Kennedy v. Titan Specialized Services
M2001-02696-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Trial Court Judge: Robert E. Corlew, III
On appeal from Sessions Court, the Chancellor allowed a set-off on the indebtedness. Plaintiff appeals, contending defendant filed no pleading which would entitle him to a set-off. We affirm.

Rutherford Court of Appeals

Wendy King vs. Timothy King
M2000-00424-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Trial Court Judge: Charles D. Haston, Sr.
This appeal arises from a divorce and custody dispute. The trial court awarded custody of the parties' four minor children to the father, and the court awarded the mother liberal visitation. The mother appeals the decision of the court below. For the following reasons, we affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

Warren Court of Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Johnathan Trice
W2000-02740-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: Judge Roy B. Morgan, Jr.

The appellant, Jonathan Trice, pled guilty in the Chester County Circuit Court to five counts of theft and was sentenced to a total of four years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction. The appellant's sentence was then suspended, and the appellant was granted service in a community corrections program. Due to the appellant's failure to comply with the terms of community corrections, the trial court revoked the appellant's suspended sentence and ordered that the appellant serve his sentence in confinement as originally ordered. The appellant appeals this ruling. Upon review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Chester Court of Criminal Appeals

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Supreme Court

State of Tennessee v. Larry Mitchell Watson
E2000-01923-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Judge Lillie Ann Sells

The defendant, Larry Mitchel Watson, appeals his conviction and sentence for felony reckless endangerment in the Cumberland County Criminal Court. On appeal, the defendant argues that the evidence was insufficient to sustain his felony reckless endangerment conviction and that the trial court improperly sentenced him. Because the jury was erroneously instructed on felony reckless endangerment as a lesser-included offense of aggravated assault, we reverse his conviction for that offense and remand the cause for a new trial in accordance with this opinion.

Cumberland Court of Criminal Appeals

State vs. Larry Allen Hicks
E1999-00957-SC-R11-CD
Authoring Judge: Justice William M. Barker
Trial Court Judge: Douglas A. Meyer

Hamilton Supreme Court

State vs. Larry Allen Hicks
E1999-00957-SC-R11-CD
Authoring Judge: Justice William M. Barker
Trial Court Judge: Douglas A. Meyer

Hamilton Supreme Court

State of Tennessee v. Larry Allen Hicks
E1999-00957-SC-R11-CV
Trial Court Judge: Douglas A. Meyer

Hamilton Supreme Court

Bobbie Woods v. Maytag Jackson Dishwashing Products
W2000-02212-SC-WCM-CV
Authoring Judge: Joe C. Loser, Jr., Sp. J.
Trial Court Judge: Joe C. Morris, Chancellor
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting to the Supreme Court of findings of fact and conclusions of law. In this appeal, the employer contends the evidence preponderates against the trial court's finding that the employee's claim for disability resulting from left carpal tunnel syndrome is not time-barred. As discussed below, the panel has concluded the judgment should be affirmed.

Madison Workers Compensation Panel

George Campbell, Jr. v. State of Tennessee
W2000-00703-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Trial Court Judge: Judge Chris B. Craft

The petitioner appeals the dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief, arguing that the post-conviction court erred in finding that he had effective assistance of trial counsel. After a careful review of the record, we conclude that the petitioner failed to meet his burden of proving ineffective assistance of counsel. Accordingly, we affirm the post-conviction court's dismissal of the petition for post-conviction relief.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Rickie Boyd
W2000-01010-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry L. Smith
Trial Court Judge: Judge Joseph B. Dailey

The defendant, Rickie Boyd, was convicted by a Shelby County, Tennessee jury of the offense of aggravated robbery. He was sentenced to 18 years incarceration as a Range II, multiple offender. In this appeal he maintains the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury with respect to the lesser included offense of theft of property. We conclude that is was error to fail to instruct the jury with respect to theft of property. However, we also conclude that this error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, and we therefore affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Larry Dean Dickerson
W2000-02201-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Trial Court Judge: Judge Mark L. Agee

The defendant appeals his premeditated first degree murder conviction for which he received a life sentence, arguing: (1) the evidence was not sufficient to convict him of first degree murder; (2) he should have been granted a mistrial due to the prosecutor's improper statements during closing arguments; and (3) he was entitled to a special jury instruction regarding diminished capacity. After reviewing the record, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Crockett Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Charles Goode
W2000-02267-CCA-R3-CO
Authoring Judge: Special Judge Cornelia A. Clark
Trial Court Judge: Judge James C. Beasley, Jr.

