Nickolus L. Johnson v. State of Tennessee

Nearly twenty years ago, Petitioner, Nickolus L. Johnson,1 shot Bristol Police Officer Mark
Vance in the face as Officer Vance entered a home responding to a disturbance call, killing
the officer. State v. Johnson, 401 S.W.3d 1, 8 (Tenn. 2013). A Sullivan County jury
convicted Petitioner of first degree murder and sentenced him to death. Id. After his
conviction and sentence were affirmed on direct appeal, id. at 7, Petitioner subsequently
sought post-conviction relief. The post-conviction court denied relief after extensive
hearings. Petitioner raises numerous arguments on appeal assailing his conviction and
sentence based primarily on ineffective assistance of counsel as well as several standalone
constitutional claims. After a thorough review of the record, the applicable law, the parties’
briefs, and oral arguments, we affirm the post-conviction court’s judgment in all respects.