State of Tennessee v. Frankie Donald Releford

The defendant, Frankie Donald Releford, brings this direct appeal of his convictions for possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, to wit, rolling papers, and destruction of evidence. The trial court sentenced the defendant to serve an aggregate eleven-year sentence. In this appeal, the defendant alleges (1) that the trial court erroneously denied his motion to suppress drugs and drug paraphernalia seized in a search incident to his arrest, (2) that the trial court erroneously allowed a witness to testify regarding the results of two spectrophotometer tests without sufficiently establishing the reliability of those instruments, (3) that the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions, (4) that the trial court erred by refusing to grant his motion for new trial on the basis of newly discovered evidence, and (5) that the trial court improperly sentenced him. After reviewing the record and applicable case law, we find that none of the defendant's allegations merit relief and therefore affirm the judgment of conviction.