State v. Leach

914 S.W.2d 104, 1995 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 442
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedMay 30, 1995
StatusPublished
Cited by271 cases

This text of 914 S.W.2d 104 (State v. Leach) 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. Leach, 914 S.W.2d 104, 1995 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 442 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

*106 WELLES, Judge.

OPINION

The Defendant appeals as of right from the judgment of the trial court which found him to be in violation of the terms of the probation he was serving for two separate, non-related convictions. The trial judge determined that the two prior sentences were being served consecutively to each other and ordered the Defendant incarcerated for the balance of the sentences. We affirm the action of the trial judge.

On September 28, 1992, upon his pleas of guilty, the Defendant was convicted in Williamson County Circuit Court of two counts of selling cocaine and one count of conspiracy to sell cocaine. For these convictions, the Defendant was sentenced to three concurrent terms of three years each in the Department of Correction, with each sentence suspended after service of one hundred twenty days. The Defendant was also fined twenty-five hundred dollars for each conviction. The sentencing judge for these convictions was the Honorable Henry D. Bell.

On April 19, 1993, upon his plea of guilty, the Defendant was convicted in Williamson County Circuit Court of selling counterfeit drugs. For this offense the Defendant was sentenced to two years in the Department of Correction, with said sentence suspended after service of thirty days. This judgment of conviction did not recite whether this sentence was consecutive to or concurrent with the prior sentences. The Defendant was fined one thousand dollars. The sentencing judge for this conviction was the Honorable Donald P. Harris.

A probation violation warrant was issued on August 2, 1993 and amended on January 20, 1994. The amended warrant charged that the Defendant had violated the terms of both sentences of probation in that the Defendant failed to report an arrest to his probation officer, failed to maintain employment, failed to pay his fine and costs, failed to report to his probation officer, and failed to obey the laws. A hearing on the amended probation revocation warrant was conducted by the Honorable Cornelia A. Clark. At the conclusion of this hearing, Judge Clark found that the Defendant was in violation of the conditions of his probation in all four sentences. She further determined that the Defendant should be incarcerated for the balance of his sentences. She also determined that the sentence imposed on April 19, 1993 for the offense of selling counterfeit drugs was deemed to be a consecutive sentence pursuant to Rule 32(c)(2) of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure. It is from the judgment of Judge Clark that the Defendant appeals.

The Defendant argues three issues on this appeal: (1) That the trial court erred and abused its discretion in revoking the Defendant’s probation; (2) that the trial court erred in ordering the sentence to be served in the Department of Correction rather than on some other alternative to incarceration; and (3) that the trial judge erred in determining that the sentences were to be served consecutively.

“In determining whether to revoke probation, the trial judge need not find a violation of the terms of the probation has occurred beyond a reasonable doubt. The evidence need only show the trial judge has exercised conscientious judgment in making the decision rather than acting arbitrarily.” Stamps v. State, 614 S.W.2d 71, 73 (Tenn.Crim.App.1980), per m. to appeal denied, id. (Tenn.1981). “In reviewing the findings of the trial judge, the judgment of the trial court is given the weight of a jury verdict.” Id.

Both the granting and revocation of a suspended sentence rest in the sound discretion of the trial judge. State v. Mitchell, 810 S.W.2d 733, 735 (Tenn.Crim.App.1991). The trial judge has a duty at probation revocation hearings to adduce sufficient evidence to allow him to make an intelligent decision. Id.

The judgment of the trial court will not be disturbed on appeal unless it appears that there has been an abuse of discretion. For an appellate court to be warranted in finding an abuse of discretion in a probation revocation ease, it must be established that the record contains no substantial evidence to support the conclusion of the trial judge *107 that a violation of the conditions of probation has occurred. State v. Harkins, 811 S.W.2d 79, 82 (Tenn.1991).

The Defendant conceded at the trial level and also concedes on appeal that he was in fact in violation of the terms of his probation. The record clearly supports the findings of the trial judge that the Defendant failed to maintain employment, failed to pay his costs and fine as ordered, and failed to report to his probation officer as directed. The trial court also noted and the record supports a finding that the Defendant failed to report in a timely manner to his probation officer that he had been arrested for another charge, although the trial court discounted this factor because the charge was subsequently dismissed.

From our review of the evidence presented at the probation revocation hearing, we conclude that there is ample evidence to support the conclusion of the trial judge that a violation of the conditions of probation has occurred. The record also clearly shows that the trial judge exercised conscientious judgment in making the decision rather than acting arbitrarily. This issue has no merit.

The Defendant next argues that the trial court erred in failing to allow him to serve the balance of his sentence on intensive probation or some other sentence alternative rather than incarceration. When there is a challenge to the manner of service of a sentence, this court has a duty to conduct a de novo review of the sentence with a presumption the determinations made by the trial court are correct. Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-85-401(d). This presumption is “conditioned upon the affirmative showing in the record that the trial court considered the sentencing principles and all relevant facts and circumstances.” Sta te v. Ashby, 823 S.W.2d 166, 169 (Tenn.1991). The Sentencing Commission comments provide that the burden is on the appellant to show the impropriety of the sentence.

For two separate felony drug convictions, the Defendant had been given the opportunity to complete his sentences on probation. Two separate times he had been allowed a sentence alternative in the form of split confinement. The record reflects also that at the time of the probation revocation hearing, the Defendant had a new charge of assault pending against him in the General Sessions Court of Williamson County. We are unable to conclude that the trial judge erred or abused her discretion in ordering that the Defendant be incarcerated for the balance of his sentences.

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Bluebook (online)
914 S.W.2d 104, 1995 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 442, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-leach-tenncrimapp-1995.