APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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State of Tennessee vs. Austin Kipling Stratton

01C01-9611-CC-00472

Defendant, Austin Kipling Stratton, seeks review of his consecutive sentences totaling twenty (20) years for various drug offenses. The sentences resulted from a plea of guilty. We find that the notice of appeal was untimely filed, and no relief is merited under Tenn. R. Crim. P. 35(b). Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Originating Judge:Judge Robert E. Burch
Cheatham County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/04/97
State of Tennessee vs. Willie Demorris Locust

02C01-9611-CC-00392

The petitioner, Willie Demorris Locust, appeals the Dyer County Circuit Court's denial of his petition for post conviction relief. Locust is incarcerated in the Department of Correction for his convictions of aggravated sexual battery and aggravated burglary, for which he received an effective ten year sentence that he is serving consecutively to a twenty year sentence for aggravated rape and aggravated burglary and an assault sentence of undisclosed length. See State v. Locust, 914 S.W.2d 554 (Tenn. Crim. App.) (aggravated sexual battery and aggravated burglary), perm. app. denied (Tenn. 1995); State v. Willie Demorris Locust, No. 02-C-01-9404-CC-00075 (Tenn. Crim. App., Jackson, Oct. 5, 1994) (aggravated rape and aggravated burglary), perm. app. denied (Tenn. 1995). In this appeal, he claims the lower court erred in denying him relief on three issues:

1. Whether the indictment is defective and his conviction of aggravated sexual battery is therefore void.
2. Whether the trial judge failed to instruct the jury on lesser included offenses, thereby depriving him of his constitutional right to a trial by jury.
3. Whether he was afforded the effective assistance of counsel at his trial and on direct appeal.
 

Following a review of the record, we affirm the lower court's dismissal of Locust's petition.
 

Authoring Judge: Judge Curwood Witt
Originating Judge:Judge Joe G. Riley. Jr.
Dyer County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/04/97
State of Tennessee vs. Antwan Patton

01C01-9608-CC-00346

The appellant, Ryan Moran (defendant), was convicted of attempted first degree murder, a Class A felony, especially aggravated kidnapping, a Class A felony, especially aggravated robbery, a Class A felony, and assault, a Class A misdemeanor. The defendant entered a no contest plea to attempted first degree murder and guilty pleas to the remaining charges. The trial court found the defendant was a standard offender and sentenced the defendant to the following Range I sentences: for attempted first degree murder, twenty-five (25) years in the Department of Correction, for especially aggravated kidnapping, twenty-five (25) years in the Department of Correction, for especially aggravated robbery, twenty-five (25) years in the Department of Correction, and for assault, eleven (11) months and twenty-nine (29) days. The trial court ordered that the sentences for attempted first degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping, and especially aggravated robbery should be served consecutively. The sentence for assault is to be served concurrently with the other sentences. The effective sentence is confinement for seventy-five (75) years in the Department of Correction.

Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joe B. Jones
Originating Judge:James James L. Weatherford
Giles County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/01/97
State of Tennessee vs. Dmitri Johnson

01C01-9510-CC-00334

The defendant, Dmitri Johnson, appeals as of right from the twenty-year sentence imposed by the Circuit Court of Montgomery County for his conviction upon a guilty plea for second degree murder, a Class A felony. The defendant contends that the trial court improperly relied upon facts not in evidence in its sentencing decision. He also contends that the trial court improperly applied three enhancement factors and refused to apply two additional mitigating factors. We believe that the case should be remanded for a new sentencing hearing.

