State of Tennessee v. Steve M. Jarman

The Defendant, Steve M. Jarman, was convicted by a jury of voluntary manslaughter and received a sentence of five years to be served in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the Defendant challenges: (1) the sufficiency of the evidence to support his conviction; (2) the admission of evidence of a prior assault charge for which the Defendant was acquitted and of prior threats against the victim’s sister; (3) the admission of evidence of the Defendant’s attempt to cash a check made out to the victim after the victim’s death; (4) the admission of the victim’s testimony in a prior trial as violating the Confrontation Clause; (5) and his five-year sentence to be served in confinement. We conclude that the trial court committed reversible error in admitting evidence of a prior criminal offense for which the Defendant was acquitted and evidence of the Defendant’s prior threats against the victim’s sister. Accordingly, we reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand the case for a new trial.