State v. King

905 S.W.2d 207, 1995 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 77
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedFebruary 8, 1995
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 905 S.W.2d 207 (State v. King) 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 v. King, 905 S.W.2d 207, 1995 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 77 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

PEAY, Judge.

OPINION

The defendant was convicted by a jury of aggravated robbery. The trial judge sentenced the defendant as a Range II offender and imposed a twenty-year sentence.

In this appeal as of the right, the defendant raises five (5) issues for review.1 He contends that:

1. The evidence was insufficient as a matter of law to support the verdict of aggravated robbery;
2. His due process rights were violated when the State’s prosecuting witness committed penury regarding his prior criminal record and when the State misrepresented the witness’ prior criminal record to the jury;
3. The trial judge improperly commented on the evidence, demonstrating bias in favor of the prosecuting witness and bolstering the witness’ credibility through his statements;
4. The trial court erred in sentencing the defendant as a Range II offender and in imposing the maximum sentence; and
5. The trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury on the lesser included offense of theft where there were facts to support the offense of theft.

Following a review of the record, we reverse the trial court and remand for a new trial.

The testimony presented at trial revealed that on December 14, 1992, the defendant went to Capital Toyota in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and looked at used cars on the lot. A short time later, Anthony Casteel, an employee of Capital, saw the defendant, whom he had known in school, and went to speak with him. The defendant and Casteel chatted for a few moments until Casteel returned to his job in the service area. During this time Archie Cross, a salesman for Capital, had been watching the defendant to determine whether he was simply looking or was a potential buyer. Cross eventually approached the defendant and discussed the potential sale of a 1987 Camaro. The defendant told Cross that he was looking at the car for his girlfriend and wanted to show it to his girlfriend’s grandmother for approval pri- or to making the purchase.

Cross testified that he was prepared to allow the defendant to test drive the car alone but that the defendant had asked Cross to accompany him. With the defendant driving, the two (2) men stopped for fuel at a nearby gas station. Cross left the defendant in the car while he went to pay for the gasoline. Cross returned to the car, and the defendant drove for several miles. When the defendant began to take roads leading away from the desired location, Cross became concerned. A short time later, the defendant turned into a church parking lot and drove behind the church. Cross and the defendant exited the car, and as the defendant got to the rear of the car, Cross saw that he had a gun. At that point the defendant told Cross that, “I’ve got to do this.”

Cross stated that the gun had been partially concealed with a handkerchief but that he had seen the long black barrel and brown handle. Cross further stated that the defendant had not pointed the gun directly at him. The defendant grabbed Cross under the arm and led him to a nearby wooded area. Cross, believing that he was going to be shot, begged the defendant to take the car and let him go. In a further attempt to reason with the defendant, Cross told the defendant that he understood because he had “done time.” Eventually, the defendant told Cross to walk into the wooded area behind them. As Cross walked away, the defendant drove away in the Camaro.

Cross testified that he had approached several homes to call for assistance but had been unable to find anyone at home. Finally, he flagged down a passing motorist and explained to her that he had been robbed. Once Capital Toyota received word of the robbery, the manager informed Casteel, who [211]*211identified the suspect as Tony King. Thereafter, the police obtained a warrant against the defendant.

The defendant drove the car to his sister’s home in Cleveland, Tennessee, but did not attempt to conceal it. Pursuant to a warrant, Chief Benefield of the Bradley County Sheriffs Department, drove to the sister’s address, saw the Camaro parked in the driveway, and placed the defendant under arrest. When Chief Benefield questioned the defendant’s brother-in-law regarding his knowledge of a black steel revolver, the brother-in-law showed Benefield such a gun he kept hidden in his closet. He testified that he owned the gun and that it appeared to be as he had left it.

At trial, the defendant denied that the incident occurred as presented by the State’s witnesses. Instead, he claimed that he, Cross, and Casteel had devised a scheme to steal the car. Specifically, the defendant stated that he was to take the car for a test drive along with Cross, then drop Cross off at the church. Cross would then wait ten (10) minutes before calling the police, and for further delay Cross would give the police only a vague description of the defendant. The defendant denied that he had possessed a handgun. According to the defendant, -under this plan he was to be paid for taking the car while the dealership would recoup its losses through the insurance company. The defendant claimed that if he had not heard from Cross or Casteel, he would have taken the car back to a lot across from the dealership and left the keys in the car.

In the first issue we consider, the defendant claims that the evidence was insufficient as a matter of law to support his conviction for aggravated robbery. A defendant challenging the sufficiency of the proof has the burden of illustrating to this Court why the evidence is insufficient to support the verdict returned by the trier of fact in his or her case. This Court will not disturb a verdict of guilt for lack of sufficient evidence unless the facts contained in the record and any inferences which may be drawn from the facts are insufficient, as a matter of law, for a rational trier of fact to find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Tuggle, 639 S.W.2d 913, 914 (Tenn.1982).

When an accused challenges the sufficiency of the convicting evidence, we must review the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution in determining whether “any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 2789, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979). We do not reweigh or re-evaluate the evidence and are required to afford the State the strongest legitimate view of the proof contained in the record as well as all reasonable and legitimate inferences which may be drawn therefrom. State v. Cabbage, 571 S.W.2d 832, 835 (Tenn.1978).

“Aggravated robbery is robbery as defined in § 39-13-401: (1) Accomplished with a deadly weapon or by display of any article used or fashioned to lead the victim to reasonably believe it to be a deadly weapon....” T.C.A. § 39-13-402(a)(1). Robbery is defined as “the intentional or knowing theft of property from the person of another by violence or putting the person in fear.” T.C.A. § 39-13-401(a).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Cowart
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 2010
State of Tennessee v. Katia Lenee Harris a/k/a Fuzzy
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 2007
State of Tennessee v. Shawn McCobb and Marcus Walker
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 2007
State of Tennessee v. Monoleto D. Green
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 2005
State v. Michael Upshaw
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 2000
State v. Michael E. Mills
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 2000
State v. Kelly Haynes
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 2000
State v. Willie Bailey
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 2000
State v. Guy William Rush
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 1999
State v. Hayes
7 S.W.3d 52 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 1999)
State v. Vickie Herron/Wanda Griffin
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 1998
State of Tennessee v. Darrell Wentzel
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 1998
State v. Williams
977 S.W.2d 101 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1998)
State v. Devon Smith
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee, 1997

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
905 S.W.2d 207, 1995 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 77, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-king-tenncrimapp-1995.