State v. Zonge

973 S.W.2d 250, 1997 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 1017
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedOctober 9, 1997
StatusPublished
Cited by59 cases

This text of 973 S.W.2d 250 (State v. Zonge) 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. Zonge, 973 S.W.2d 250, 1997 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 1017 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

OPINION

TIPTON; Judge.

The defendant, Fredrick Burton Zonge, was convicted in a jury trial in the Criminal Court of Obion County of especially aggravated kidnapping, a Class A felony, especially aggravated burglary, a Class B felony, aggravated assault, a Class C felony, and theft of property valued at over one thousand dollars, a Class D felony. He was sentenced as a Range II, multiple offender to thirty-five years, fifteen years, eight years and five years, respectively, to be served concurrently to one another but consecutively to a prior unserved sentence in the custody of the Department of Correction. The defendant was also fined $25,000 for the especially aggravated kidnapping, $15,000 for the especially aggravated burglary, $5,000 for the aggravated assault, and $2,500 for the theft over $1,000. In this appeal as of right, the defendant raises the following issues:

(1) that the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions for especially aggravated kidnapping and especially aggravated burglary,
(2) that his convictions for especially aggravated kidnapping and especially aggravated burglary violate due process,
(3) that the trial court committed reversible error by forcing him to wear prison garb at his trial, and
(4) that the trial court erred by preventing him from testifying as fully as he desired, 1 and
(5) that the trial court imposed an excessive sentence of thirty-five years for his conviction for especially aggravated kidnapping.

Because we conclude that the evidence is insufficient to sustain the defendant’s conviction for especially aggravated burglary, we modify that conviction to aggravated burglary and impose a nine-year sentence and $10,-000 fine. We affirm the actions of the trial court in all other respects.

The evidence in this case involves an entry into Tim Blackley’s and Becky Woodward’s residence, the detention of Becky Woodward, and the taking of several items from the home. Lieutenant Jerry Vastbinder of the Obion County Sheriffs Department testified that he was called to investigate a crime scene at the residence on the evening of July 6, 1993. Lieutenant Vastbinder arrived at the scene to find Bob Reavis, Mr. Blackley and Ms. Woodward in a neighboring yard with guns drawn on the defendant who was on the ground. Lieutenant Vastbinder testified that Ms. Woodward identified the defendant as the man who had been in her home a few minutes earlier when she arrived home from work. Lieutenant Vastbinder recalled that there was blood running down Ms. Woodward’s neck from an injury to her head. Lieutenant Vastbinder testified that he arrested the defendant and that the defendant did not make any statement at that time. He recalled that Ms. Woodward traveled by private car to the local -emergency room where she received treatment for her injuries.

Lieutenant Vastbinder stated that he investigated the scene at the Blackley residence and recovered a bloody .25 mm pistol and a bloody .9 mm ammunition clip from the residence. He also found gun supplies on the floor and remembered that Mr. Black-ley’s bedroom was in total disarray. He reported that the defendant’s bicycle was found abandoned in the corner of the Black-ley yard. Lieutenant Vastbinder stated that Ms. Woodward told him that the bicycle was in Mr. Blackley’s bedroom when she arrived home. A gym bag containing a cellular phone, calculator, pistol box and other items *253 taken from the Blackley residence were also found in the backyard.

Lieutenant Vastbinder testified that he interviewed the defendant on July 7th, and upon waiving his Miranda rights, the defendant confessed to breaking into the residence. The defendant told Lieutenant Vast-binder that he went to the residence around 3:00 p.m. and entered through an unlocked back door. He said that he wanted to get some things from the house in order to sell them for cash. He told Lieutenant Vastbin-der that he drank some tequila and played with Mr. Blackley’s police scanner. He said that he collected jewelry, nickels and dimes and eighty-three dollars in cash from the bedrooms. He recounted to Lieutenant Vastbinder that Ms. Woodward surprised him when she arrived home. He admitted that he displayed the .25 mm pistol to her and told her to be quiet. He recalled ordering Ms. Woodward to answer the phone when someone called about a recent car purchase. He told Lieutenant Vastbinder that Mr. Blackley arrived home but could not enter in the front door because the chain was locked. He recalled that he ran to the door, pointed the gun at Mr. Blackley and told him to go away. When he returned to the bedroom, Ms. Woodward was loading a shotgun. He stated that a struggle ensued during which he slapped Ms. Woodward to try to get her away from him. He told Lieutenant Vastbinder that he fled the residence and changed from Mr. Blackley’s clothes in a nearby wooded area.

Lieutenant Vastbinder testified that all of the stolen property was recovered. He also stated that the defendant admitted to the theft of the items. He said that the .25 mm pistol was found with one shell in its chamber. On cross-examination, he stated that Ms. Woodward told him that she tried to flee but was scared of the defendant.

Becky Woodward testified that she arrived home on July 6th around 6:00 p.m. and entered through the unlocked back door. She said that she saw the mess in Mr. Blackley’s bedroom and walked toward the room. She said that the defendant jumped out from behind the door, with a stocking covering his face, and threatened her with a pistol. ■ She stated that the defendant ordered her to answer the phone and held the gun to her chin as she spoke. She recalled that the defendant was wearing Mr. Blackley’s clothes but had on his own shoes. She also recalled that the defendant smelled very bad and had alcohol on his breath.

Ms. Woodward stated that when Mr. Blackley arrived home and attempted to enter through the chained front door, she screamed for help and warned him that the defendant had a gun. She said that she was afraid to run behind the defendant as he went to the front door and, instead, went to a bedroom to load the shotgun. She said that the defendant found her loading the shotgun and a straggle resulted during which she was struck twice on the head with the pistol. She said that she finally fell to the floor and acted as if she was unconscious. While on the floor, she heard the defendant gather items from the room and leave through the back door.

Ms. Woodward described her injuries as braises to her shoulder and back and a knot on her head. She also said that she received a total of four stitches on her head in two different places. She testified that getting the stitches was very painful. On cross-examination, she stated that she did not try to run from the house because she felt that the defendant would shoot her. She also admitted that she had suffered neither broken bones nor a concussion and that she had not experienced any problems associated with the injuries after the removal of the stitches.

Tim Blackley testified that he arrived home a little after 6:00 p.m. on July 6th. He recalled that when he attempted to enter through the front door, he realized that the chain was locked. He stated that he heard Ms.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
973 S.W.2d 250, 1997 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 1017, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-zonge-tenncrimapp-1997.