WPC # VU>a % 0U: w@ 4 $ 3 0J; 0T 0^ 0h7 0r 0| 0 0 1uU, 0dDU,U6U* B)4DC] B AM v~v* D3 0@0 AOp 0D D/ BHP LaserJet 4Si/4SiMX PS 600dpiPSCRIPT0 <@9Z &Courier RegularX($  XXXX` ` 4XTR[A' Legal[A' LegalA' LegalA' LegalT,cAZ"Arial Regular ^D_D`abDcdefӀr{s 3|xr2 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)<  9p`(ModernP 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Monaco<  9p`(Courier New<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d####7Border 1dd d-$C << G  !!  " `   4  X \RA'\  "   YYY FILED"X May24,1996CecilCrowson,Jr."AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'@Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Monaco   BA Op Monaco  BA Op Monaco %%%%'dxd("$    -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . &  Xd&#  Xd#!  " `   4  X \RA'\  ٛL&'$;+'h|"` - `Lߛ@ INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ ATJACKSON@ FEBRUARY1996SESSIONSAMUELD.CURRY,  * C.C.A.#02C019508CR00219 Appellant,   * SHELBYCOUNTYVS.     * Hon.BernieWeinman,JudgeSTATEOFTENNESSEE,  * (PostConviction) Appellee.   *ForAppellant:    ForAppellee:A.C.Wharton,Jr.    CharlesW.BursonShelbyCountyPublicDefender  AttorneyGeneral&Reporter201PoplarAvenue,Suite201  450JamesRobertsonParkwayMemphis,TN38103   Nashville,TN372430493   WalkerGwinn    ClintonJ.MorganAssistantPublicDefender   CounselfortheState201PoplarAve.,Suite201  CriminalJusticeDivisionMemphis,TN38103   450JamesRobertsonParkway(onappeal)     Nashville,TN372430493DianeThackery    ReginaldR.HendersonAssistantPublicDefender   AssistantDistrictAttorneyGeneral201PoplarAve.,Suite201  201PoplarAvenueMemphis,TN38103   ThirdFloor(atevidentiaryhearing)   Memphis,TN38103OPINIONFILED:______________________AFFIRMEDGARYR.WADE,JUDGE   OPINION 7XXdXXd7    Thepetitioner,SamuelD.Curry,appealsthetrialcourtsdenialofpostconvictionrelief.Twoissuesarepresentedforreview:    (1)whetherthepetitionerreceivedtheineffectiveassistanceofcounsel;and(2)whetherthepetitionerenteredhisguiltypleasknowinglyandvoluntarily. 4  X   Wefindnoerrorandaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt.  Thepetitioner,indictedforaggravatedrobberyandfirstdegreemurder,enteredpleasofguiltonJanuary10,1994.Underthenegotiatedpleaagreement,hereceivedRangeI,concurrentsentencesof12yearsfortherobberyandlifeforthemurder.Somesevenmonthslater,thepetitionerfiledthispetitionforpostconvictionrelief,allegingthathewasdeniedtheeffectiveassistanceofcounselandthathispleawasneitherknowinglynorvoluntarilymade.Followinganevidentiaryhearing,thetrialcourtfoundthatthepetitionlackedmerit,issuingdetailedfindingsoffactandconclusionsoflaw.  I    Thepetitionerclaimedhistrialcounselwasineffectiveforthefollowingreasons:8 8 (1)counseladvisedpetitionerhewouldbereleasedin10to12years,despitethefactthatpetitioneragreedtoalifesentence,seeTenn.CodeAnn.4035501(g);̀8 8 (2)counseldidnotadequatelypreparepetitionerscaseinthathefailedtoexplorepotentialwitnesses,reviewpetitionersmedicalbackground,whichincludesahistoryofepilepsyandmildmentalretardation,andgenerallytopreparefortrial;and8 8 (3)counseldidnotkeeppetitionerupdatedaboutthecaseinthathedidnotvisitthepetitionermorethanϜtwice;hedidnottellpetitioneraboutthepleaofferuntilthedatethepetitioneractuallypledguilty;andhedidnotadvisethepetitioneraboutthetrialdate.  Trialcounseltestifiedthathedidnotknowwhenthepetitionermightfirstqualifyforrelease.Thepleaagreement,signedbythepetitioner,includesanacknowledgmentof"confinementforlife."Atthesubmissionhearing,thepetitionerrepresentedtothetrialcourtthatheunderstoodthathewould"servealifesentence."  Trialcounselalsotestifiedthathehadfullyreviewedthecase,includingmedicalevaluations,whichhadconcludedthatthepetitionerwascompetenttostandtrial,eventhoughhehadaseizuredisorderandmildmentalretardation.Counselalsotestifiedthathisofficerinvestigatorhadprovidedassistanceintrialpreparations.Onmorethanoneoccasion,trialcounselmetwiththepetitionertoexplainthenatureofhismedicalevaluations.Trialcounselalsorecalledthathehadmetwiththepetitionertoexplainthepleaofferaboutonemonthpriortothesubmissionhearing.