Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals

State of Tennessee v. Hewitt - Pretrial Release Motion Denied

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals denied a motion by James and Kelli Hewitt seeking review of conditions of their pretrial release. The appellate court affirmed the trial court's imposition of a $350,000 cumulative bond and multiple conditions including GPS monitoring, no-contact provisions with all 27 children, and surrender of passports and firearms. The defendants face charges including involuntary labor servitude, trafficking for forced labor, aggravated cruelty to animals, and cruelty to animals stemming from their dog breeding business and alleged conduct toward an adopted child. The court found the defendants' motion sufficient for review under Tennessee Rule of Appellate Procedure 8.

Williams Murder Conviction Affirmed, 36-Year Sentence

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Defendant Jayshawn Edward Williams's second-degree murder conviction for the shooting death of Travis Brown in Knoxville. The trial court's 36-year sentence was upheld after the appellate court found sufficient evidence to support the conviction regarding identity and self-defense claims.

Vonda Star Smith v. State of Tennessee - Post-Conviction Appeal Denied

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the denial of post-conviction relief for Vonda Star Smith, who was convicted of first-degree murder and unborn child. The court rejected Petitioner's claims that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to obtain a DNA expert, object to trial court comments, object to an undisclosed impeachment statement, and call a corroborating witness. The court also rejected the Brady v. Maryland claim that the State withheld exculpatory evidence. All claims were denied and the judgment of the Criminal Court for Greene County was affirmed.

State v. Ferguson: $500 Discovery Sanction Reversed

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals reversed and vacated a trial court's order requiring the State to pay $500 toward defense counsel's fees as a sanction for a discovery violation under Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 16. The appellate court held that the trial court's sanction order violated the State of Tennessee's sovereign immunity from suit. The underlying criminal charges against defendant Tyrome Ferguson (two counts of aggravated assault and one count of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon) were ultimately dismissed by agreement.

State v. Bennett - Assault Convictions Affirmed, 20-Year Sentence

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the convictions and 20-year sentence of Demetruice Bennett for aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, unlawful firearm possession, and evading arrest. The defendant challenged the admissibility of video evidence showing him with a firearm, claimed ineffective assistance of counsel, and argued insufficient evidence. The court rejected all three claims and upheld the trial court's judgment.

Post-Conviction Petition Dismissed for Improper Verification

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the summary dismissal of Crystal Lee Martin's post-conviction petition because the petition was not signed under oath subject to penalty of perjury as required by Tennessee procedural rules. The post-conviction court had provided Martin fifteen days to file an amended properly verified petition, but she refused. The appellate court affirmed the judgment of the Sumner County Criminal Court in all regards.

Coy J. Cotham, Jr. v. State of Tennessee - Post-Conviction DNA Petition Denied

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the post-conviction court's summary dismissal of Coy J. Cotham, Jr.'s petition for DNA testing of a blue towel recovered from his vehicle. The Petitioner, convicted of first-degree premeditated murder and especially aggravated robbery, sought post-conviction relief under the Post-Conviction DNA Analysis Act. The appellate court found the petition was properly dismissed.

Jaylun Malik Currie v. State of Tennessee - Post-Conviction Appeal Denied, Eight-Year Sentence

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the denial of post-conviction relief to Jaylun Malik Currie, who challenged his convictions for aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault by strangulation, and aggravated criminal trespass. The court rejected claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and cumulative prejudice. The petitioner received an effective eight-year sentence for the September 2020 assault of his former girlfriend.

State of Tennessee v. Blake Shemar Swann - Appeal Dismissed Untimely, Probation Revoked

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed defendant Blake Shemar Swann's appeal as untimely, affirming the trial court's revocation of probation and reinstatement of his six-year sentence. The defendant had been convicted of evading arrest and driving on a revoked license, with probation revoked due to new criminal charges including drug offenses and failure to appear.

State v. Bennett - 50-Year Sentence Affirmed on Child Abuse Conviction

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed a 50-year effective sentence for Jacque Bouvier Bennett following convictions for aggravated rape of a child, aggravated sexual battery, and assault by offensive touching. The appellate court rejected the defendant's five claims of trial court error regarding witness competence, courtroom procedures, forensic interview admissibility, and identification.