Charles Goode was convicted by a jury of aggravated rape, and was sentenced to twenty-five (25) years in the Department of Correction. He challenges the sufficiency of the evidence and the actions of the judge in sentencing him to serve the maximum sentence. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Shelby Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Sharon Rhea
E2000-02617-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Trial Court Judge: Judge D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.

The defendant pled guilty to two counts of introduction of drugs into a penal institution. Her plea agreement required her to serve two concurrent six-year sentences for the offenses, but left the manner of service to the discretion of the trial court. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court ordered the defendant to serve her sentences in the Tennessee Department of Correction. The defendant appeals this decision, arguing that the trial court erred by not ordering an alternative sentence. Because we conclude that the record in this case supports the denial of alternative sentencing, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Blount Court of Criminal Appeals

Howard L. Fuller v. Astec Industries, Inc.
E2000-00721-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Trial Court Judge: Judge W. Neil Thomas, III

Plaintiff filed a retaliatory discharge action based on dismissal from employment for filing a worker's compensation claim. The Trial Judge held the record established the dismissal was not retaliatory. We affirm.

Hamilton Court of Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Felicia L. Britton
M2001-00176-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge John H. Gasaway, III

After pleading guilty to felony theft of identity, a Class D felony, and to violating her probation, the trial court ordered the defendant to serve one year confinement and one year probation with rehabilitation as a result of violating her probation. In addition, the trial court ordered her to serve an additional three years of probation for the felony theft of identity conviction, to run consecutive to the sentence resulting from the probation violation. The defendant appeals and asserts that the trial court erred in sentencing her on the probation violation, erred in sentencing her to three years of probation for the felony theft of identity, and erred in ordering the two sentences to be served consecutively. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Montgomery Court of Criminal Appeals

Joan Elizabeth Hall v. State of Tennessee
M2000-02707-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Trial Court Judge: Judge W. Charles Lee

The petitioner was originally convicted by a Lincoln County jury of criminal responsibility for first degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. The petitioner's conviction was affirmed on direct appeal. The petitioner sought post-conviction relief, which was denied by the post-conviction court. In this appeal, the petitioner contends her trial counsel provided ineffective assistance of counsel. After a thorough review of the record, we conclude that the post-conviction court correctly denied post-conviction relief.

Lincoln Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. James Larry Cox
M2000-02556-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Judge Thomas W. Graham

A Grundy County jury convicted the defendant, James Larry Cox, for the attempted second degree murder of Jimmy Sweeton. Subsequently, the trial court sentenced the defendant as a Range I offender to ten (10) years of incarceration. On appeal, the defendant questions whether he was denied a fair trial due to the trial court's exclusion of evidence relating to the victim's reputation for violence, and whether he was improperly denied the right to question the victim about a prior conviction. After a thorough review of the record, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Grundy Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Barry Marable
M1999-00576-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Trial Court Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer

The defendant, Barry Marable, appeals from his convictions for aggravated burglary, felony reckless endangerment, felony evading arrest, and misdemeanor theft, contesting the sufficiency of the evidence. We affirm the judgments of conviction except for the one for the evading arrest. We modify that conviction from a Class D felony to a Class E felony and remand the case for sentencing.

Montgomery Court of Criminal Appeals

Steve Edward Houston v. State of Tennessee
M2000-01087-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge Robert L. Jones

The petitioner appeals the post-conviction court's denial of his petition for post-conviction relief. He claims that he received ineffective assistance of appellate counsel on direct appeal. After review, we hold that appellate counsel's decision on direct appeal not to raise potentially improper closing arguments at trial by the prosecutor was neither deficient performance nor prejudicial to the petitioner. We affirm the post-conviction court's denial of the petitioner's petition.

