Ellis Junior Burnett v. State of Tennessee

In 2001, a Cannon County jury convicted the Petitioner, Ellis Junior Burnett, of aggravated arson,2 and he received a twenty-three-year sentence. The conviction was affirmed by this Court on direct appeal. Subsequently, the Petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction relief, which was heard by the post-conviction court and denied. The Petitioner now appeals, claiming the post-conviction erred when it: (1) failed to give him a full and fair post-conviction evidentiary hearing; (2) denied his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel; (3) denied his claim that the trial court failed to properly instruct the jury as to lesser included offenses; and (4) denied his claim that the trial court failed to properly instruct the jury on circumstantial evidence. After a thorough review of the record and applicable law, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court