Authoring Judge: Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Originating Judge:Judge John H. Gasaway, III
Montgomery County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/01/97
State vs. Norman Curtis, Keith Chambers, Gina Chambers and Shelly Bragg

01C01-9607-CC-00313

The State of Tennessee (state) appeals as of right from a judgment of the trial court suppressing evidence seized by law enforcement officers from the person of Norman Curtis without a search warrant, and the residences of the Chamberses and Curtis under color of a search warrant. Two issues are presented for review. The state contends there were exigent circumstances which permitted officers executing the search warrant at the Chamberses’ residence to enter the dwelling without complying with the “knock and announce” requirement. The state further contends the search of Norman Curtis’s person when he arrived at the Chamberses’ residence while the officers were executing the search warrant was reasonable. After a thorough review of the record, the briefs submitted by the parties, and the law governing the issues presented for review, it is the opinion of this court that the judgment of the trial court should be affirmed. The State of Tennessee has failed to illustrate why the evidence contained in the record preponderates against the findings made by the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joe B. Jones
Originating Judge:Judge Leonard W. Martin
Humphreys County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/01/97
State vs. Pike

03C01-9611-CR-00408
Knox County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/26/97
03C01-9403-CR-00110

03C01-9403-CR-00110

Originating Judge:John A. Turnbull
Cumberland County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/26/97
State vs. Belcher

03C01-9608-CC-00299

Originating Judge:D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Blount County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/26/97
State vs. Richard Nelson

02C01-9612-CR-00472

Originating Judge:Chris B. Craft
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/25/97
Luther Haggard vs. State

M2003-02554-CCA-R3-HC
The petitioner, Luther Haggard, filed a petition for the writ of habeas corpus in the Davidson County Criminal Court. In the petition he alleges that various Bradley County, Tennessee, convictions he received pursuant to guilty pleas entered in 1997 are illegal and void. The Davidson County Criminal Court summarily dismissed the petition. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry Smith
Originating Judge:J. Randall Wyatt, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/25/97
State vs. Cecil C. Johnson, Jr.

01C01-9610-CR-00442

Originating Judge:J. Randall Wyatt, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/25/97
State vs. Randy Joy

02C01-9705-CC-00183
Hardeman County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/25/97
State vs. Ronnie Lauderdale

02C01-9706-CR-00207

Originating Judge:Bernie Weinman
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/25/97
State vs. Tommie Hill

02C01-9511-CC-00335
Madison County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/25/97
State vs. Ishaan Mubarak

02C01-9706-CR-00211

Originating Judge:W. Fred Axley
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/25/97
01C01-9606-CR-00241

01C01-9606-CR-00241

Originating Judge:Seth W. Norman
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/25/97
State vs. Daniel Malone

W1999-01678-CCA-R9-CD
The Defendant was indicted for statutory rape and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The District Attorney General denied the Defendant's application for pretrial diversion. The trial court subsequently granted pretrial diversion. Pursuant to Rule 9 of the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure, the trial court granted the State permission for an interlocutory appeal, and this Court allowed the State's appeal. On appeal, the State argues that the trial court erred in granting pretrial diversion. We agree that the trial court committed reversible error in granting pretrial diversion and remand to the circuit court for further proceedings.
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:John F. Murchison
Madison County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/24/97
State vs. Fredrick Sledge

02C01-9405-CR-00089

Originating Judge:Joseph B. Mccartie
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/24/97
State vs. Anthony Paul Alderson

01C01-9611-CC-00461

Originating Judge:James L. Weatherford
Maury County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/21/97
State vs. Timothy Redd

01C01-9608-CC-00342

Originating Judge:W. Charles Lee
Bedford County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/20/97
State vs. Anthony Cuttle

02C01-9605-CR-00153

Originating Judge:John P. Colton, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/20/97
State vs. Ronald Tyler

02C01-9706-CC-00216

Originating Judge:Julian P. Guinn
Henry County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/20/97
State vs. Michael Addison

02C01-9503-CR-00078

Originating Judge:James C. Beasley, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/20/97
State vs. Danny Horn

01C01-9606-CC-00256

Originating Judge:Leon C. Burns, Jr.
Putnam County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/20/97
State vs. Ray Taylor

02C01-9611-CR-00424
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/20/97