̀  Inorderforthepetitionertobegrantedreliefonthegroundsofineffectiveassistanceofcounsel,hemustestablishthattheadvicegivenortheservicesrenderedwerenotwithintherangeofcompetencedemandedofattorneysincriminalcasesandthat,butforhiscounselsdeficientperformance,theresultofhistrialwouldhavebeendifferent.Stricklandv.Washington,466U.S.668,693(1984);Baxterv.Rose,523S.W.2d930,936(Tenn.1975).Thistwopartstandard,asitappliestoguiltypleas,ismetwhenthepetitionerestablishesthat,butforhiscounselserrors,hewouldnothavepledguiltyandwouldhaveinsistedongoingtotrial.Hillv.Lockhart,474U.S.52,53(1985).  Thetrialcourtfoundthatthepetitionerhad,infact,receivedtheeffectiveassistanceofcounsel.Onappeal,theburdenisonthepetitionertoshowthattheevidencepreponderatesagainstthefindingsofthetrialjudge.Clennyv.State,576S.W.2d12,14(Tenn.Crim.App.1978).Otherwise,findingsoffactmadebythetrialcourtareconclusive.Gravesv.State,512S.W.2d603,604(Tenn.Crim.App.1973).Here,thetrialcourtaccreditedthetestimonyoftrialcounselandrejectedthecontentionsofthepetitioner.Thatlimitsourlimitedscopeofreview.Asaresult,thiscourtmustholdthatthepetitionerhasfailedtodemonstratethathewouldnothaveenteredhispleasabsentanydeficiencyintheperformanceofhiscounsel.Hillv.Lockhart,474U.S.at53.Theevidencesimplydoesnotpreponderateagainstthefindingsofthetrialcourt.  II    Thepetitioneralsoclaimsthathisguiltypleaswereneitherknowingnorvoluntary.Hearguesthathiscounselsineffectivenessrenderedhispleainvoluntaryand,further,thathewasmedicatedand"notclearheaded"atthetimeoftheproceeding.Whilewehavealreadydeterminedthattheeffectiveassistanceofcounsel,wewill,however,addressthecontentionthatthepleawasinvoluntaryduetohisprescribedmedication.  Theoverridingdeterminationonthevalidityofaguiltyplearestsuponwhetheritwasknowinglyandvoluntarilyentered.Statev.Neal,810S.W.2d131,139140(Tenn.1991).Iftheproofestablishesthatthepetitionerwasawareofhisconstitutionalrights,heisentitledtonorelief.Johnsonv.State,834S.W.2d922,926(Tenn.1992). [A]pleaisnotvoluntaryifitistheproductof[i]gnorance,[or]incomprehension....𛀀Blankenshipv.State,858S.W.2d897,904(Tenn.1993)(quotingBoykinv.Alabama,395U.S.238,24243(1969)).  Thepetitionertestifiedthathewasnot clearheadedatthetimeofhisplea.Hismother,GeraldineCurry,alsoclaimedthattheinvestigatorforthepetitionerstrialcounselrequestedthenurseatthejailtoadministeranoverdoseofhisregularlyprescribedmedication.  Thetranscriptofthesubmissionhearingcontainsthefollowingcolloquy:8 8 Q:Areyoutakinganydrugs,sir?8 8 A:Yes,sir.8 8 Q:What?8 8 A:Forseizures.8 8 Q:Forseizures.Allright.Whendidyoulastgetanyofthat,sir?8 8 A:Thismorning.8 8 Q:Thismorning.Nowhaveyoubeentakingthatcontinuously,sir?Orinotherwords,doyouordinarilytakethat?8 8 A:Itakeiteveryday.8 8 Q:Takeiteveryday.Doesitkeepyoufromthinkingclearly,sir?8 8 A:Yes,sir.8 8 Q:Itkeepsyoufromthinkingclearly?8 8 A:Oh,no,sir.8 8 Q:Allright.Yourethinkingallright,likeyounormallydo,right?8 8 A:Yes,sir.8 8 Q:Youunderstandwhatsgoingon.8 8 A:Yes,sir.8 8 Q:Allright.  Thetrialjudgequestionedthepetitionerextensivelyabouttheeffectofthemedication.Thepetitionerprovidedappropriateanswerstoeachofthequestions.Attheconclusionoftheproceeding,thetrialjudgeconcludedthepetitionerfullyunderstoodhisactions.Again,evidenceinthisrecord,includingboththeguiltypleaandtheevidentiaryhearings,simplydoesnotpreponderateagainstthatfinding.  Accordingly,weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt.     _____________________________________     GaryR.Wade,JudgeCONCUR:__________________________________JoeB.Jones,PresidingJudge__________________________________JerryL.Smith,Judge