State of Tennessee v. Latickia Tashay Burgins

464 S.W.3d 298, 2015 Tenn. LEXIS 285, 2015 WL 1569236
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedApril 7, 2015
DocketE2014-02110-SC-R8-CO
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 464 S.W.3d 298 (State of Tennessee v. Latickia Tashay Burgins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court 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. Latickia Tashay Burgins, 464 S.W.3d 298, 2015 Tenn. LEXIS 285, 2015 WL 1569236 (Tenn. 2015).

Opinion

OPINION

SHARON G. LEE, C.J.,

delivered the opinion of the Court,

in which CORNELIA A. CLARK, GARY R. WADE, JEFFREY S. BIVINS, and HOLLY KIRBY, JJ., joined.

We granted review in this ease to determine whether Tennessee’s bail revocation statute, Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-ll-141(b), is constitutional, and if so, to establish.the procedure to be followed in bail revocation proceedings. A Knox County grand jury returned a presentment against the defendant for simple possession of marijuana. The defendant posted bond and was released. Subsequently, a Knox County grand jury -issued a nineteen-count presentment against the defendant, charging her with multiple crimes, including attempted first-degree murder, employing a firearm during, the commission of a dangerous felony, attempted especially aggravated robbery, attempted carjacking, and aggravated assault. The trial court, pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-ll-141(b), granted the State’s motion to revoke th'é defendant’s bail. The Court of Criminal Appeals reversed, holding that the statute violated article I, section 15 of the Tennessee Constitution. We hold that the Tennessee Constitution guarantees a defendant the right to pretrial release on bail, but this right is not absolute. A defendant may forfeit her right to bail by subsequent criminal conduct. Before pretrial bail can be revoked, the defendant is entitled to an evidentiary hearing. We remand this case *302 to the trial'court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion,

I. Factual and Procedural Background

On March 12, 2013, a Knox County grand jury returned a presentment against Latickia Tashay Burgins for the misdemeanor offense of simple possession of marijuana. Ms. Burgins’ bail-was set at $5000. On June 11, 2013, Ms. Burgins, through a bonding company, posted an appearance bond and was released from jail.

On or about March 8, 2014, while awaiting trial on the marijuana charge, Ms. Burgins allegedly was "involved in an attempted carjacking in 'Knox County. On April 15; 2014, a Knox County grand jury issued a nineteen-count presentment against Ms. Burgins, charging her with multiple crimes, including attempted first degree murder, employing a firearm during the - commission of a dangerous felony, attempted especially aggravated robbery, attempted carjacking, and aggravated assault. On April 24, 2014, a capias was served on Ms. Burgins. 1 ,

On April 25, 2014,- the State moved to revoke Ms. Burgins’ bail in the 2013 marijuana case based on Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-ll-141(b) (2012) (“the revocation statute”). The motion alleged that Ms. 'Burgins had been arrested for allegedly, committing serious criminal offenses while on bond and was a threat- to the community. In response, Ms. Burgins moved the trial court to set bail and to declare, the revocation statute unconstitutional under article I, section. 15 of the Tennessee Constitution. On June 24, 2014, the trial court, without conducting an evidentiary hearing, revoked Ms. Burgins’ bond, finding that the violent and serious nature of the crimes ./she was alleged .to have committed while on bail created a “rational basis to believe that she’s a violent person, and her release would be detrimental to the safety and welfare of the community.” The trial court found that the revocation statute was constitutional, noting" that a defendant is guaranteed an initial grant of pretrial bail in noncapital cases but there is no denial of the right to bail when it is revoked after the defendant has committed a crime of violence while released on pretrial bail.

, Ms. Burgins sought review by the Court of Criminal Appeals under Tennessee Rule of Appellate Procedure 8(a). The Court of Criminal Appeals granted relief, holding that thé revocation statute violated article I, section 15 of the Tennessee Constitution to the extent that it permits a trial court to hold Ms. Burgins without bail pending trial. The intermediate appellate court remanded the case for consideration of the statutory factors outlined in Tennessee Code Annotated section 40 — 11—118(b) (2012) and the imposition of additional conditions for bail that may be necessary to reasonably assure the appearance of the defendant while at the same time protecting the safety of the public. State v. Burgins, No. E2014-02110-CCA-R8-CO, 2014 WL 6792690, at *3 (Tenn. Crim. App. Dec. 3,2014).

The constitutionality óf the revocation statute presents an issue of first impression and provides the opportunity both to resolve an important question of law and secure uniformity of decision. We granted the State’s application for review under Tennessee Rule of Appellate Procedure-8 to determine whether Tennessee’s bail revocation statute, Tennessee Code Annotated section 40 — 11—141 (b), is constitutional, and *303 if so, to establish the procedure to be followed in bail revocation proceedings.

II. Analysis .

A.

Bail is a basic component of the American judicial system and is predicated on the principle “that a person accused of [a] crime shall not, until .. finally adjudged guilty in the court of last resort, be absolutely compelled to undergo imprisonment or punishment.” Hudson v. Parker, 156 U.S. 277, 285, 15 S.Ct. 450, 39 L.Ed. 424 (1895). Pretrial release on bail “permits the unhampered preparation of a defense[ ] and serves to prevent the infliction of punishment prior to conviction.” Stack v. Boyle, 342 U.S. 1, 4, 72 S.Ct. 1, 96 L.Ed. 3 (1951) (citing Hudson, 156 U.S. at 285, 15 S.Ct. 450). Pretrial bail also accommodates the defendant’s interest in pretrial liberty and “society’s interest in assuring the defendant’s presence at trial.” Donald B. Verrilli, Jr., Note, The Eighth Amendment and the Right to Bail: Historical Perspectives, 82 Colum. L. Rev. 328, -329-30 (1982). Compare Reynolds v. United States, 80 S.Ct. 30, 32, 4 L.Ed.2d 46 (Douglas, Circuit Justice, 1959) (“The purpose of bail is to [e]nsure the defendant’s appearance and, submission to the judgment of the court.”), with Bandy v. United States, 81 S.Ct. 197, 197, 5 L.Ed.2d 218 (Douglas, Circuit Justice, 1960) (“The fundamental tradition in this, country is that one charged with a crime is not, in ordinary circumstances, imprisoned until after a judgment of guilt.”). Denying bail can create serious and long-lasting adverse effects, on a defendánt. These adverse effects, when possible, should be mitigated in light of the constitutional principle that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty. See Tidwell v. State, 922 S.W.2d 497, 501 (Tenn. 1996) (stating that a criminal defendant “is presumed by law to be innocent until proven guilty” (quoting State v. Shelton, 851 S.W.2d 134, 139 (Tenn. 1993))). See generally 3 Joseph G. Cook, Constitutional Rights of the Accused § 13:3 (3d ed. .1996).- -■

The origins of pretrial bail date back to medieval England, where it served “as a device to free untried prisoners.”. Daniel J. Freed & Patricia M. Wald,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
464 S.W.3d 298, 2015 Tenn. LEXIS 285, 2015 WL 1569236, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-tennessee-v-latickia-tashay-burgins-tenn-2015.