COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OPINIONS

State of Tennessee v. Keith A. Howard
M2010-00578-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge James Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Dee David Gay

A Sumner County Criminal Court jury convicted the defendant, Keith A. Howard, of one count of forgery, see T.C.A. § 39-14-114 (2006), and one count of attempting to evade sales tax, see id. § 67-1-1440(g), and the trial court imposed consecutive sentences of six years’ incarceration as a Range III, persistent offender. On appeal, the defendant contends that the trial court erred in its instructions to the jury and admission of evidence, that the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions, and that the trial court erred by sentencing the defendant as a persistent offender and by imposing consecutive sentences. Because the defendant failed to file a timely motion for new trial, all issues except the sufficiency of the evidence and sentencing are waived. Discerning no error in those remaining issues, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Sumner Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Gregory Tyrone Greer
W2010-01536-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: Judge Donald H. Allen

The Appellant, Gregory Tyrone Greer, was convicted by a Madison County jury of reckless aggravated assault, a Class D felony. He was sentenced as a career offender to twelve years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. In his sole issue on appeal, he contends that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Madison Court of Criminal Appeals

Melissa Beth Mackey v. State of Tennessee
W2010-01414-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: Judge Carolyn Wade Blackett

The petitioner, Melissa Beth Mackey, appeals as of right the Shelby County Criminal Court’s denial of her petition for post-conviction relief challenging her conviction of attempted aggravated robbery for which she received a sentence of six years as a Range II, multiple offender. On appeal, she argues that trial counsel committed ineffective assistance that rendered her guilty plea involuntary. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

Walter Alan Martin v. State of Tennessee
W2010-01609-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Special Judge David H. Welles
Trial Court Judge: Judge Carolyn Wade Blackett

The Petitioner, Walter Alan Martin, was convicted by a jury of rape and was, thereafter, sentenced to ten years in prison at 100%. This Court affirmed the Petitioner’s conviction and sentence on direct appeal. The Petitioner filed a timely petition for post-conviction relief and, following an evidentiary hearing, the post-conviction court denied relief. On appeal, the Petitioner argues that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel due to trial counsel’s failure (1) to adequately address the timeframe surrounding the events and (2) to fully investigate the case by inspecting the cab of the truck where the incident occurred. Following our review of the record and the parties’ briefs, we conclude that the Petitioner has not shown that he is entitled to relief. The judgment of the post-conviction court is affirmed.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Randy Antonio Rice
W2010-00146-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Camille R. McMullen
Trial Court Judge: Judge Roger A. Page

The Defendant-Appellant, Randy Antonio Rice, was convicted by a Madison County jury of first degree felony murder and facilitation of especially aggravated robbery, a Class B felony. He was sentenced as a Range I offender to consecutive sentences of life imprisonment and twelve years at thirty percent, respectively. On appeal, the Defendant-Appellant argues: (1) the evidence was insufficient to support his convictions, and (2) the trial court erred in imposing consecutive sentencing. Upon review, we affirm the trial court’s judgments.

Madison Court of Criminal Appeals

Paul Dennis Reid, Jr. v State of Tennessee
M2009-00128-CCA-R3-PD
Authoring Judge: Special Judge David H. Welles
Trial Court Judge: Judge John H. Gasaway

 Paul Dennis Reid, Jr. was convicted and sentenced to death on seven counts of first degree murder. Reid’s convictions and sentences were affirmed on direct appeal by the supreme court. The instant appeals stem from evidentiary hearings wherein the Montgomery and Davidson County trial courts concluded that Reid was competent to decide on his own behalf to forego any post-conviction relief on his convictions and sentences. Following our review, we affirm the judgments of the trial courts.

Montgomery Court of Criminal Appeals

Paul Dennis Reid, Jr. v. State of Tennessee
M2009-00360-CCA-R3-PD
Authoring Judge: Special Judge David H. Welles
Trial Court Judge: Judge Cheryl Blackburn

Paul Dennis Reid, Jr. was convicted and sentenced to death on seven counts of first degree murder. Reid’s convictions and sentences were affirmed on direct appeal by the supreme court. The instant appeals stem from evidentiary hearings wherein the Montgomery and Davidson County trial courts concluded that Reid was competent to decide on his own behalf to forego any post-conviction relief on his convictions and sentences. Following our review, we affirm the judgments of the trial courts.

