Carlos Rice v. State of Tennessee
This matter is before the Court upon the State’s motion to affirm the judgement of the trial court pursuant to Rule 20, Rules of the Court of Criminal Appeals. The Petitioner, Carlos Rice, appeals the trial court’s denial of post-conviction relief. The petition was filed outside the applicable statute of limitation and is, therefore, time-barred. Accordingly, we affirm the trial court’s dismissal. |
Shelby | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Curtis Tate
The appellant, Curtis Tate, was convicted by a jury in the Shelby County Criminal Court of second degree murder. Following a hearing, the trial court sentenced the appellant to twenty years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the appellant contends that (1) “[p]lain error exists in the record in that the two material and crucial witnesses were not called at trial”; (2) the trial court’s instructions to the jury were incomplete and misleading; (3) the trial court erred by instructing the jury on flight; (4) the evidence was insufficient to sustain the appellant’s conviction; and (5) the sentence imposed by the trial court was excessive. Upon review of the record and the parties’ briefs, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Shelby | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
David Joe Douglas Blair v. State of Tennessee
After having been indicted for the offense of first degree murder, Petitioner, David Joe Douglas Blair, pled guilty to the lesser included offense of second degree murder on June 6, 1999, pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement, and received a sentence of twenty-five years in the Department of Correction. On January 5, 2001, Petitioner filed a "Motion for Appointment of Counsel" pertaining to this matter and referenced a statute pertaining to the right to petition for post-conviction relief. The trial court appointed counsel and an amended petition for post-conviction relief was filed. The State answered, and in its answer alleged that the petition should be summarily dismissed because it was filed outside of the applicable statute of limitations. The trial court granted the motion and dismissed the petition. Petitioner appealed, and filed his brief. The State has filed a motion for this court to affirm the dismissal pursuant to Rule 20 of the Rules of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. Finding merit in the motion, we grant same and affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Lawrence | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Derrick Sawyers v. Kevin Myers, Warden
The Defendant, Derrick Sawyers, appeals from the trial court’s dismissal of his petition seeking habeas corpus relief. The State has filed a motion requesting that this court affirm the trial court’s denial of relief pursuant to Rule 20, Rules of the Court of Criminal Appeals. The State’s motion is granted. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed. |
Wayne | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Johnny L. McGowan, Jr. v. State of Tennessee
This matter is before the Court upon the State's motion to affirm the judgment of the trial court by memorandum opinion pursuant to Rule 20, Rules of the Court of Criminal Appeals. The appellant has appealed the trial court's order summarily dismissing his motion to withdraw his guilty plea. In that motion, the appellant argued that his guilty plea resulted in a void sentence because it was ordered to run concurrent to a prior unrelated offense that the appellant was out on bond for at the time of the commission of the offenses which resulted in the guilty plea. Upon a review of the record in this case, we are persuaded that the trial court was correct in summarily dismissing the motion and that this case meets the criteria for affirmance pursuant to Rule 20, Rules of the Court of Criminal Appeals. Accordingly, the State's motion is granted and the judgment of the trial court is affirmed. |
Rutherford | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Jose Luis Quintero
After a bench trial, the Defendant, Jose Luis Quintero, was convicted of the first degree murders of Meceia Nelson and Darius Boleyjack. The Defendant waived a sentencing hearing and agreed to a sentence of two concurrent terms of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. In this direct appeal, the Defendant contends that 1) the evidence is not sufficient to support his convictions; 2) the Defendant's statement to the police should have been suppressed; and 3) the trial court erred in allowing a witness to testify about statements made to her by one of the victims. Finding no errors entitling the Defendant to a reversal, we affirm the judgments of the trial court. |
Wilson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Peter L. Guynn
The Defendant pled guilty to aggravated robbery and was also found guilty after a bench trial of especially aggravated kidnapping. The trial court sentenced the Defendant as a Range II, multiple offender to thirty-five years for the Class A felony especially aggravated kidnapping conviction, and to fifteen years for the Class B felony aggravated robbery conviction. The two sentences were ordered to be served consecutively. On appeal, the Defendant argues two issues: 1) his conviction for especially aggravated kidnapping violated his right to due process pursuant to State v. Anthony, 817 S.W.2d 299 (Tenn. 1991), and; 2) the trial court erred in imposing excessive sentences and in running the sentences consecutively. We affirm the judgments of the trial court. |
Williamson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
James A. Vaughn v. State of Tennessee
The Petitioner, James A. Vaughn, was convicted of one count of first degree murder, three counts of attempted first degree murder, and one count of reckless endangerment, and the trial court sentenced him to an effective sentence of life plus twenty-two years. This Court affirmed the Petitioner's convictions and sentences on appeal. The Petitioner subsequently filed a petition for post-conviction relief, which the post-conviction court dismissed after a hearing. On appeal, the Petitioner contends that the post-conviction court erred because he was denied the effective assistance of counsel. Finding no reversible error, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court. |
