Justia Criminal Law Opinion Summaries

Defendant Gregory Redmond appealed his conviction of statutory rape. He was sentenced to life. On appeal to the Supreme Court, Defendant argued that the trial court made errors by admitting some and excluding other testimony that was ultimately prejudicial to his case. Upon consideration of the record and the applicable legal authority, the Supreme Court found no error by the trial court. The Court affirmed Defendant's conviction and sentence.

Defendant Dennis Taylor appealed his conviction for conspiracy and robbery. He was sentenced to fifteen years. On appeal to the Supreme Court, Defendant argued that the verdicts against him at trial were against the weight and sufficiency of the evidence. Upon consideration of the arguments and the applicable legal authority, the Supreme Court found that the evidence was sufficient to support the jury's verdicts, and that the verdicts were not against the overwhelming weight of the evidence. The Court affirmed Defendant's conviction and sentence.

A grand jury indicted Defendant Harold Hargett for selling marijuana and hydrocodone. A jury found Defendant guilty, and he was sentenced as a habitual offender to six years for the marijuana charge, and sixty years for the hydrocodone charge. The appellate court affirmed Defendant's sentence. Defendant appealed to the Supreme Court by arguing that the trial court erred by admitting testimony that referenced certain "prior bad acts" that should have been excluded. Before trial began, defense counsel argued in a motion to exclude evidence that Defendant's prior convictions would be too prejudicial. The trial court granted the motion. Despite the ruling, the State continually elicited inadmissible testimony that referenced the prior convictions. The Supreme Court reversed the decisions of the trial and appellate courts and remanded the case for a new trial. The Court found that the testimony that referenced Defendant's prior bad acts should have been excluded.

In September, 2007, a grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Defendant Albert Joiner. One count charged Defendant with âfelony flight,â and the second count charged Defendant with being a felon in possession of a deadly weapon. The indictment did not charge Defendant as being a âhabitual offender.â In a separate case, Defendant had a pending indictment for armed robbery as a habitual offender. Defendant and the State reached a plea agreement: the State would dismiss the possession charge and reduce the armed-robbery charge if Defendant would plead guilty to felony flight and robbery as a âlesser habitual offender.â Defendant accepted the deal, pled guilty, and was sentenced to a total of nineteen years as a habitual offender. Defendant moved for post-conviction relief, arguing that the trial court erred by charging him as a habitual offender when the grand juryâs indictment made no mention of it. The trial judge summarily denied his petition, and Defendant appealed. The Supreme Court found that because of Defendantâs âknowing an voluntary guilty plea,â Defendant waived his right to contest any deficiency in the indictment. The Court affirmed the lower courtsâ decisions.