State of Tennessee v. Lamont Johnson

After a trial by jury, the defendant was found guilty of the first degree felony murder of his girlfriend’s five-month-old daughter. On appeal, the defendant claims that the trial court’s decision to exclude the testimony of four potential witnesses concerning the defendant’s son’s propensity toward violence violated his constitutional right to present a defense. After reviewing the record, we conclude that the defendant has failed to establish that the testimony of these four witnesses was critical to the defense. In addition, strong societal interests support the exclusion of this type of character evidence when nothing in the record might suggest that the defendant’s son actually committed the crime. Consequently, the trial court’s decision to exclude the testimony of these witnesses did not violate the defendant’s constitutional right to present a defense. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.