Giles Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Richard L. Thompson
M2000-01429-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge L. Terry Lafferty
Trial Court Judge: Judge John D. Wootten, Jr.

Defendant, Richard L. Thompson, was accused by the Wilson County grand jury of incest of his stepdaughter, in three counts, all occurring between May and August 1999. On January 13, 2000, defendant agreed to plead guilty to one count of incest for a sentence of six (6) years in the Department of Correction. As part of the plea agreement, defendant requested a sentencing hearing for the trial court to consider an alternative sentence and probation. At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, the trial court denied defendant's request for an alternative sentence and probation and confined Defendant in the Department of Correction for six (6) years. On direct appeal, defendant raises five (5) issues: (1) Whether the trial court improperly considered a 1989 Pennsylvania conviction for an undetermined offense in finding defendant was not an appropriate candidate for full probation or split confinement; (2) Whether the trial court erred by finding certain statutory enhancement factors applicable to the determination of how the sentence should be served, where length of sentence was determined in the guilty plea; (3) Whether the trial court erred in finding that the sentence of confinement was necessary to avoid depreciating the seriousness of the offense; (4) Whether the trial court erred in failing to consider whether measures less restrictive than confinement had been applied to this offender; and (5) Whether the trial court erred in failing to consider defendant's special needs into consideration as a factor that made alternative sentencing (community corrections) particularly appropriate in this case. Upon a review of the record, legal arguments, the briefs of the parties, and applicable law, we find no error. Thus, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

Wilson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. William Edwin Lambeth
M2000-00882-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Trial Court Judge: Judge Allen W. Wallace

A Dickson County Grand Jury indicted the defendant for rape, and the defendant was convicted of the lesser-included offense of sexual battery. The defendant filed a timely motion for new trial, which was subsequently withdrawn. Almost two months later, the defendant filed a pro se motion alleging his motion for new trial was unilaterally and improperly withdrawn by counsel. Eventually, the trial court held that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the motion for new trial since the defendant's original motion had been withdrawn, and no timely motion was pending. On appeal, defendant contends the trial court's jury charge authorized the jury to convict based on lack of consent, when "force or coercion" was alleged in the indictment. We conclude the motion for new trial was not properly before the trial court, thereby waiving this issue. Nevertheless, we have examined the issue for plain error and conclude defendant's allegation of error is totally without merit. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

Dickson Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Freddy Allen Perry
M2000-00013-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Trial Court Judge: Judge Robert L. Jones

The appellant, Freddy Allen Perry, pled guilty in the Giles County Circuit Court to four counts of aggravated assault and was sentenced as a standard Range I offender to a total effective sentence of ten years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the appellant challenges the trial court's denial of full probation and judicial diversion. Upon review of the record and the parties' briefs, we conclude that the trial court erred in failing to state on the record its reasons for denying full probation and judicial diversion; therefore, we reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand for further proceedings.

Giles Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. James David Alder
M2000-01825-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Trial Court Judge: Judge Buddy D. Perry

The defendant, James David Alder, was convicted of attempted second degree murder, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. He was sentenced as a Range III Persistent Offender to twenty (20) years for the attempted second degree murder, eleven (11) months and twenty-nine (29) days for assault, and three (3) years for reckless endangerment. His sentences were ordered to run concurrently to each other, but consecutively to the sentence ordered in a case for which the defendant was on bail at the time he committed the present offenses. On appeal, he argues: (1) the trial court erred in allowing the jury to hear expert testimony concerning the extent of the victim's injuries, the length of her hospital stay and the number of surgeries she had; (2) the evidence was insufficient to sustain a conviction for reckless endangerment; and (3) the trial court failed to follow the sentencing guidelines and improperly ordered consecutive sentencing. After a review of the law and the briefs, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Franklin Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Robert L. Drew
M2000-01853-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Trial Court Judge: Judge Steve R. Dozier

The defendant appeals his conviction of theft of property valued at $1,000 or more, but under $10,000. He contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress a showup identification of him at the crime scene. He further contends that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction and that the trial court erred by instructing the jury on flight. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Davidson Court of Criminal Appeals