State v. Lewis

919 S.W.2d 62, 1995 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 846
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee·Decided October 12, 1995·Published·Cited by 39 cases

Opinion

OPINION

WELLES, Judge.

The Defendant appeals as of right pursuant to Rule 3 of the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure. He was convicted of attempted especially aggravated robbery and felony murder. 1 He was sentenced to life imprisonment for the felony murder conviction and a concurrent sentence of twelve years for his attempted especially aggravated robbery conviction. We reverse the felony murder conviction and affirm the especially aggravated robbery.

The Defendant argues three issues in this appeal: (1) Whether there was sufficient evidence to convict him of felony murder and attempted especially aggravated robbery; (2) whether his conviction should be set aside on the grounds of fundamental unfairness because the State argued that he was criminally responsible for the actions of his severed co-defendant, and then tried the co-defendant on the theory that he alone was criminally responsible for the identical offenses, and in so doing, accredited the Defendant’s exculpatory testimony as prosecution evidence; and (3) whether the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury on the offense of facilitation of felony murder.

The victim of this crime had been celebrating his birthday the evening that the murder occurred. Around four o’clock in the morning, the victim was speaking to a female acquaintance on a pay phone in front of a car wash in South Nashville. The acquaintance testified that the victim said, “Man,” and then the phone line went dead. The victim was found in his car with gunshot wounds to his stomach and to his head. He was able to drive a short distance after he was shot, and he ran into a telephone pole. He died from the gunshot wounds.

That evening, the Defendant and his co-defendant 2 were riding around South Nashville in the Defendant’s car. They stopped to pick up the sister of the Defendant’s girlfriend before returning to Franklin. They passed the victim on the phone at the ear wash on their way to Franklin. The scenario put in evidence at the Defendant’s trial is that the co-defendant got out of the car, attempted to rob the victim of his car, and when the victim refused, he shot the victim. 3

I.

The Defendant’s first issue is that there was insufficient evidence to convict him of felony murder and attempted especially aggravated robbery. When an accused challenges the sufficiency of the convicting evidence, this court must review the record to determine if the evidence adduced during the trial was sufficient “to support the findings by the trier of fact of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.” T.RA.P. 13(e). This rule is applicable to findings of guilt predicated upon direct evidence, circumstantial evidence, or a combination of direct and circum *65 stantial evidence. State v. Matthews, 805 S.W.2d 776, 779 (Tenn.Crim.App.1990).

In determining the sufficiency of the evidence, this court does not reweigh or reevaluate the evidence. State v. Cabbage, 571 S.W.2d 832, 835 (Tenn.1978). Nor may this court substitute its inferences for those drawn by the trier of fact from circumstantial evidence. Liakas v. State, 199 Tenn. 298, 305, 286 S.W.2d 856, 859 (Tenn.1956). This court is required to afford the State of Tennessee the strongest legitimate view of the evidence contained in the record as well as all reasonable and legitimate inferences which may be drawn from the evidence. State v. Herrod, 754 S.W.2d 627, 682 (Tenn.Crim.App.1988).

Questions concerning the credibility of the witnesses, the weight and value to be given the evidence, as well as all factual issues raised by the evidence, are resolved by the trier of fact, not this court. State v. Pappas, 754 S.W.2d 620, 623 (Tenn.Crim.App.1987). In State v. Grace, 493 S.W.2d 474 (Tenn.1973), the Tennessee Supreme Court said, “A guilty verdict by the jury, approved by the trial judge, accredits the testimony of the witnesses for the State and resolves all conflicts in favor of the theory of the State.” Id. at 476.

Because a verdict of guilt removes the presumption of innocence and replaces it with a presumption of guilt, id., the accused has the burden in this court of illustrating why the evidence is insufficient to support the verdict returned by the trier of fact. State v. Tuggle, 639 S.W.2d 913, 914 (Tenn.1982). This court will not disturb a verdict of guilt due to the sufficiency of the evidence unless the facts contained in the record and the inferences which may be drawn from the facts are insufficient, as a matter of law, for a rational trier of fact to find the accused guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Matthews, 805 S.W.2d at 780.

Felony murder is “[a] reckless killing of another committed in the perpetration of, or attempt to perpetrate any first degree murder, arson, rape, robbery, burglary, theft, kidnapping or aircraft piracy.” Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-202(a)(2). Robbery is defined as “the intentional or knowing theft of property from the person of another by violence or putting the person in fear.” Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-401. Especially aggravated robbery is when a robbery is “(1) Accomplished with a deadly weapon; and (2) Where the victim suffers serious bodily injury.” Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-403(a)(l)-(2). Attempt is when an individual “acting with the kind of culpability otherwise required for the offense: [a]cts with intent to complete a course of action or cause a result that would constitute the offense, under the circumstances surrounding the conduct as the person believes them to be, and the conduct constitutes a substantial step toward the commission of the offense.” Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-12-101(a)(3). The Defendant’s conviction was based on his criminal responsibility for the conduct of his co-defendant. A person is criminally responsible for the conduct of another when the person “acting with the intent to promote or assist the commission of the offense, or to benefit in the proceeds or results of the offense, the person solicits, directs, aids or attempts to aid another person to commit the offense.” Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-11-402(2).

The State put on several witnesses at trial. The Defendant did not present any witnesses.

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State v. Lewis, 919 S.W.2d 62, 1995 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 846 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1995).

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