State of Tennessee v. Eric Cruthird

Upon his pleas of guilty, the Defendant, Eric Cruthird, was convicted of three counts of possession of .5 grams or more of cocaine with the intent to sell, each conviction being a Class B felony. Pursuant to his plea agreement, the Defendant received an eight-year sentence for each conviction, with one of said sentences to be served consecutively to the other two, for an effective sentence of sixteen years. In accordance with the plea agreement, the manner of service of the sentence was left to the discretion of the trial court. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court denied any form of alternative sentencing and ordered that the sentences be served in the Department of Correction. On appeal, the Defendant argues that the trial court erred by denying him probation. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.