ÿWPC cR_¦NÛÈ£E1V€¶þ›ñuœ`ì‹´¨ØÀDW:º†¢4©=#]‡²t±Ìä¨°6ª:‰lO¬)¬â<ÆÊê 4Zòåˆ.lÎŠâ•A<1´Ri£-i£êÆÓÞEZ-J<“b¢¹®ÑPÊ;“Þ¼{n¾<’µfßËDç0ˆyäˆ²Z©J(ý1±j't¼&>&OaqJeBèßÓÿßûJFdH&¨ì3}±W˜üÀo¥½MœÂ÷ù¼ŒÅã¤ßïßnˆ&ùßykæ¡¹=ø"¡Á}ÿõŽ MÎ«ÌÎWÖü…ih%þžùÄ‘ÃÃÙXT]5ŸáÝyV&çsF·|˜R_Ô |Ûsa›z1^ÆI &On\Bå…o-w'àãÔ@¡7¿ºqÒxÉDi šªè¦»+e·oQqÅw³Zw!Šé›·Û¢Ä7>Îp#.ú#“* H§†ßûbßåx“(×“2èuˆ¨‚¶yQq(,ï›Ój:Ë>ŽØT«&³š+útFö_¢}ÚC_µ— Ìg¤Äv‡žÂJ×…UBF %ˆ U.Ž ¼ nXÌ 0P$4tˆ0Ò0cbw@ÅU: U:? U:y ä³ U:———————————————————— BÑÑÑÑÑÑ D3îîî0D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AOeÆ´´0Dz D/¾ Bí<þ6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiX%ä2¼A`ArialTT3|XŸ«<þ6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiXXxþ6X@ÉJQX@%ä2¼A`ArialTTt10cpiXXXä2¼P±ŠQXP((À$¡¡ÒD°ÒÒ¦°ÒÓÓuM%(‚(2±§$¤¤Ý ƒÀ!ÝÒD°ÒÒ¦°ÒÓÓÝÝÔ€ôàôXXÔÔ€ôT…ôôôàÔàœ àòòÚÚ0Ú Úóó("ˆ$Ô€ X<=XXXÔòòÚÚ0Ú Úóó eŽUD‘’E“D”D•–Ó€g"Arial Regular,†r‰AZ‹"Arial Regular,†r‰AZ‹"Arial Regular ÚÔ€XçsXXXÔÔ€xq XXçsÔÓÓòòÔAdÔFILEDÔ€XçsX xqÔÐ ÐÌMay€18,€1999ÌÌCecil€W.€CrowsonÌAppellate€Court€ClerkÔdAMÔóó,c½¬AZ‹"Arial Regulard$$$$'ÿÿdxd(3¯$££Ý ƒ!ÝÝÝ€-‚ƒCþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””òòÚÚ1Ú Úóó„„'÷ÿdxdüÿPPdÝ ƒÀ!ÝÒD°ÒÒ¦°ÒÓÓÝÝññ›ññññ›ññÑ` °ÑÑX°ÑÒPDÒÒŽ¦ÒÑ ÑÑTR[ AØ'Legal3Ø' AØ'ÿ Legalÿ3Ø'TÑÓÓÔ€XY¿XXXÔÑ7€Y¿XXdðdÈ7Ññ–ñœßr€*<,(j 8` `€€@Eêf ` 8ttxP"` ð rß›ñ–ñà¨ àààòòIN€THE€COURT€OF€CRIMINAL€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEÐ ` ÐÌà@uu:MàAT€NASHVILLEˆÌÌÓÓà@KK7MàAPRIL€1999€SESSIONˆÌÌÌÌóóÌòòHAROLD€L.€FITTS,à°àààà`à)óóÐ Ðp Ðà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`àòò)óóà¸àòòC.C.A.€NO.€01C01„9807„CR„00297óóÐ À` Ðà¨ àààAppellant,à°àòò€€€€€ààà`à)Ð °P Ðà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`à)à¸àDAVIDSON€COUNTYóóÐ @ ÐVS.à¨ ààààXàà°àààà`àòò)Ð 0 Ðà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`à)à¸àHON.€CHERYL€A.€BLACKBURN,Ð € ÐSTATE€OF€TENNESSEE,à°àààà`à)à¸àJUDGEÐ p Ðà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`à)à¸àóó€òòÐ ` Ðà¨ àààóóAppellee.òòà°àààà`à)à¸àóó(Post„Conviction)òòÐ Pð ÐóóÌÌÌòòFOR€THE€APPELLANT:óóà°àààà`à€€€€€òòà¸àFOR€THE€APPELLEE:óóÐ ° ÐÌÌòòRICHARD€HEDGEPATH,€JR.ààà`àà¸àJOHN€KNOX€WALKUPÐ à€ Ðóó4800€Charlotte€Pikeà°àààà`àà¸àAttorney€General€&€ReporterÐ Ð p ÐNashville,€TN€37209Ìòòà¨ ààààXàóóà°àòòààà`àà¸àMARVIN€E.€CLEMENTS,€JR.óóÐ °"P Ðòòà¨ ààààXàóóà°àààà`àà¸àAsst.€Attorney€GeneralÐ #@ Ðòòà¨ àóóàààXàà°àààà`àà¸àJohn€Sevier€Bldg.Ð $0 Ðòòà¨ ààààXàóóà°àààà`àà¸à425€Fifth€Ave.,€Northà!ààp#à€€€€€€Ð €% Ðà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`àà¸àNashville,€TN€€37243„0493Ìà¨ àÌà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`àà¸àòòVICTOR€S.€JOHNSON,€IIIóóÐ P(ð! Ðà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`àà¸àDistrict€Attorney€GeneralÌÌà¨ ààààXàà°àòòààà`àà¸àROGER€MOOREóóÐ +À!$ Ðà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`àà¸àAsst.