Sumner | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Vincent Marcel Williams, alias, Vincent Marcel Wilkes
A Hamilton County Criminal Court jury convicted the defendant, Vincent Marcel Williams, of aggravated child abuse, a Class A felony, and reckless homicide, a Class D felony. The trial court sentenced him as a Range I, standard offender to concurrent sentences of twenty-five years for the aggravated child abuse conviction and four years for the reckless homicide conviction. The defendant appeals, claiming that (1) the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions; (2) the trial court erred by denying his motion to suppress evidence obtained in violation of Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S. Ct. 1602 (1966); (3) his right to a fair trial was violated when a police officer testified at trial concerning a polygraph test and the defendant's prior convictions; (4) the burden of proof was improperly shifted from the state to the defendant by the prosecutor's statements during closing argument; and (5) the trial court erred by refusing to apply or give sufficient weight to mitigating factors and by improperly applying enhancement factors in light of Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. __, 124 S. Ct. 2531 (2004). We affirm the defendant's convictions and sentences. |
Hamilton | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Chico Lopez Chigano v. State of Tennessee
The petitioner, Chico Lopez Chigano, appeals from the trial court's order dismissing his petition for writ of habeas corpus. The state has filed a motion requesting that this court affirm the trial court's denial of relief pursuant to Rule 20 of the Rules of the Court of Criminal Appeals. The petition fails to establish a cognizable claim for habeas corpus relief. Accordingly, the state's motion is granted and the judgment of the trial court is affirmed. |
Bledsoe | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Kenneth Lee Weston
The petitioner, Kenneth Lee Weston, appeals the trial court's dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief. The State has filed a motion requesting that this Court affirm the trial court's denial of relief pursuant to Rule 20, Rules of the Court of Criminal Appeals. The petition was properly dismissed as barred by the statute of limitations. Accordingly, the State's motion is granted and the judgment of the trial court is affirmed. |
Knox | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Marshaun Luden
The defendant, Marshaun Luden, appeals from the trial court's order revoking his probation and reinstating his original sentence of five years as a Range I, standard offender in the Department of Correction. The defendant does not contest the revocation of his probation. Rather, he argues that the trial court erred by failing to consider any additional alternative sentencing options. We affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Knox | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Stephen G. Hughes v. State of Tennessee
The petitioner, Steven G. Hughes, petitioned the Johnson County Criminal Court for habeas corpus relief from his Cocke County convictions of aggravated robbery. The court dismissed the petition, and the petitioner appealed. The state has moved this court to affirm the convictions pursuant to Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Rule 20. We sustain the court's motion and affirm the order of dismissal. |
Johnson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Edward Chumney
The Appellant, Edward Chumney, appeals the revocation of his probation by the Madison County Circuit Court. On appeal, Chumney argues that the trial court was without authority to revoke his probation because the violation warrants were issued after his sentence of probation had expired. After review, we agree that three of his sentences had expired; however, his two sentences for aggravated burglary had not. Accordingly, we affirm revocation of his two sentences for aggravated burglary and reverse and vacate revocation of his sentences for misdemeanor theft, class E felony theft, and class D felony theft. The case is remanded for correction of the records below to reflect this holding and for other proceedings consistent with this opinion. |
Madison | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Santita Makeva Sutton
The defendant, Santita Makeva Sutton, pled guilty in the Bedford County Circuit Court to two counts of sale of one-half gram or more of cocaine, a Class B felony, possession with intent to sell one-half gram or more of cocaine, a Class B felony, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, a Class E felony, and simple possession of a schedule VI controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor. The trial court sentenced her to eight years for each Class B felony conviction, one year for the Class E felony conviction, and eleven months and twenty-nine days for the Class A misdemeanor conviction. The court ordered two of the three Class B felony convictions, the Class E felony conviction, and the Class A misdemeanor conviction to run concurrently with each other but consecutively to the other Class B felony conviction for an effective total sentence of sixteen years in the Department of Correction. The defendant appeals, claiming the trial court erred in denying her alternative sentencing under state law and the rule announced in Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. __, 124 S. Ct. 2531 (2004). We affirm the trial court. |
Bedford | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Jackie F. Curry v. State of Tennessee
The petitioner, Jackie F. Curry, petitioned the Johnson County Criminal Court for habeas corpus relief from his three 2000 Knox County convictions of aggravated rape. The court dismissed the petition, and the petitioner appealed. The state has moved this court to affirm the convictions pursuant to Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Rule 20. We sustain the court's motion and affirm the order of dismissal. |
