Hershell Lee Kinnaird v. State of Tennessee

The Defendant, Hershell Lee Kinnaird, was convicted by a jury in 1989 of accessory before the fact to first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for the former conviction and to a concurrent ten year term for the latter conviction. The Defendant's convictions were affirmed on direct appeal. See State v. Kinnaird, 823 S.W.2d 571, 572 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1991). In this post-conviction proceeding the Defendant contends that the State violated his constitutional rights by withholding exculpatory evidence; that the post-conviction court erred by not granting his motion for state-funded experts; that he received ineffective assistance of counsel at trial; and that the trial court committed several instances of plain error violating his right to a fair trial and/or due process. Finding the Defendant's allegations to be without merit, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.