State of Tennessee v. Darrin Bryant

CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedJuly 11, 2001
DocketW2000-01136-CCA-R3-CD
StatusPublished

This text of State of Tennessee v. Darrin Bryant (State of Tennessee v. Darrin Bryant) 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
State of Tennessee v. Darrin Bryant, (Tenn. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TENNESSEE AT JACKSON Assigned on Briefs May 8, 2001

STATE OF TENNESSEE v. DARRIN BRYANT

Appeal from the Criminal Court for Shelby County No. 98-03828 Carolyn Wade Blackett, Judge

No. W2000-01136-CCA-R3-CD - Filed July 11, 2001

After a jury trial, Defendant, Darrin Bryant, was convicted of attempted first degree murder. Subsequently, he was sentenced to twenty-five (25) years, Range I, Standard Offender in the Department of Corrections. In this appeal as of right, Defendant asserts that the trial court erred in sentencing Defendant to the maximum sentence of twenty-five (25) years by inappropriately applying an enhancement factor; and the State failed to present sufficient evidence to justify a rational trier of fact in finding beyond a reasonable doubt, that the assault was an attempt to commit premeditated murder. We conclude that the evidence was sufficient to support the conviction and that the trial court did not err in sentencing Defendant to the maximum of twenty-five (25) years in the Department of Corrections.

Tenn. R. App. P. 3; Judgment of the Criminal Court is Affirmed.

L. TERRY LAFFERTY, SR. J., delivered the opinion of the court, in which ALAN E. GLENN, J., joined. DAVID H. WELLES, J., not participating.

A. C. Wharton and Tony N. Brayton, Memphis, Tennessee, for the appellant, Darrin Bryant.

Paul G. Summers, Attorney General and Reporter; J. Ross Dyer, Assistant Attorney General; and Betsy Carnesale, Assistant District Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

OPINION

At trial, Ms. Carol McKinnon, age 35, mother of two sons, Deshun, age 14, and Javon, age 11, testified that she, her two sons and Defendant were living at 1973 Cloverdale, Memphis, Tennessee, on November 25, 1997. She and Defendant had been living together since June of 1997. She testified that on the Sunday before the 25th, Defendant began acting strangely:

“Just kind of saying, like, we were laying across the bed watching TV and he kind of grabbed me real hard around my throat, but he said that he didn’t mean any harm, that he was just playing with me. And he started saying that he didn’t want to live without me. And just a lot of stuff about my ex-boyfriend and stuff like that. And it kind of scared me so I called one of my girlfriends to come over to stay with me, like the rest of the day, because it kind of made me nervous, because it was just me and Darrin at home.”

Later, her girlfriend came over and stayed all day with her. On Monday, the following day, Defendant called her at work a number of times stating he loved her. When she arrived home between 4:40 and 4:45 p.m., Defendant was cooking and her sons were either in the living room doing their homework or getting their clothes together for school. Defendant had drawn her bath water and laid out her gown. After they had eaten, the boys were in the living room watching television, she had her bath and got into bed. Defendant gave her a massage because she told him her back was hurting. Ms. McKinnon stated she fell asleep about 10:00 p.m. and was awakened by Defendant who was moving around in the bedroom. He advised her that the boys were asleep in the living room and he was going to check the doors to make sure they were locked. Defendant stepped out of the bedroom and when he returned he shut the bedroom door, which made Ms. McKinnon curious. She asked him about the door and noticed he was standing on her side of the bed when he answered. “And that’s when everything just started happening.”

Defendant jumped in the bed on her chest and she asked him, “What was going on?” He stated that “he wasn’t going to live without me. All he wanted was a chance to make me happy. And that he loved me.” Ms. McKinnon stated that she was trying to yell and he was covering her mouth with his hand. Then he put his hand on her throat and started choking her, telling her to be quiet. She stated that during the scuffle, her head was pulled back and she could see the knife in his hand and thought he was going to cut her throat. She described the knife as one of her steak knives. Ms. McKinnon asked Defendant not to kill her and he told her that “he was going to kill me and he was going to kill himself. And I was crying and asking him not to.” The victim turned her head and the knife went into her face (cheek). The victim stated she was stabbed about eight times and required 80 stitches to repair the stab wounds. The victim was able to run into the living room where her sons were sleeping. She fell on the couch and her sons laid on top of her as Defendant continued to threaten to kill her. The knife Defendant was using broke off in the back of her arm, so Defendant obtained two more knives from the kitchen. She stated her sons kept asking Defendant to leave, then Defendant looked at her, realized what he had done and said he would have to go to jail, and he started telling the kids he was sorry and to call an ambulance and the police. Finally, the kids were able to call the police.

Ms. McKinnon testified that she had talked to Defendant on several occasions since the incident. He would say he was sorry and apologize. During one of the conversations, he had told her that on Sunday while they were laying across the bed and he was choking her, he could have killed her then.

During cross-examination, Ms. McKinnon identified some letters and cards that she had sent to Defendant while he was incarcerated. The victim acknowledged that she stated she still loved the

-2- Defendant and signed one of the letters with a lipstick kiss and another letter as Carol Bryant. Also, the victim sent Defendant photos of her which had been taken at Defendant’s sister’s home.

Javon McKinnon, age 12, a 6th grade student, testified that he, his brother, Dashun, his mother and Defendant lived at 1973 Cloverdale, Memphis, Tennessee, in November of 1997. Javon was asleep on the living room floor on November 24th or 25th when he heard some “bumping and jumping.” He heard his mother yell, “Darrin’s got a knife.” His mother ran into the living room and jumped on the couch. Javon and his brother got on top of their mother. He saw she was bleeding from the arm. Darrin had a knife in his hand and he said “he was going to kill her and kill himself.” Javon continued to lay on top of his mother so Defendant would not stab her. Javon told Defendant that “they would tell the police that somebody broke in.” At Javon’s request, Defendant got the phone, which Javon plugged into the wall and called 911. Defendant left and Javon told the 911 operator that his mother's boyfriend had tried to kill her.

Dashun McKinnon, age 14, an 8th grade student, testified that he lived with his mother, Defendant, and his brother, Javon, at 1973 Cloverdale, Memphis, Tennessee. Dashun stated he heard his mother calling their names and she came running into the living room and jumped on the couch. Dashun saw Defendant go into the kitchen and get two knives. Defendant told the boys to get off their mother so he could kill her. They said “no” and continued to stay on top of their mother to protect her. Dashun saw a knife blade sticking in his mother’s arm. Defendant gave Javon a phone and Javon called 911. Defendant got his coat and the victim's car keys and drove off.

Alvin Moore of the Memphis Police Department, South Precinct, testified that he received an “armed party” call on November 25, 1997, at 12:32 a.m., to 1973 Cloverdale. He was met by two young hysterical boys who said their mother had been stabbed. Officer Moore observed quite a bit of blood in the living room. The boys told him that their mother’s boyfriend had stabbed her. About thirty-five (35) or forty-five (45) minutes after Officer Moore arrived at the residence, Defendant called on the phone and spoke to the officer.

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State of Tennessee v. Darrin Bryant, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-tennessee-v-darrin-bryant-tenncrimapp-2001.