€District€Attorney€Generalàp#àÐ ,°"% Ðà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`àà¸àWashington€Square,€Suite€500Ìà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`àà¸à222€Second€Ave.,€NorthÌà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`àà¸àNashville,€TN€37219„1649ÌÌà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`àà¸àÌœñŽñÌñŽññŽñÌñŽñ›à¨ ààààXàà°àÌOPINION€FILED:____________________ÌÌÌÌòòAFFIRMEDóóÐ @8à.2 ÐÌÌòòJOHN€H.€PEAY,óóÐ ;°15 ÐJudgeÌÐ ð<37 ÐÑXÑÓÓà@™™:MàòòòòÔ‡¼÷"¼XXY¿ÔO€P€I€N€I€O€NÔ#†XY¿X¼¼÷"Q#ÔˆÐ ` ÐÌÌóóóóÌÓÓà¨ àààThe€petitioner€was€charged€with€aggravated€rape,€incest,€sexual€battery,Ïassault,€and€two€counts€of€rape.€€In€June€1997,€he€entered€a€best€interest€plea€toÏattempted€aggravated€rape€and€was€sentenced€as€a€Range€I€standard€offender€to€tenÏyears€in€the€Department€of€Correction.€€All€other€charges€were€dismissed.€€In€SeptemberÏ1997,€he€filed€a€petition€for€post„conviction€relief€and€a€subsequent€amendment€allegingÏineffective€assistance€of€counsel.€€The€trial€court€entered€an€order€denying€relief,€and€theÏpetitioner€appealed.€€Finding€no€merit€to€the€petitionerððs€arguments,€we€affirm.ÌÌà¨ àààAccording€to€the€plea€submission€hearing€transcript,€the€State€was€preparedÏto€prove€that€in€the€early€morning€hours€of€February€16,€1997,€the€petitioner€climbed€intoÏhis€thirteen„year„old€daughterððs€bed,€undressed€her,€and€sexually€penetrated€her.€€TheÏpolice€were€called€to€the€residence,€where€the€petitioner,€who€was€intoxicated,€wasÏplaced€under€arrest.€€When€the€petitioner€ð ðhad€sobered€up€some,ðð€he€told€a€detective€thatÏð ðhe€was€just€playing€with€her,€that€he€put€his€hands€on€her,€and€pulled€his€penis€out,€butÏthat€he€had€not€penetrated€her.ðð€€According€to€the€Stateððs€discovery€response,€the€victimÏwas€examined€in€a€hospital€within€hours€of€the€incident.€€Although€there€œññisññññareññ›€œsuggestionñ‘ñsñ‘ñ›Ïin€the€partiesðð€argument€and€the€record€that€the€results€of€the€rape€kit€test€œñ”ñwasñ”ññ•ñwereñ•ñ›€negative,Ïthe€poor€quality€of€the€copy€of€the€discovery€response€prevents€this€Court€from€soÏconcluding.€€Even€so,€the€medical€examination€records€indicate€the€victim€sustained€analÏtrauma.ÌÌà¨ àààAt€the€post„conviction€hearing,€Donnie€Whitley,€one€of€the€petitionerððsÏrelatives€by€marriage,€testified€that€he€spent€the€evening€of€February€15€œñ’ñand€›the€›morning€›of€›February€›16ñ’ññ“ñ›€ñ“ñdrinking›€alcoholÐ †6&-0 Ðwith€the€petitioner€at€Veronica€Fittsðð€apartment,€where€the€petitioner€was€staying.€€Ms.ÏFitts,€the€petitionerððs€wife€and€the€victimððs€stepmother,€was€not€home€at€the€time.€ÏAccording€to€Mr.€Whitley,€the€petitioner€became€so€intoxicated€he€was€ð ðknocked€outðð€andÏwent€to€bed€in€another€room.€€Mr.€Whitley€testified€that€meanwhile,€he€went€to€sleep€onÏthe€living€room€couch.€€He€testified€he€later€woke€to€the€petitionerððs€daughter,€the€victim,Ïcrying€hysterically.€€According€to€Mr.€Whitley,€he€tried€to€wake€the€petitioner,€but€it€wasÏdifficult€because€the€petitioner€was€still€in€a€drunken€ð ðstupor.ðð€€Mr.€Whitley€admitted€heÏwas€not€present€when€the€petitioner€told€a€detective€he€had€touched€the€victimððs€vaginaÏwith€his€hand€and€placed€his€penis€on€her.ÌÌà¨ àààMs.