 

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

Paul Dennis Reid, Jr. v. State of Tennessee
M2009-01557-CCA-R3-PD
Authoring Judge: Special Judge David H. Welles
Trial Court Judge: Judge Cheryl Blackburn

Paul Dennis Reid, Jr. was convicted and sentenced to death on seven counts of first degree murder. Reid’s convictions and sentences were affirmed on direct appeal by the supreme court. The instant appeals stem from evidentiary hearings wherein the Montgomery and Davidson County trial courts concluded that Reid was competent to decide on his own behalf to forego any post-conviction relief on his convictions and sentences. Following our review, we affirm the judgments of the trial courts.

 

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Stephen Davis
W2009-01878-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge James C. Beasley, Jr.

The defendant, Stephen Davis, a pharmacist at Rite Aid, was convicted of one count of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud (a Class D felony) after he filled several suspicious prescriptions for Hydrocodone (a Schedule III controlled substance). The trial court imposed a two-year suspended sentence. On appeal, the defendant claims that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction and that the trial court erred by denying his motion for a mistrial and by failing to place him on judicial diversion. After carefully reviewing the record and the arguments of the parties, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Daniel O’Sicky
E2010-02439-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Ben W. Hooper, II

The Defendant, Daniel O’Sicky, pled guilty to second degree murder, a Class A felony; especially aggravated robbery, a Class A felony; and especially aggravated burglary, a Class B felony, in exchange for concurrent sentencing, with the length of his sentences left to the discretion of the trial court. The trial court sentenced the Defendant to concurrent sentences of 25 years as a violent offender for the Class A felony offenses and 12 years as a Range I, standard offender for the Class B felony offense. In this appeal as of right, the Defendant contends that the trial court erred in setting the length of his sentences. Following our review, we conclude that the Defendant’s conviction for especially aggravated burglary should be modified to reflect a conviction for aggravated burglary, a Class C felony, because his especially aggravated burglary conviction was precluded by Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-14-404(d). Because our modification of the Defendant’s conviction does not affect the Defendant’s sentence length pursuant to the plea agreement, we impose a concurrent sentence of 6 years for the Class C felony conviction. We affirm the judgments of the trial court in all other respects.

Cocke Court of Criminal Appeals

Milburn L. Edwards v. State of Tennessee
M2010-02001-CCA-R3-HC
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry L. Smith
Trial Court Judge: Judge Stella Hargrove

Petitioner, Milburn L. Edwards, was convicted by a Davidson county jury of multiple counts of rape, first degree burglary, aggravated burglary, and one count each of second degree burglary, aggravated rape, assault with intent to commit rape, and robbery. State v. Edwards, 868 S.W.2d 682, 685 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1993) The trial court sentenced Petitioner to an effective sentence of life plus 415 years. Id. On appeal, this Court affirmed Petitioner’s convictions and modified his sentence to an effective sentence of life plus seventy-five years and an additional effective sentence of 120 years. Id. at 705. Subsequently, Petitioner unsuccessfully filed a petition for post-conviction relief and three petitions of writ of habeas corpus relief. See Milburn L. Edwards v. Cherry Lindamood, No. M2009-01132-CCA-MR3- HC, 2010 WL 2134156 (Tenn. Crim. App., at Nashville, May 27, 2010); Milburn L. Edwards v. Cherry Lindamood, No. M2006-01092-CCA-R3-HC, 2007 WL 152233 (Tenn. Crim. App., at Nashville, Jan. 17, 2007), perm. app. denied, (Tenn. Apr. 16, 2007) (affirming the habeas corpus court’s dismissal of the petition for writ of habeas corpus); Milburn L. Edwards v. State, No. M2004-01378-CCA-R3-HC, 2005 WL 544714 (Tenn. Crim. App., at Nashville, Mar. 7, 2005), perm. app. denied, (Tenn. Aug. 29, 2005) (affirming the habeas corpus court’s dismissal of the petition for writ of habeas corpus); Milburn L. Edwards v. State, No. M2002-02124-CCA-R3-PC, 2003 WL 23014683 (Tenn. Crim. App., at Nashville, Dec. 15, 2003) (affirming the post-conviction court’s denial of the petition for postconviction relief). The subject of this appeal is Petitioner’s fourth petition for writ of habeas corpus in which he argues that the habeas corpus court erred in summarily dismissing his petition based on the State’s argument that the issue of whether Petitioner was properly sentenced under the 1982 Sentencing Act as opposed to the 1989 Sentencing Act was previously determined. Because we have concluded that this issue was previously determined on direct appeal, we affirm the habeas corpus court’s dismissal of the petition.

