State of Tennessee v. Bobby J. Armstrong

The Appellant, Bobby J. Armstrong, appeals from the dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief. Armstrong's convictions stem from his guilty pleas to two counts of felony murder and two resulting consecutive sentences of life without the possibility of parole. In this appeal, Armstrong raises the following issues for our review: (1) whether the guilty plea was knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily made; and (2) whether trial counsel was ineffective for failing to request a competency hearing to determine Armstrong's mental condition. After review, we find Armstrong's guilty plea was knowing, intelligent and voluntary and that he received effective assistance of counsel. As such, we affirm the judgment of the Madison County Circuit Court.