APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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State vs. Freddie Russell

02C01-9710-CR-00403
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 03/10/98
Offender. This Court Affirmed The Appellant'S Sentences, State v. James T. Fite, No. 89-

01C01-9708-CR-00377
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 03/10/98
State vs. Earnest Hawkins

02C01-9709-CC-00374
Lake County Court of Criminal Appeals 03/10/98
State vs. Marvin Matthews

02C01-9712-CC-00465
Lauderdale County Court of Criminal Appeals 03/10/98
State vs. Tracy Pitts

01C01-9611-CR-00487

Originating Judge:Thomas H. Shriver
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 03/10/98
Woodrow Wilson vs. State

01C01-9707-CR-00431
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 03/10/98
State vs. Willie Taylor

02C01-9702-CR-00080

Originating Judge:James C. Beasley, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 03/10/98
State of Tennessee vs. Gary Raines, Debra Raines and Jerry Raines

01C01-9703-CC-00108

Following the denial of their motion to suppress evidence, the Defendants, Gary Raines and Debra Raines ple d guilty in the Circuit Court of Cheatham County to possession of marijuana for resale and possession of drug paraphernalia, and Defendant Jerry Raines pled guilty to simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. In their pleas, Defendants reserved the right to appeal the trial court’s d enial of their motion to suppress as a certified question of law pursuant to Rule 3(b) of the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure and Rules 11(e) and 37(b)(2)(I) of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure. Specifically, the certified question is: “Whether or not the initial entry upon the premises and the subsequent consent search was legal.” We affirm the judgment of the trial court, as modified to correct an apparent clerical error.

Authoring Judge: Judge John H. Peay
Originating Judge:Judge Robert E. Burch
Cheatham County Court of Criminal Appeals 03/05/98
Daryl Turner vs. State of Tennessee

01C01-9608-CR-00374

The appellant, Daryl Turner, appeals the Sumner County Criminal Court’s dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief. In 1993, appellant was convicted of selling a Schedule II controlled substance, to wit: cocaine, and was sentenced to twelve (12) years as a Range III persistent offender. His conviction and sentence were affirmed by this Court on direct appeal. See State v. Darrel Tucker1, No. 01-C-01-9310-CR00347 (Tenn. Crim. App. at Nashville, Oct. 6, 1994), per. app. denied (Tenn. 1995). The appellant, thereafter, filed a pro se petition for post-conviction relief alleging ineffective assistance of counsel, malicious prosecution, and invalid “reasonable doubt” jury instructions.2 Following an evidentiary hearing, the trial court dismissed appellant’s petition upon finding no ground to warrant post-conviction relief. We affirm the judgment of the trial court pursuant to Rule 20 of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals.

Authoring Judge: Judge William M. Barker
Originating Judge:Judge Jane Wheatcraft
Sumner County Court of Criminal Appeals 03/04/98
Daryl Turner vs. State of Tennessee

01C01-9608-CR-00374

The appellant, Daryl Turner, appeals the Sumner County Criminal Court’s dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief. In 1993, appellant was convicted of selling a Schedule II controlled substance, to wit: cocaine, and was sentenced to twelve (12) years as a Range III persistent offender. His conviction and sentence were affirmed by this Court on direct appeal. See State v. Darrel Tucker1, No. 01-C-01-9310-CR00347 (Tenn. Crim. App. at Nashville, Oct. 6, 1994), per. app. denied (Tenn. 1995). The appellant, thereafter, filed a pro se petition for post-conviction relief alleging ineffective assistance of counsel, malicious prosecution, and invalid “reasonable doubt” jury instructions.2 Following an evidentiary hearing, the trial court dismissed appellant’s petition upon finding no ground to warrant post-conviction relief. We affirm the  judgment of the trial court pursuant to Rule 20 of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals.

