WPC# # VU>a % 0UB 4  n U: w@ 0J 0Th 0^ 0h  0r 0| 0x 0 1u 0d BgU6U.U *B)DC; D3~ AMj 0@h>O 01v~v< 0D" AOS"" 0Dh# D/# B#HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLh<( 9Z &Courier RegularX($  7'CXXdXXd7    iUX` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8:<H?AXi<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiڃ"3|x<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiXXx6X@JQX@,rAZ"Arial Regular VUDDDDDӀ2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X d<  9p`(Courier New<  9p`(Courier<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d((((7Border 1dd!!!!'dxd-)C << G ` !  #d#%  #d#  ` X  ''   YYY FILED'X July29,1997CecilCrowson,Jr.'AppellateCourtClerk ("$      !#d#%  #d#  ` X    X ''7kXXdd7     Noneofthepleadingsfiledatthattimeactuallyrequestedtheappointmentofcounsel. 4 !#d#%  #d#  ` X    X ''7kXXdd7     #` X"%X#TherecordindicatesthatthepetitionerfiledapetitionforwritofhabeascorpusinMay1991whichthetrialcourttreatedasapetitionforpostconvictionrelief.ThetrialcourtdismissedthepetitionastimebarredinJuly1991.Therecordalsoreflectsthatunderthatcasesdocketnumber,thetrialcourtenteredanorderinAugust1992relativetothepetitionersJune1992motiontoascertainthestatusofpleadinginwhichhementionshisinitialpetitiontobeheldinabeyance.Thetrialcourt dismissedthemotionnotingthatthepetitioner wasapparentlyundertheimpressionthatsuchamotionwouldhavetheeffectoftollingtherunningofthestatuteoflimitationsonanysubsequentlyfiledpetitionforpostconvictionreliefandthattheMay1991habeascorpus/postconvictionpetitionwasdenied.TherecordalsoindicatesthatthepetitionerfiledapetitionforhabeascorpusreliefinfederalcourtinJanuary1996.((3L7$ !  7kXXdd7    iUX` hp x (#%'0*,.8135@8:<H?AXi   `   0  PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'hStyl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   h HD: Geneva  h HD: Geneva (#$  0  -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . %  #&&Xd##&&Xd#  ` X  ݛ         X \RA'\\RA'\'7 L XXdXXd7ќR+,)A1-j|`  `@Rߛ ̀8 @ INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ ATKNOXVILLE@   MAY1997SESSIONEARLCRAWFORD,JR.,  ) ̀    ) Appellant,  ) No.03C019610CR00385    )    ) BradleyCountyv.    )    ) HonorableMayoL.Mashburn,Judge    )STATEOFTENNESSEE,  ) (PostConviction)    ) Appellee.  )    FortheAppellant:    FortheAppellee:EarlDavidCrawford,Jr.,ProSe  CharlesW.BursonTDOC#98108    AttorneyGeneralofTennesseeP.O.Box279  and    ̀(ATTRIAL)     SandyR.Copous     AssistantAttorneyGeneralofTennesseeKennethF.Irvine,Jr.   450JamesRobertsonParkway  606W.MainSt.,Suite350  Nashville,TN372430493Knoxville,TN379010084̀(ONAPPEAL)    JerryN.Estes     DistrictAttorneyGeneral     203E.MadisonAvenue     Athens,TN373030647OPINIONFILED:____________________AFFIRMEDJosephM.TiptonJudgeӜ̛@  OPINION  Thepetitioner,EarlCrawford,Jr.,appealsasofrightfromtheBradleyCountyCriminalCourtsdismissalofhispetitionforpostconvictionreliefwithouttheappointmentofcounselorthechancetoamendthepetition.Hecontendsthatthetrialcourterredindismissingthepetitionwhenitwasincompetentlydraftedandthathewasentitledtocounseltoamendthepetition.Weaffirmthedismissal. Thepetitionerwasconvictedin1986ofaggravatedkidnapping,aggravatedrapeandarmedrobberyforwhichhereceivedtwolifesentencesandathirtyfiveyearsentence.OnJune28,1989,thepetitionerfiledapleadingtitled PetitionForPostConvictionReliefFilingToBeHeldinAbeyance.Thepleadingstatesthatthepetitionerintendedtofilean originalpetitionforPostConvictionReliefsubsequenttothefilingofthispetition.Infull,thesupportingfactsareasfollows:  8  PetitionerisservingtwolifetermsandathirtyfiveyeartermoutofBradleyCounty,CriminalCourt,andwillfilepostconvictionpetitionastotheimproperandillegalmethodsutilizedbythestatetosecuresaidsentencesagainstpetitioner.  Healsofiledamotionseekingtoproceedinformapauperisinwhichheallegedthathewasunabletopaythecostoftheactionortoemploycounsel. .   כOnAugust10,1989,thestaterespondedtothepetition,assertingthatthepetitionerfailedtoshowadequategroundsforfailingtofileapetitionwithintheprescribedstatuteoflimitationsand,infact,failedtofileatimelypetitionbeforethelimitationperiodexpiredonJuly1,1989.Fromthatpoint,thecaseappearstohavebeendormantuntilthestatefiledamotioninϛMay1996seekingtodismissthepetitionforlackofprosecution. /   כ ThetrialcourtdismissedtheoriginalpetitioninJune1996withprejudiceforfailuretoprosecute.AlsoinJune,thepetitionerfileda MotionforNewTrialandtheAlternativeNoticeofAppeal𛀜attachingapetitionforpostconvictionreliefthatallegedtheineffectiveassistanceofcounselandanunconstitutionalreasonabledoubtjuryinstruction.Thetrialcourtdeniedthemotion,reaffirmingtheoriginaldismissal. Thepetitionerassertsthatifcounselhadbeenappointedatthetimethathispetitionwasfiled,hisclaimscouldhavebeenlitigatedyearsago.Healsocontendsthatthetrialcourtcouldnotdismisshisincompetentlydraftedpetitionwithoutgivinghimthereasonableopportunity,withtheaidofcounsel,tofileanamendment.SeeT.C.A.4030115(b)(repealed1995).HeconcludeswiththestatementthatsummarydismissalofpostconvictionclaimsaredisfavoredbytheTennesseecourts. Withoutgoingintodetail,weagreewiththebasicprinciplesofpostconvictionlawuponwhichthepetitionerrelies.However,astheTennesseeSupremeCourthasnoted,theprerequisitetothepanoplyofrightsandprotectionsthatTennesseestatutesprovideforpostconvictionpetitionersisthattheprosepetitionmustallegeacolorableclaim.  8  ThisCourthaspreviouslyheldthataprosepetitionundertheActis heldtolessstringentstandardsthanformalpleadingsdraftedbylawyers,andthetestiswhetheritappearsbeyonddoubtthatthe[petitioner]canprovenosetoffactsinsupportofhisclaimwhichwouldentitledhimtoϜrelief.Baxterv.Rose,523S.W.2d930,939(Tenn.1975)(citationomitted).Furthermore,whenacolorableclaimispresentedinaprosepetition,dismissalwithoutappointmentofcounseltodraftacompetentpetitionisrarelyproper.Id.SeealsoMayesv.State,671S.W.2d857,858(Tenn.Crim.App.1984).Iftheavailabilityofreliefcannotbeconclusivelydeterminedfromaprosepetitionandtheaccompanyingrecords,thepetitionermustbegiventheaidofcounsel.  Swansonv.State,749S.W.2d731,734(Tenn.1988).InStatev.Smith,814S.W.2d45,49(Tenn.1991),oursupremecourtstatedthatacolorableclaimisonethatallegesfactsshowingthattheconvictionorsentenceresultedfromanabridgementofaconstitutionalrightanddemonstratingthatthegroundforreliefwasnotpreviouslydeterminedorwaived.Underthisstandard,webelievethatthepetitionersallegationthathisconvictionsandsentenceswereobtainedby improperandillegalmethodsutilizedbythestatefailstostateevenconclusoryconstitutionalviolations,muchlessacolorableclaim. Infact,itisreasonabletoconcludethatthepetitioniswhatitistitledarequesttoholdhisfilingofapostconvictionpetitioninabeyance,notapostconvictionpetitionitself.Absentverylimitedreasons,noneofwhicharepresentedinthiscase,thepetitionerwasnotentitledtotollthestatuteoflimitations.Inanyevent,hispetitionallegednothingofconsequence.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.       ______________________________      JosephM.Tipton,JudgeCONCUR:___________________________JoeB.Jones,PresidingJudge___________________________CurwoodWitt,Judge