 

Wayne Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Robert Colin Pelfrey
E2010-01671-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge E. Eugene Eblen

A Roane County grand jury indicted the Defendant, Robert Colin Pelfrey, for aggravated burglary, a Class C felony, resisting arrest, a Class B misdemeanor, and assault, a Class B misdemeanor. The Defendant pled guilty to the aggravated burglary charge and agreed to a sentence of three years, with the manner of service left to the discretion of the trial court. The remaining counts were dismissed. The trial court sentenced the Defendant as a Range I, standard offender to three years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. In this appeal as of right, the Defendant contends that the trial court erred in denying all forms of alternative sentencing. Following our review, we affirm the Defendant’s sentence for the aggravated burglary conviction. However, we remand the Defendant’s case because the judgment for the resisting arrest count improperly reflects that the Defendant was indicted for evading arrest, a Class E felony. The trial court is directed to correct that judgment in accordance with the indictment.

Roane Court of Criminal Appeals

Robert Earl Cole v. State of Tennessee
E2010-00081-CCA-R3-HC
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Judge Jean A. Stanley

Petitioner, Robert Earl Cole, appeals from the trial court’s order dismissing his petition for writ of habeas corpus. After review of the entire record and the briefs of the parties, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Johnson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Jimmy Sprague
E2010-00288-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge R. Jerry Beck

The defendant, Jimmy Sprague, was convicted of failure to appear in court, a Class E felony. He was sentenced as a Range I, standard offender to two years in the Tennessee Department of Correction consecutive to an existing federal sentence. On appeal, he argues that: (1) the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction; (2) the trial court improperly refused to allow the admission of his medical records; and (3) he was improperly sentenced. After careful review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court in all respects.

Sullivan Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Donnie Lee Sullivan
M2010-01094-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J.C. McLin
Trial Court Judge: Judge Robert Crigler

The defendant, Donnie Lee Sullivan, stands convicted of voluntary manslaughter, a Class C felony. The trial court sentenced him as a Range I, standard offender to four years and nine months in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence, the sentence length, and the  denial of alternate sentencing. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Marshall Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Ernest Lee Jennings
W2010-01484-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge J. Weber McCraw

A Fayette County jury convicted the Defendant, Ernest Lee Jennings, of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of rape of a child, and the trial court sentenced him to an effective sentence of eighty-five years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions and that the trial court erred when it imposed consecutive sentencing. After a thorough review of the record and the applicable law, we affirm the trial court’s judgments.

Fayette Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. George Washington
W2009-01480-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Judge John P. Colton, Jr.

Following a jury trial, Defendant, George Washington, was convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide. He was sentenced to serve twenty-five years in the Department of Correction. In this appeal Defendant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the conviction and asserts that the sentence is excessive. Following a review of the record and the briefs, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Jose Luis Vizcaino-Ramos
W2010-01325-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Camille R. McMullen
Trial Court Judge: Judge J. Weber McCraw

The Defendant-Appellant, Jose Luis Vizcaino-Ramos, was convicted by a Hardeman County jury of first degree premeditated murder and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. On appeal, Vizcaino-Ramos presents the following issues for our review: (1) whether the trial court erred by admitting the testimony of the victim’s son; and (2) whether the evidence was sufficient to support his conviction. Upon review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Hardeman Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Nicholas Shawn Marshall
M2010-01090-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J.C. McLin
Trial Court Judge: Judge Robert Crigler

The defendant, Nicholas Shawn Marshall, stands convicted of rape, a Class B felony. The trial court sentenced him as a Range II, violent offender to fifteen years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the defendant argues that the trial court erred in admitting hearsay and that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Marshall Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Lamar Tyrone Harris
M2010-1912-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Steve R. Dozier