Johnson | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Joseph B. Thompson v. State of Tennessee
The petitioner, Joseph B. Thompson, appeals from the Sullivan County Criminal Court's dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief, in which he challenged his 2001 jury conviction of misdemeanor theft on the grounds that he received ineffective assistance of trial counsel and that the trial court committed certain errors. The state has moved this court to affirm the order of dismissal pursuant to Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Rule 20. We sustain the motion and affirm the order. |
Sullivan | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Joanne Hurst
The appellant pled guilty to aggravated assault. At sentencing, the trial court imposed a three-year sentence to be served on probation. In this appeal, the appellant argues the trial court erred by denying judicial diversion. We affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Knox | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Robert R. McCray v. State of Tennessee
The petitioner, Robert R. McCray, petitioned the Sullivan County Criminal Court for a writ of habeas corpus to gain release from that court's 18-month sentence imposed for a conviction of selling a counterfeit controlled substance. The court denied the petition, and the petitioner appealed. The state has moved this court to affirm the order via memorandum opinion pursuant to Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Rule 20. We sustain the state's motion and affirm the order pursuant to Rule 20. |
Sullivan | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Carl Ed Leming v. State of Tennessee
The petitioner, Carl Ed Leming, pled guilty in the Hamilton County Circuit Court to two counts of aggravated rape. He received consecutive sentences of forty years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction, with release eligibility after serving thirty percent of his sentence. Subsequently, the petitioner filed in the Bledsoe County Circuit Court a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, alleging that his sentence was illegal because he received statutorily impermissible release eligibility. The court dismissed the petitioner's petition for a writ of habeas corpus, and the petitioner now appeals. Upon our review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Bledsoe | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
Elmer Fritts v. State of Tennessee
The petitioner, Elmer Fritts, appeals from the trial court's order dismissing his petition for writ of habeas corpus. The state has filed a motion requesting that this court affirm the trial court's denial of relief pursuant to Rule 20 of the Rules of the Court of Criminal Appeals. The petition fails to establish a cognizable claim for habeas corpus relief. Accordingly, the state's motion is granted and the judgment of the trial court is affirmed. |
Knox | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Robert Leonard Mosley - Dissenting
The majority concludes that modification of the defendant’s sentence is required in light of Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. __, 124 S. Ct. 2531 (2004). I must respectfully dissent. |
Henry | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Robert Leonard Mosley
On appeal, the defendant challenges: (1) the sufficiency of the evidence; (2) the sentence imposed, in light of Blakely v. Washington; and (3) the denial of alternative sentencing. Following our review, we conclude that there was sufficient evidence presented, such that a reasonable jury could reject the theory of diminished capacity and find the defendant guilty of the convicted offenses. Further, it appears that the enhancement factors were applied errantly in light of Blakely. Therefore, we reduce the sentence to the presumptive minimum and remand the matter for a determination of the defendant’s suitability for alternative sentencing. |
Henry | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Larry Holmes
A Shelby County jury convicted the defendant, Larry Holmes, of four counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, a Class A felony, two counts of aggravated robbery, a Class B felony, and one count of aggravated burglary, a Class C felony. The trial court merged the two aggravated robbery convictions into the especially aggravated kidnapping convictions and sentenced the defendant as a repeat violent offender to concurrent sentences of fifty-five years at one hundred percent for the especially aggravated kidnapping convictions and as a career offender to fifteen years for the aggravated burglary conviction to be served consecutively to the especially aggravated kidnapping sentences for an effective sentence of seventy years. On appeal, the defendant contends that (1) the evidence was not sufficient to support his convictions for especially aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery, (2) the trial court erred by denying his request for a mistrial based upon a misstatement by an officer testifying for the state, and (3) the trial court erred in imposing his sentences. 1 We affirm the judgments of the trial court. |
Shelby | Court of Criminal Appeals | |
State of Tennessee v. Ronald Lynn Chatman
Defendant,Ronald Lynn Chatman, was indicted for the offense of especially aggravated kidnapping, a Class A felony. Following a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of the lesser included offense of facilitation of especially aggravated kidnapping, a Class B felony. The trial court sentenced Defendant to nine years imprisonment as a Range I, standard offender. In his appeal, Defendant challenges the sufficiency of the convicting evidence, and argues that the trial court erred in not granting Defendant’s request for a probated sentence. After a thorough review of the record, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. |
Robertson | Court of Criminal Appeals |