€Fitts€testified€she€returned€to€her€apartment,€where€the€petitioner,€theÏvictim,€his€other€children,€and€Mr.€Whitley€were€staying,€at€1:30€or€2:00€a.m.€on€FebruaryÏ16.€€According€to€Ms.€Fitts,€everyone€in€the€apartment€had€been€sleeping€before€sheÏarrived€at€the€apartment,€especially€the€petitioner,€who€was€ð ðknocked€out,€asleep,€coldÏdrunk.ðð€€Ms.€Fitts€testified€her€return€caused€them€to€ññœññawaken,ññ›ññ€and€someone€told€her€theÏvictim€was€upset€and€had€claimed€ð ðsomeone€was€trying€to€feel€on€her.ðð€€According€to€Ms.ÏFitts,€she€then€talked€to€the€victim,€who€was€upset€and€told€her€she€ññœññññœññhad€hadññ›ññññ›ññ€a€dreamÏabout€sex.€€Ms.€Fitts€testified€the€victim€denied€anyone€had€touched€her.€€Ms.€FittsÏadmitted€talking€to€Richard€Tennent,€the€petitionerððs€trial€attorney,€and€testified€she€hadÏtold€him€everything€that€happened€that€evening,€including€that€the€victim€had€deniedÏanyone€had€touched€her.€€She€also€testified€that€Mr.€Tennent€had€told€her€it€was€in€theÏpetitionerððs€best€interest€to€plead€guilty€because€the€victimððs€anticipated€testimony€that€theÏpetitioner€had€sexually€penetrated€her€would€be€enough€to€convict€him.ÌÌà¨ àààThe€petitioner€testified€that€Mr.€Tennent€never€discussed€with€him€theÐ `6-0 ÐStateððs€discovery€response,€his€ð ðalleged€confession,ðð€the€anticipated€trial€evidence,€theÏvictimððs€medical€records,€or€the€potential€witnesses.€€He€testified€that€if€he€had€knownÏabout€his€wifeððs€potential€testimony,€the€medical€evidence,€and€the€results€of€the€rape€kitÐ L6ì,2 Ðtest,€he€would€not€have€pled€guilty.ÌÌà¨ àààMr.€Tennent€testified€he€reviewed€with€the€petitioner€the€medical€reports€andÏthe€Stateððs€discovery€response€and€explained€the€petitionerððs€potential€defenses€to€him.€ÏHe€recalled€talking€to€Ms.€Fitts€on€several€occasions,€but€he€did€not€remember€her€tellingÏhim€that€the€victim€had€claimed€the€rape€never€occurred,€even€though€he€recalled€tellingÏMs.€Fitts€and€the€petitioner€to€notify€him€if€the€victim€changed€her€story€and€insisted€heÏwould€have€remembered€learning€whether€the€victim€changed€her€story.€€He€admittedÏthere€was€no€objective€scientific€evidence€specifically€identifying€the€petitioner€as€hisÏdaughterððs€rapist€and€he€did€not€know€whether€the€results€from€the€rape€kit€test€and€theÏTBI€crime€lab€tests€had€been€negative.€€Nevertheless,€he€testified€he€told€the€petitionerÏthat€the€victim€would€testify€he€tried€to€penetrate€her€anally€and€that€the€medical€evidenceÏof€anal€trauma€would€corroborate€her€testimony.€€He€testified€he€sent€a€letter€to€theÏpetitioner€describing€the€evidence€against€him€and€the€defenses€available€to€him,€and€thisÏletter€was€entered€into€evidence.€€He€also€testified€that€the€petitioner€claimed€to€have€noÏrecollection€of€what€had€occurred,€which€was€one€of€the€reasons€he€entered€a€bestÏinterest€plea.€€According€to€Mr.€Tennent,€a€plea€was€in€the€petitionerððs€best€interest,€evenÏthough€he€would€have€gone€to€trial€had€the€petitioner€so€chosen.