The Defendant, Lamar Tyrone Harris, was charged with tampering with evidence, a Class C felony. Following the denial of his motion to suppress his inculpatory statement following a traffic stop, the Defendant pled guilty as charged. In accordance with the plea agreement, the trial court sentenced the Defendant as a Range I, standard offender to three years, suspended to probation. Pursuant to Rule 37(b)(2)(A) of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Defendant sought to reserve a certified question of law challenging the trial court’s denial of his motion to suppress. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Maurice Edward Carter
M2010-00063-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Judge J.O. Bond, Judge David E. Durham, and Chancellor Robert E. Corlew, III

The defendant, Maurice Edward Carter, pled guilty in Smith County to one count of aggravated statutory rape and one count of criminal exposure to HIV for an effective sentence of twenty years. Additionally, he pled guilty in Rutherford County to four counts of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of solicitation of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of statutory rape, and one count of criminal exposure to HIV for an effective sentence of twenty years, to be served concurrently with his Smith County sentences. As a condition of his guilty pleas, the defendant reserved a certified question of law pursuant to Rule 37(b)(2)(A) of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure regarding the denial of his motions to suppress the stop and search of his automobile, and his subsequent statement to police and evidence obtained during the execution of search warrants. After review, we conclude that the record supports the findings of the trial courts that the motions to suppress were without merit and that the certified question is not dispositive of the charges against the defendant and, as a result, this court is without jurisdiction to consider the appeal. Accordingly, the appeal is dismissed.

Smith Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Salwillel Thomas Fields
M2011-00088-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge John H. Gasaway, III

In February 2005, a 14-count indictment was returned against the Defendant, Salwillel Thomas Fields. In exchange for concurrent sentencing, the Defendant pled guilty to possession with intent to sell over 300 grams of cocaine, a Class A felony; possession with intent to sell more than one half ounce but less than ten pounds of marijuana, a Class E felony; possession of a machine gun, a Class E felony; and three counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, a Class E felony. The parties agreed to the Defendant’s sentencing range for each of the convictions but left the length of the sentences to the trial court’s discretion. The remaining counts were dismissed. The trial court sentenced the Defendant as a Range II, multiple offender to 38 years for the Class A felony and as a Range III, persistent offender to 5-years for each of the Class E felonies. In this appeal as of right, the Defendant contends that the trial court erred in setting the length of his Class A felony sentence. Following our review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Montgomery Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Kevin R. Lewis
E2010-01267-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge Barry A. Steelman

A Hamilton County jury convicted the Defendant of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual battery, and aggravated assault. The trial court imposed an effective sentence of twelve years. The Defendant filed a motion for new trial, which the trial court denied. Defendant argues on appeal that he is entitled to unspecified relief because the State displayed his booking photos to the jury during closing arguments. After a thorough review of the record and applicable law, we conclude that the Defendant is not entitled to relief. As such, we affirm the trial court’s judgments.

Hamilton Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Steven Chance
M2010-02283-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge James Curwwod Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Robert E. Burch

The defendant, Steven Chance, pleaded guilty in the Dickson County Circuit Court to one count of driving under the influence of an intoxicant, first offense. Pursuant to the plea agreement, the trial court sentenced the defendant to a term of 11 months and 29 days suspended to probation after the service of 48 hours’ incarceration. The trial court also waived as a condition of probation the defendant’s payment of fines and completion of community service hours. A probation violation warrant issued alleging that the defendant failed to pay the court and probation costs. The trial court revoked the defendant’s probation and extended it for one year to allow the payment of the costs. On appeal, the defendant contends that the trial court lacked authority to extend his probationary term. Discerning no error, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Dickson Court of Criminal Appeals

Lashawn Bell v. State of Tennessee
W2010-01512-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge Otis Higgs

The Petitioner, Lashawn Bell, pled guilty to one count of especially aggravated robbery, nine counts of aggravated robbery, and three counts of criminal attempt to commit aggravated robbery, and the trial court sentenced him to an effective sentence of thirty years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. The Petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction relief, which the post-conviction court denied after a hearing. On appeal, the Petitioner contends he did not knowingly and voluntarily plead guilty. After a thorough review of the record and applicable law, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals