wayne County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/28/15
Cody Cofer v. State of Tennessee

E2014-01844-CCA-R3-PC

The Petitioner, Cody Cofer, appeals from the denial of post-conviction relief by the Circuit Court for Cumberland County. He was convicted of two counts of felony murder and one count of attempted especially aggravated robbery, for which he received consecutive life sentences and a concurrent twelve-year sentence. On appeal, the Petitioner argues that he received ineffective assistance of counsel at both the trial and appellate levels. Upon review, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Camille R. McMullen
Originating Judge:Judge David A. Patterson
Cumberland County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/28/15
Raymond Lee Swett, Jr. v. State of Tennessee

M2014-02243-CCA-R3-PC

The petitioner, Raymond Lee Swett, Jr., appeals the post-conviction court’s denial of his petition for relief, arguing he received the ineffective assistance of counsel. After review, we affirm the denial of the petition for post-conviction relief.

Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Originating Judge:Judge Cheryl A. Blackburn
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/28/15
State of Tennessee v. Micah Alexander Cates

E2014-01322-CCA-R3-CD

The Defendant-Appellant, Micah Cates, was convicted by a Carter County jury of vehicular homicide by intoxication. Prior to trial, the Defendant moved the trial court to suppress evidence obtained from a warrantless blood draw. The trial court denied the motion and the case proceeded to trial where the State introduced evidence of the Defendant's blood alcohol content. Following the Defendant's conviction, the trial court imposed the minimum sentence of eight years with a release eligibility of 30 percent. The trial court denied alternative sentencing and ordered that the Defendant serve his sentence in confinement. On appeal, the Defendant argues that (1) the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress evidence obtained from his warrantless blood draw, and (2) the trial court abused its discretion in sentencing the Defendant. Upon our review, we conclude that no exception to the warrant requirement justified the warrantless blood draw in this case. Accordingly, we reverse the trial court's denial of the Defendant's motion to suppress evidence obtained from the blood draw and vacate his conviction.

Authoring Judge: Judge Camille R. McMullen
Originating Judge:Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood
Carter County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/28/15
Marquette Houston v. State of Tennessee

W2014-02201-CCA-R3-PC

The Petitioner, Marquette Houston, appeals the Shelby County Criminal Court’s denial of his petition for post-conviction relief from his 2005 conviction for second degree murder and his twenty-five-year sentence. The Petitioner contends that the post-conviction court erred by denying him relief on his ineffective assistance of counsel claim. We affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Robert H. Montgomery, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Glenn Wright
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/28/15
State of Tennessee v. Maurice Montonio Dotson, Jr.

W2014-01461-CCA-R3-CD

The Appellant, Maurice Montonio Dotson, Jr., pled guilty in the Madison County Circuit Court to possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, possession of a firearm during a dangerous felony, possession of drug paraphernalia, and theft of property valued under five hundred dollars. The trial court imposed a total effective sentence of eleven years. On appeal, the Appellant challenges the sentence imposed for possession of a firearm during a dangerous felony conviction. Upon review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Originating Judge:Judge Roy B. Morgan, Jr.
Madison County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/25/15
Taurys Hall v. State of Tennessee

W2014-00903-CCA-R3-PC

The Petitioner, Taurys Hall, filed a petition for post-conviction relief in the Shelby County Criminal Court. The post-conviction court dismissed the petition as untimely, and the Petitioner challenges this ruling on appeal. Upon review, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Originating Judge:Judge John Campbell
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/25/15
State of Tennessee v. Jeremy Sims and Sherry Brookshire

W2013-01253-CCA-R3-CD

The defendants, Jeremy Sims and Sherry Brookshire, appeal their Shelby County Criminal Court jury convictions of kidnapping and aggravated robbery. Defendant Sims claims that the trial court abused its discretion by denying his motion for severance, the trial court erred by admitting certain witness testimony, the evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction of aggravated robbery, the trial court erred by giving certain instructions to and communicating ex parte with the jury, the trial court erred by denying his post-trial motion for a mistrial and severance of defendants on the basis of Defendant Brookshire's incompetence to stand trial, and the cumulative effect of these errors prevented him from receiving a fair trial. Defendant Brookshire also challenges the trial court's denial of the motion to sever, the admission of certain evidence, the sufficiency of the evidence pertaining to the conviction of aggravated robbery, the trial court's instructions to the jury, and the trial court's finding that she was competent to stand trial. Discerning no error, we affirm.

Authoring Judge: Judge James Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge James C. Beasley, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/25/15
State of Tennessee v. Alvin Stewart

W2014-01517-CCA-R3-CD

The defendant, Alvin Stewart, was convicted by a Shelby County Criminal Court jury of aggravated rape, a Class A felony, aggravated assault, a Class C felony, and domestic assault, a Class A misdemeanor. The trial court merged the domestic assault conviction into the aggravated assault conviction and sentenced the defendant to twenty years at 100% for the aggravated rape conviction and to six years at 30% for the aggravated assault conviction, to be served concurrently. On appeal, he argues that the evidence is insufficient to sustain his convictions. After review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Originating Judge:Judge John W. Campbell
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/25/15
State of Tennessee v. John Brandon Gold

M2014-02017-CCA-R3-CD

The Defendant, John Brandon Gold, pleaded guilty to violating the sex offender registry, a Class E felony.  The trial court sentenced the Defendant, a Range II persistent offender, to five years plus ninety days, to be served at 45%.  The trial court denied the Defendant an alternative sentence.  On appeal, the Defendant contends that his sentence is excessive.  After a thorough review of the record and applicable authorities, we affirm the trial court’s judgment.

Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Judge Franklin Lee Russell
Bedford County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/25/15
Craig O. Majors v. State of Tennessee

E2015-00400-CCA-R3-HC

Petitioner, Craig O. Majors, appeals after the Johnson County Criminal Court dismissed his pro se petition for habeas corpus relief without a hearing. After a review of the record and authorities, we affirm the dismissal of the petition because Petitioner failed to show that his convictions were void or that his sentence had expired.

Authoring Judge: Judge Timothy L. Easter
Originating Judge:Judge Stacy L. Street
Johnson County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/25/15
State of Tennessee v. Jeremy Sims and Sherry Brookshire-Concurring

W2013-01253-CCA-R3-CD

I respectfully concur in results only. I do so because the majority opinion, in the section discussing Defendant Sims’ severance issue, fails to address the admissibility of Defendant Sims’ unredacted statement pursuant to the “rule of completeness.” Tenn. R. Evid. 106. As noted in the majority opinion, the trial court considered the rule of completeness in its decision to admit the evidence. The majority opinion, in my view, implies that Defendant Sims’ unredacted statement was inadmissible under any circumstances in this particular case.

Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Originating Judge:Judge James C. Beasley, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/25/15
State of Tennessee v. Joe Jackson

W2014-00901-CCA-R3-CD

A Shelby County Criminal Court Jury convicted the appellant, Joe Jackson, of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. The trial court imposed a total effective sentence of fourteen years. On appeal, the appellant contends that the evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction of aggravated assault. Upon review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Originating Judge:Judge Lee V. Coffee
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/25/15
Christopher Hubbard v. State of Tennessee

W2014-01716-CCA-R3-PC

The Petitioner, Christopher Hubbard, appeals the Shelby County Criminal Court‘s denial of his petition for post-conviction relief from his convictions of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault and resulting effective sentence of life without the possibility of parole as a repeat violent offender. On appeal, the Petitioner contends that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel because trial counsel failed to call a favorable witness to testify, that the trial court erred by ruling that the charges of especially aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault did not violate double jeopardy principles, and that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel because trial and appellate counsel failed to raise the double jeopardy issue. Based upon the oral arguments, the record, and the parties‘ briefs, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Originating Judge:Judge James C. Beasley, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/25/15
Malik Jones v. State of Tennessee

E2015-00106-CCA-R3-PC

Petitioner, Malik Jones, entered guilty pleas in three separate cases, resulting in a total effective sentence of thirty-one years. Petitioner then sought post-conviction relief on the basis of an involuntary guilty plea and ineffective assistance of counsel. After a hearing, the post-conviction court denied relief. Because Petitioner has failed to provide clear and convincing evidence that he received ineffective assistance of counsel or that his plea was involuntary, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Timothy L. Easter
Originating Judge:Judge Steven Wayne Sword
Knox County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/24/15
Robert E. Boling v. State of Tennessee

E2014-02258-CCA-R3-PC

Petitioner, Robert E. Boling, appeals the denial of his petition for post-conviction relief, arguing that the post-conviction court erred in concluding that he failed to prove that he received ineffective assistance from his trial counsel. Based upon a thorough review of the record and the applicable law, the decision of the post-conviction court is affirmed.

Authoring Judge: Judge Timothy L. Easter
Originating Judge:Judge Robert H. Montgomery, Jr.
Sullivan County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/24/15
State of Tennessee v. Lacarvis Marquis Miller

M2014-01745-CCA-R3-CD

A Williamson County jury convicted the Defendant, Lecarvis Marquis Miller, of reckless aggravated assault and simple assault.  The trial court merged the convictions and sentenced the Defendant to serve ten years as a Range III, persistent offender.  On appeal, the Defendant asserts that the trial court erred when it failed to give the jury a supplemental unanimity instruction.  After a thorough review of the record and applicable law, we affirm the trial court’s judgment.

Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Judge Timothy L. Easter
Williamson County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/24/15
State of Tennessee v. Michael Richard Miller

M2014-00923-CCA-R3-CD

The defendant, Michael Richard Miller, was convicted of three counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated robbery, one count of aggravated burglary, and one count of employing a firearm in the course of a dangerous felony.  On appeal, he challenges the trial court’s imposition of an effective forty-six-year sentence based upon partial consecutive sentencing.  Specifically, the defendant argues that: (1) the trial court misapplied the consecutive sentencing factors in making its sentencing determination; and (2) the trial court erred in ordering that the conviction for employing a firearm in the course of a dangerous felony be served consecutively to all his convictions rather than only to the underlying dangerous felony.  Following review of the record, we affirm the sentences as imposed.

Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Originating Judge:Judge Steve R. Dozier
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/23/15
Melissa Barnett v. State of Tennessee

E2014-02396-CCA-R3-ECN

Petitioner, Melissa Barnett, appeals the dismissal of her second petition for a writ of error coram nobis, in which she alleged that her codefendant's recantation of his trial testimony constitutes newly-discovered evidence of her innocence. Upon our review of the record, we agree with the coram nobis court that Petitoner was previously granted a meaningful opportunity to present this claim, and we affirm its decision to dismiss the petition.

Authoring Judge: Judge Timothy L. Easter
Originating Judge:Judge Andrew M. Freiberg
Polk County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/23/15
Nathan Young Payne v. State of Tennessee

E2014-01553-CCA-R3-PC

Petitioner, Nathan Young Payne, appeals the dismissal of his motion to withdraw his guilty plea, which the lower court subsequently treated as a petition for post-conviction relief. Because Petitioner has not proven that due process requires tolling of the statute of limitations for post-conviction purposes, the decision of the post-conviction court is affirmed.

Authoring Judge: Judge Timothy L. Easter
Originating Judge:Judge Don W. Poole
Hamilton County Court of Criminal Appeals 09/23/15