Chamberlain v. State

815 S.W.2d 534
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedAugust 8, 1990
StatusPublished
Cited by131 cases

This text of 815 S.W.2d 534 (Chamberlain v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chamberlain v. State, 815 S.W.2d 534 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

OPINION

JONES, Judge.

The appellant, Larry Curtis Chamberlain, has appealed as of right from the judgment of the trial court dismissing his petition for post-conviction relief. Since the transcript of the guilty plea proceedings and the evi-dentiary hearing in this cause do not affirmatively show that the appellant voluntarily, understandingly and knowingly entered the pleas in question, the judgment of the trial court is reversed

On the 2nd day of February, 1979, the appellant entered pleas of guilty to two counts of burglary third degree, two counts of attempt to commit a felony, receiving and concealing stolen property, and carrying a dangerous weapon. Pursuant to a plea bargain agreement, the trial judge sentenced the appellant as follows: three (3) years in the penitentiary for each count of burglary third degree, two (2) years in the penitentiary for one count of attempt to commit a felony, one (1) year in the penitentiary for a second count of attempt to commit a felony, one (1) year in the penitentiary for receiving and concealing stolen property, and eleven months and twenty-nine days for the offense of carrying a dangerous weapon. The trial judge ordered that the one year sentence for attempt to commit a felony was to be served consecutively to the sentences he was serving. The remaining sentences were to be served concurrently with the sentences the appellant was serving when he was sentenced in these cases as well as the one year sentence. In summary, the appellant received an effective sentence of four years, but he was only required to serve one additional year.

The appellant executed three (3) documents when he entered his pleas of guilty. One document, entitled “Plea of Guilty”, states:

The defendant, appearing in person in this cause, having been fully advised by the court of the crime charged against him, the punishment which could be met *536 ed out if the defendant is found guilty and of his constitutional rights therein hereby voluntarily pleads guilty to the offense[s] of two third degree burglaries, two attempts to commit a felony, receiving & concealing & carrying a dangerous weapon.
The defendant also states to the court that his attorney being present, Honorable _, has fully informed him of all of his rights and that after a full explanation of these rights, the defendant informed his attorney that he wanted to voluntarily enter a plea of guilty and to this decision of the defendant, said attorney agrees.
This the 2nd day of Feb., 1979.
/s/ Larry Chamberlain Defendant
APPROVED: /s/ R.L. Dunlap, III Attorney for Defendant
CERTIFICATE OF JUDGE
I hereby certify that the above named defendant, being represented by R.L. Dunlap, III, a member in good standing of the Tennessee Bar, pleaded guilty to the offense[s] of (2) Third Degree Burglaries, (2) Attempt to Commit a Felony, Receiving and Concealing & Carrying a dangerous weapon and did so after a full explanation of his rights were made to him in open court.
This the 2nd day of Feb., 1979.
/s/ Dick Jerman, Sr. Judge

The second document which the appellant executed, entitled “Waiver of Jury Fixing Punishment”, provided:

I, Larry C. Chamberlain, hereby waive the action of a jury to fix my sentence on my plea[s] of guilty to the charge of two third degree burglaries, two attempts to commit a felony, receiving & concealing, & carrying a dangerous weapon and submit to the action of the Court without a jury to fix my sentence.
/s/ Larry Chamberlain Defendant
/s/ R.L. Dunlap, III Attorney for Defendant
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 2nd day of Feb., 1979.
/s/ S. Rondall Myers Clerk
CERTIFICATE OF JUDGE
I hereby certify that the above named defendant has been fully informed in open court of the charges against him and of his right to a trial by jury; that he has elected in open court to be tried in this case without the intervention of a jury and to allow the Court to try the cause, including fixing any punishment; and that he has executed the above waiver in my presence after its meaning and effect have been fully explained to him. This 2nd day of Feb., 1979.
/s/ Dick Jerman, Sr. Judge

The third document executed by the appellant, entitled “Waiver of Appeal”, provided:

Comes the defendant in person and with counsel and states to the court that he was convicted of two third degree burglaries, two attempts to commit a felony, receiving & concealing & carrying a dangerous weapon on Feb. 2, 1979, and he does not desire to appeal his case to the Supreme Court of Tennessee. He states that this decision has been made by him voluntarily after a full and complete discussion of same with his attorney.
The defendant states that he fully understands his right to appeal his case and that he, nevertheless, desires not to appeal. His attorney agrees that defendant has no basis for appeal as there are no errors in the record.
This the 2nd day Feb., 1979.
/s/ Larry Chamberlain Defendant
/s/ R.L. Dunlap, III Attorney for Defendant

The proceedings conducted in open court were relatively brief. The transcript of the sentencing hearing recites:

This case came on to be heard before the Honorable Dick Jerman, Sr., on the 2nd *537 day of February, 1979, and the following proceedings were had, to-wit:
GENERAL SCHOONOVER: If the court please, this is a series of cases in which every question in it has been resolved except how the sentence is to run. The State made an offer to Mr. Chamberlain that on his plea of guilty in all cases, a total of five years in the State Penitentiary. The State also offered to recommend to Your Honor that three years of that run concurrent with a nine year sentence he is already serving in the State Penitentiary and two years run consecutive. That is the only disagreement between the defense counsel and the State. The defendant wishes that four years of it run concurrent and one consecutive. The State cannot in good conscience go along with that in view of the charges against him here; but, the State did agree to leave that matter to your Honor. The defendant has agreed also.
[WHEREUPON, After comments to the Court by General Schoonover and Mr. Dunlap, the guilty plea is as follows:]
THE COURT: Bring Mr. Chamberlain around. Mr. Chamberlain, you have signed these forms that I have in front of me indicating that you wish to plead guilty to two charges of burglary, two of attempt to commit a felony and one charge of carrying a dangerous weapon.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
815 S.W.2d 534, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chamberlain-v-state-tenncrimapp-1990.