The case involved a petition for post-conviction relief filed by Hector William Zarate Capriel, who had pleaded guilty in general sessions court to misdemeanor child abuse in exchange for dismissal of an aggravated child abuse charge; he argued that his plea was not knowing and voluntary due to ineffective assistance of counsel, specifically that trial counsel failed to advise him his conviction would render him inadmissible under federal immigration law. The post-conviction court denied relief after an evidentiary hearing, and the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed. The appellate court held that counsel's advice—that the plea could affect immigration status and that the petitioner should consult an immigration attorney—was sufficient under Padilla v. Kentucky because it is not clear whether misdemeanor child abuse constitutes a crime involving moral turpitude that triggers inadmissibility, and the petitioner failed to prove prejudice because the court discredited his testimony that he would have rejected the plea if fully informed.
Roberto Digma pleaded guilty in 2021 to possession of 0.5 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to sell or deliver and received an eight-year sentence suspended to supervised probation. A probation violation warrant issued alleging new charges for manufacturing and selling methamphetamine, unlawful firearm possession, simple possession, and drug paraphernalia. Digma admitted the violation at a hearing, waiving his right to contest the allegations, and the trial court revoked probation and ordered him to serve the full sentence, citing the short time between release and new offenses plus the gun possession as evidence he posed a danger to society. On appeal, the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in revoking probation based on the admission and statutory authority to impose the original sentence.
The case involved Gary Wood's appeal of his Knox County jury conviction for theft of property valued between $2,500 and $10,000, stemming from the theft of a specialized flat-deck trailer from a welding business owner's property. The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the conviction, finding the evidence sufficient to support the jury's verdict. The prosecution presented testimony from the victim detailing the trailer's specialized features and the costs to rebuild an identical replacement, including over $3,000 in materials and labor, along with security footage identifying the defendant. Under Tennessee law, theft requires proof that the defendant knowingly obtained the property without consent with intent to deprive the owner, and value can be established by replacement cost when fair market value is not ascertainable; the court held that a rational jury could conclude these elements were met beyond a reasonable doubt based on the evidence viewed in the light most favorable to the state.
The case involved the appeal of Keithandre Trevon Murray's convictions for two counts of first degree premeditated murder in the deaths of James Turner and Alisha Mondoni, stemming from a feud over a stolen gaming system that escalated to threats and violence. The defendant challenged the sufficiency of the evidence, the admission of Facebook messages and certain testimony, the lack of African Americans in the jury pool, and the imposition of consecutive life sentences. The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the convictions and sentences, finding no error in the trial proceedings or sentencing decisions, as the evidence supported the verdicts and the trial court properly applied sentencing principles.
The case involved Donta Lamar Weir appealing the summary dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief after he pleaded guilty in 2021 to delivery of cocaine in a drug-free school zone, delivery of cocaine, and delivery of a counterfeit controlled substance stemming from separate controlled buys in 2019. The petitioner claimed the Warren County Sheriff's Department violated his constitutional rights by not arresting him after the first buy, which he argued led to excessive convictions, and that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to challenge this alleged policy. The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the dismissal, concluding that the petition failed to state a colorable claim because there is no constitutional right to be arrested and law enforcement has no duty to halt an investigation upon establishing probable cause.
The case involved Jacob Tate's appeal from the denial of post-conviction relief after his 2018 guilty pleas in Knox County to especially aggravated kidnapping and rape, for which he received a 22-year sentence; the pleas resolved charges from Knox and Anderson Counties stemming from offenses against a 12-year-old victim in 2016, including allegations of sexual intercourse and confinement. Tate argued that his trial counsel was ineffective and that the pleas were not knowing, voluntary, and intelligent, and he claimed counsel failed to file a requested motion to withdraw the pleas. The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the post-conviction court's denial of relief, concluding that the pleas were validly entered and that Tate had not shown prejudice from any alleged failure to file a withdrawal motion because he could not establish manifest injustice under Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 32(f). The court reasoned that the evidence demonstrated the pleas were entered without coercion or misunderstanding and that a mere change of heart does not justify withdrawal.