Lavonte Douglas v. State of Tennessee

In 2020, a Hardeman County jury convicted the Petitioner, Lavonte Douglas, of first degree felony murder and attempted aggravated robbery, and the trial court sentenced him to an effective sentence of life. The Petitioner appealed, and this court affirmed his conviction and sentence. State v. Douglas, No. W2020-01012-CCA-R3-CD, 2021 WL 4480904, at *1 (Tenn. Crim. App. Sept. 30, 2020), perm. app. denied (Tenn. Feb. 28, 2023). The Petitioner filed a timely petition for post-conviction relief, amended by counsel, alleging that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel because his trial counsel failed to: object to hearsay statements; request in writing a curative jury instruction; and give a closing argument. He further contended that the cumulative effect of these errors entitled him to post-conviction relief. The post-conviction court denied his petition after a hearing. After review, we affirm the post-conviction court’s judgment.