ÌÌà¨ àààIn€her€written€order,€the€post„conviction€court€judge€specifically€accreditedÏMr.€Tennentððs€testimony€over€that€of€Mr.€Whitley,€Ms.€Fitts,€and€the€petitioner.€€The€judgeÏfound,€based€on€the€letter€Mr.€Tennent€sent€to€the€petitioner,€that€Mr.€Tennent€hadÏdiscussed€with€the€petitioner€all€possible€defenses,€including€intoxication€and€a€claim€thatÏthe€offenses€never€occurred.€€The€judge€also€found€that€Mr.€Tennent€had€reviewed€withÏthe€petitioner€the€facts€of€the€case,€the€testimony€of€potential€witnesses,€and€all€of€hisÏoptions.€€Moreover,€the€judge€found€that€Mr.€Tennent€adequately€investigated€the€caseÐ L6ì,2 Ðby€interviewing€witnesses,€receiving€discovery€information€from€the€State,€and€reviewingÏthe€case€with€the€petitioner.€€Based€on€these€findings,€the€post„conviction€court€judgeÏconcluded€the€petitioner€had€not€proven€ineffective€assistance€of€counsel€and€accordinglyÏdenied€him€relief.ÌÌà¨ àààUnder€the€Post„Conviction€Procedure€Act€of€1995,€the€petitioner€has€theÏburden€of€proving€the€factual€allegations€in€his€or€her€petition€by€clear€and€convincingÏevidence.€€T.C.A.€ðð€40„30„210(f).€€Furthermore,€the€factual€findings€of€the€trial€court€inÏhearings€ð ðare€conclusive€on€appeal€unless€the€evidence€preponderates€against€theÏjudgment.ðð€€òòState€v.€Bufordóó,€666€S.W.2d€473,€475€(Tenn.€Crim.€App.€1983).Ð Œ, ÐÌà¨ àààTo€succeed€on€his€Sixth€Amendment€claim€of€ineffective€assistance€ofÏcounsel,€the€petitioner€must€prove€that€the€advice€given€or€services€rendered€by€hisÏattorney€were€below€the€range€of€competence€demanded€of€attorneys€in€criminal€cases.€ÏòòBaxter€v.€Roseóó,€523€S.W.2d€930,€936€(Tenn.€1975).€€He€ð ðmust€show€that€counselððsÐ ˆ"( Ðrepresenta‚tion€fell€below€an€objective€standard€of€reason‚ablenessðð€and€that€thisÏperformance€prejudiced€the€defense.€€There€must€be€a€reasonable€probability€that€but€forÏcoun‚selððs€error€the€result€of€the€proceeding€would€have€been€different.€€òòStrickland€v.Ð ì'Œ" ÐWashingtonóó,€466€U.S.€668,€687„88,€692,€694€(1984);€òòBest€v.€Stateóó,€708€S.W.2d€421,€422Ð ¸)X $ Ð(Tenn.€Crim.€App.€1985).€€To€satisfy€the€requirement€of€prejudice,€he€must€demonstrateÏa€reasonable€probability€that,€but€for€coun‚selððs€errors,€he€would€not€have€pled€guilty€andÏwould€have€insisted€on€going€to€trial.€€òòSeeóó€òòHill€v.€Lockartóó,€474€U.S.€52,€59€(1985);Ð /¼%* ÐòòBankston€v.€Stateóó,€815€S.W.2d€213,€215€(Tenn.€Crim.€App.€1991).Ð è0ˆ', ÐÌà¨ àààThe€petitioner€claims€that€Mr.€Tennentððs€representation€fell€below€theÏapplicable€range€of€competence€because€Mr.€Tennent€did€not€discuss€with€him€theÐ L6ì,2 Ðpotential€defense€of€ð ðnonoccurrenceðð€and€did€not€attempt€to€discover€evidence€that€mightÏsupport€this€defense.€€The€petitionerððs€claim€ignores€the€letter€from€Mr.€Tennent€to€theÏpetitioner€that€was€entered€into€evidence.€€According€to€this€letter,€the€petitioner€had€toldÏMr.€Tennent€that€he€could€not€remember€what€had€happened,€but€he€could€not€explainÏwhy€the€victim€ð ðwould€make€such€an€awful€thing€up.