State of Tennessee v. Spencer Peterson

The Appellant, Spencer Peterson, appeals the sentencing decision of the Shelby County Criminal Court. After a jury trial, Peterson was convicted of three counts of second degree murder, two counts of attempted second degree murder, eight counts of aggravated robbery, one count of aggravated burglary, three counts of attempted especially aggravated robbery, and two counts of attempted aggravated robbery. The trial court merged the three second degree murder convictions and the separate convictions of aggravated robbery involving the same victim and sentenced Peterson as a Range I offender to consecutive terms of twenty years for the second degree murder conviction and eight years for each of the four aggravated robbery convictions. The trial court ordered concurrent sentences for the remaining convictions, resulting in an effective sentence of fifty-two years in the Department of Correction. Peterson appealed the imposition of consecutive sentences, and this court remanded the case to the trial court for purposes of setting forth its reasons for consecutive sentencing, as required by Tenn. R. Crim. P. 32(c)(1). On appeal, Peterson again argues that the trial court erred in imposing consecutive sentences. After review of the record, we affirm the trial court’s sentencing decision.