Authoring Judge: Judge William M. Barker
Originating Judge:Judge Jane Wheatcraft
Sumner County Court of Criminal Appeals 03/04/98
State of Tennessee vs. William F. Hegger

01C01-9607-CR-00283

On May 17, 1994, a Davidson County jury found Appellant, William F. Hegger, guilty of driving under the influence of an intoxicant, first offense. The trial court sentenced Appellant as a Range I standard offender to eleven months and twenty-nine d ays incarceration (all but ten days suspended), imposed a two-hundred and fifty dollar fine, ordered Appellant to attend alcohol treatment school, and suspended Appellant’s driver’s license for a period of one year. Appellant was further ordered to perform two hundred hours of public service work. On February 22, 1996, following a hearing upon Appellant’s motion, the trial court modified Appellant’s sentence, waiving the fine and public service work. The trial court found that Appellant had completed his jail time and the one year suspension of his license. Appellant filed a timely notice of app eal, raising several issues, namely:

1) whether the trial court erred in allowing evidence regarding the horizontal gaze nystagmus HGN) test;

2) whether the trial court erred in admitting the testimony of Lt. Louise Kelton;
3) whether the evidence was sufficien t to suppo rt the jury verdict;
4) whether the defense counsel provided effective assistance of counsel.

After a review of the record, we affirm the judgment of the trial co urt.

Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry L. Smith
Originating Judge:Judge Thomas H. Ware
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 03/04/98
Randy Hicks v. State of Tennessee

03C01-9608-CR-00296

Randy Hicks appeals the McMinn County Criminal Court's summary dismissal of his "Motion for New Trial Based on Newly Discovered Evidence Rule 22, FRCrP." The lower court considered this "motion" under the law applicable to motions for new trial, petitions for writ of error coram nobis, and petitions for post-conviction relief, found it without merit, and summarily dismissed Hicks's claim without conducting a hearing. Hicks's underlying conviction is for criminal facilitation of first degree murder, for which he is serving a 25 year sentence. State v. Hicks, 835 S.W.2d 32 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1992). In his pro se appellate brief, Hicks never directly attacks the lower court's denial of his "motion," but he does raise several issues relating to the admission of evidence, denial of a severance and the sufficiency of the convicting evidence at his trial. He also filed with his pro se appellate brief a document entitled Petition for Writ of Error Coram Nobis, in which he alleges that the district attorney knowingly and willfully submitted false evidence in his trial.1 Having painstakingly reviewed the record and Hicks's brief, we affirm the trial court's summary dismissal of the claim. Likewise, we find the petition filed in this court proper for dismissal.

Authoring Judge: Judge Curwood Witt
Originating Judge:Judge Mayo L. Mashburn
McMinn County Court of Criminal Appeals 03/03/98
State vs. Trampas Sweeney

01C01-9702-CC-00053

Originating Judge:William M. Barker
Williamson County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/27/98
State vs. Garrison

03C01-9702-CC-00047

Originating Judge:Thomas W. Graham
Bledsoe County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/27/98
State vs. Manning

03C01-9501-CR-00012

Originating Judge:R. Steven Bebb
Bradley County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/27/98
State vs. Dewayne Cathey

02C01-9612-CR-00446

Originating Judge:W. Fred Axley
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/26/98
01C01-9602-CC-00052

01C01-9602-CC-00052
Rutherford County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/26/98
State vs. Gabriel Blackman

02C01-9704-CC-00135

Originating Judge:Jon Kerry Blackwood
McNairy County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/26/98
01C01-9608-CR-00347

01C01-9608-CR-00347

Originating Judge:Ann Lacy Johns
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/26/98
01C01-9512-CR-00414

01C01-9512-CR-00414
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/26/98
03C01-9608-CR-00309

03C01-9608-CR-00309

Originating Judge:Frank L. Slaughter
Sullivan County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/25/98
State vs. Millsaps

03C01-9601-CC-00044
Monroe County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/25/98
State vs. Jones

03C01-9701-CR-00016

Originating Judge:Douglas A. Meyer
Hamilton County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/25/98
State vs. Crain

03C01-9604-CC-00149
Unicoi County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/25/98
State vs. Alfonzo Chalmers

W2000-00440-CCA-R3-CD
The defendant appeals from his conviction for first degree premeditated murder. He contends that the evidence is insufficient to support the conviction and that the trial court erred by impermissibly commenting on the evidence in violation of article VI, section 9 of the Constitution of Tennessee. We affirm the judgment of conviction.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Originating Judge:Chris B. Craft
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 02/25/98