ðð€€As€the€post„conviction€court€found,Ïthis€portion€of€the€letter€confirms€that€Mr.€Tennent€and€the€petitioner€had,€to€some€extent,Ïdiscussed€the€possibility€of€claiming€that€the€rape€never€occurred,€but€that€there€was€noÏevidence€to€support€such€a€claim.€€Even€assuming€that€ññœññMr.ññ›ññ€Tennent€failed€to€discuss€thisÏpotential€defense€with€the€petitioner€and€discover€evidence€to€support€this€potentialÏdefense€and€that€such€failures€fell€below€the€applicable€range€of€competence,€theÏpetitioner€has€not€shown€resulting€prejudice,€thus€precluding€post„conviction€relief€on€thisÏpoint.€€òòStricklandóó,€466€U.S.€at€687„88,€692,€694;€òòBestóó,€708€S.W.2d€at€422.€Ð $Ä ÐÌà¨ àààThe€petitioner€also€claims€that€Mr.€Tennent€failed€to€tell€him€that€Ms.€FittsÏhad€said€the€victim€had€denied€the€rape€occurred€and€failed€to€discuss€with€him€the€lackÏof€objective€scientific€evidence.€€Mr.€Tennentððs€testimony,€which€the€post„conviction€courtÏfound€to€be€more€credible€ññœññthanññ›ññ€the€petitionerððs,€casts€doubt€on€whether€Ms.€Fitts€ever€toldÏhim€that€the€victim€had€denied€a€rape€had€occurred.€€Mr.€Tennent€testified€that€he€askedÏMs.€Fitts€to€tell€him€if€the€victim€changed€her€story€and€that€he€would€surely€rememberÏsuch€a€development€in€the€case,€but€he€did€not€remember€Ms.€Fitts€telling€him€that.€ÏMoreover,€Mr.€Tennent€testified€he€told€the€petitioner€that€there€was€evidence€of€analÏtrauma,€but€no€evidence€specifically€identifying€the€petitioner€as€the€cause€of€the€trauma.ÌÌà¨ àààBut€even€assuming€that€Mr.€Tennent€did€not€discuss€the€victimððs€allegedÏstatement€and€the€ð ðlack€of€objective€scientific€evidenceðð€with€the€petitioner,€and€evenÏassuming€that€such€a€failure€fell€below€the€applicable€range€of€competence,€the€petitionerÐ L6ì,2 Ðhas€not€shown€resulting€prejudice.€€The€record€shows€that€the€victim€would€have€testifiedÏat€trial€that€the€petitioner€penetrated€her€anally,€which€would€have€been€corroborated€byÏthe€evidence€of€anal€trauma.€€Moreover,€the€petitioner€admitted€to€a€€police€detective€thatÏhe€had€placed€his€hand€on€the€victimððs€vagina,€pulled€his€penis€out,€and€placed€it€on€theÏvictim.€€In€light€of€this€evidence,€even€though€the€petitioner€claims€he€would€not€have€pledÏguilty€had€he€been€fully€informed,€he€has€not€shown€how€the€result€of€the€proceedingsÏwould€have€been€different€had€he€not€entered€a€best€interest€plea.€€Thus,€he€has€notÏshown€a€reasonable€probability€that€he€suffered€prejudice€as€a€result€of€Mr.€ññœññTennentññ›ññððsÏconduct€and€is€not€entitled€to€post„conviction€relief.€€òòSeeóó€òòBankstonóó,€815€S.W.2d€at€215.Ð À` ÐÔ‡ XŸXXXŸÔÌÓÓÌññœñññŠñÌñŠñññ›ññññœññññ›ññà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`àà¸à_______________________________Ìà¨ ààààXàà°àààà`àà¸àJOHN€H.€PEAY,€JudgeÌÌññœñññ‹ñÌÌñ‹ñCONCUR:ññ›ññÌÌÔ#†XŸXX XŸ4>#ÔÔ‡ XŸXXXŸÔÌÌññœñññŒñÌ›Ì›ÌñŒñÔ#†XŸXX XŸÉ?#Ô______________________________ññ›ññÐ T$ô ÐDAVID€H.€WELLES,€JudgeÌÌÌÌ______________________________ÌJ.€CURWOOD€WITT,€JR.,€Judge