ÿWPC# nRUlÆZ.?\ýÛõÞÿ¾u÷@²°ÈCÑhÊ™*ë…Óµp¬Â(„åa˯>|„ Šso~¥=^)‡KÒsŠò a?b2:‹Õ?± ^ `%@×@І3›%Ñ´7Nüì“ÍÆˆÐ¬2ùH’WJýÉÌnÞ˜yªä.’Û©N$5A)élgÝ ÙdŒ¥›4MÜx)š4"õÎi,†CÇÎ=!¢½é\\q(¹^³{³s¼'$‡B’=Íu°*ØIŽá¬.v]Ëqéü©ãÄ[Ù§0á&(ÿ@6ú}: 9·,PYç2OéÂêqúÜYbÒù4"¸iJ&Zˆi%~t¥-ÆÈ¼G)JxËÞpy|½V¿oAzÔ+ú"ëë‹«£Ñú+ï¼s IyÜO¡J|6¯©vŽ,Ö6Éœþê°râTúë¯yºB›„>Ib ˜Á³UlÎë÷®>ÉdØVRqìOBè^TZÒ8J#øþs§ V4vY“O¢ë¹¸³$ød"{"Y‰óMæròëœQFÕOØf‰ƒ²ý lð8øF½ùþV,Á&ªE¬Í?C|y¡…†’œ¯+ÐâÆo­÷g:é4¦ —5ˆÒiìoŠ'e«¸ë Ìþk_ÒB»E»f.…# F %Q UNW 0Æ¥ k 4s ‡ ø– 0 Ž w@˜U:Ø 0DU:V U:°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° Bêêêêêê D3 0D:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: AO~ÆÍÍ 0D“ D/× B˜HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MSðððððð0nLÐX(ÖÃ9 Z ‹6Times New Roman Regular(žjÆ$¡¡Ñ` ` ÑÑÜÜÑÒ4°ÒÒX°ÒÑTR[  AØ'ÿ Legal[  AØ'ÿ Legal AØ'ÿ Legal AØ'ÿ LegalTÑÓÓƒƒ '3|xü îÝ ƒ ÷F$ÝÒ4°ÒÒX°ÒÓÓà Œ àòòÚ  Ú1Ú  ÚóóÝ  ÝÔ€ XÉXXXÔÔ€ ôêªôX XÉÔòòSeeóó€òòNorth€Carolina€v.€Alfordóó,€400€U.S.€25€(1970).€€(º(3©$¤¤Ý ƒjÆ!ÝÑ` °ÑÑܰÑÒ4°ÒÒX°ÒÑTR[¤ AØ'ÿ Legal3Ø' AØ'ÿ Legalÿ3Ø'TÑÓÓÝ  Ýà Œ àòòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó èEéêDëìíDîDïDðñÓ€,c½¬AZ‹"Arial Regular(#Ã$òòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó,c½¬AZ‹"Arial Regular Ô€X£®XXXÔÔ€îþ€îXX£®ÔÓ  ÓÔ Ad ÔFILEDÔ€¬îîþ€ÔÐ  ÐÌò òAugust€16,€1999Ð ¶¶ ÐÌCecil€Crowson,€Jr.ÌÔ€ôØ“ô¬ÔAppellate€CourtÐ –– ÐClerkó ó,c½¬AZ‹"Arial Regular d$$$$'ÿÿdxd(3¯$££Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý€-‚ƒCþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó„„'÷ÿ dxdüÿP PdÝ ƒjÆ!ÝÑ` °ÑÑܰÑÒ4°ÒÒX°ÒÑTR[¤ AØ'ÿ Legal3Ø' AØ'ÿ Legalÿ3Ø'TÑÓÓÝ  Ýñññ›ñññÑ7€×`XdìXXdð7ÑÑ  ÑÔ€ X£®XXXÔñññßr€*<,(j 8 `€€@Ehf  tt0" ` ¨Ørß›ñññà@g g ÚàòòIN€THE€COURT€OF€CRIMINAL€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEóóˆÐ `  Ðà@*ÚàòòAT€KNOXVILLEóóˆÐ , Ì Ðà@––'ÚàMARCH€1999€SESSIONˆÌÌEDDIE€DEAN€HALL,à ” àà ì à*à D àC.C.A.€#€03C01„9806„CR„00218Ð 0 Ðà Œ àAppellant,à < àà ” àà ì à*à D àGREENE€COUNTY€Ð \ü  ÐVS.à Œ àà ä àà < àà ” àà ì à*à D àHon.€Ben€K.€Wexler,€Judge€Ð (È  ÐÓÓSTATE€OF€TENNESSEE,à ” àà ì à*à D à(Post„Conviction)Ð ô”  ÐÌà Œ àAppellee.à < àà ” àà ì à*Ð À` ÐÌÌÌÌÌòòFor€Appellantóó:à < àà ” àà ì àà D àòòFor€Appelleeóó:Ð $Ä ÐÌJ.€Russell€Pryor,€Attorneyà ” àà ì àà D àJohn€Knox€WalkupÐ ð Ð128€South€Main€Streetà ” àà ì àà D àAttorney€General€and€ReporterÐ Öv ÐSuite€101€à ä àà < àà ” àÐ ¼ \ ÐGreeneville,€TN€€37743à ” àà ì àà D àEllen€H.€PollackÐ ¢!B Ðà Œ àà ä àà < àà ” àà ì àà D àAssistant€Attorney€GeneralÌà Œ àà ä àà < àà ” àà ì àà D àCriminal€Justice€DivisionÌà Œ àà ä àà < àà ” àà ì àà D à425€Fifth€Avenue€North€Ìà Œ àà ä àà < àà ” àà ì àà D àNashville,€TN€€37243ÌÌà Œ àà ä àà < àà ” àà ì àà D àEric€D.€ChristiansenÌà Œ àà ä àà < àà ” àà ì àà D àAssistant€District€Attorney€GeneralÌà Œ àà ä àà < àà ” àà ì àà D à109€South€Main€StreetÌà Œ àà ä àà < àà ” àà ì àà D àGreeneville,€TN€€37743ÌÌÌOPINION€FILED:__________________________ÌÌÌÌAFFIRMED€ÌÌÌÌGARY€R.€WADE,€PRESIDING€JUDGEÐ  š3:*/ ÐÓÓà@33-ÚàòòOPINIONóóˆÐ `  Ðà Œ àà ä àThe€petitioner,€Eddie€Dean€Hall,€appeals€the€trial€court's€denial€of€hisÏpetition€for€post„conviction€relief.€€The€single€issue€presented€for€review€is€whetherÏthe€petitioner€was€denied€the€effective€assistance€of€counsel.ÌÌòòà Œ àóóà ä àWe€find€no€error€and€affirm€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court.Ð \ü  ÐÌà Œ àà ä àOn€December€20,€1996,€the€petitioner€entered€guilty€pleas€to€two€firstÏdegree€murder€charges,€one€of€which€was€based€œupon›€an€incident€in€Greene€CountyÏand€the€other€of€which€was€based€upon€an€incident€in€Cocke€County.€€Both€of€theÏpleas€were€entered€before€Judge€William€R.€Holt,€Jr.,€in€Cocke€County,€whoÏimposed€concurrent€sentences€of€life€without€parole.€€There€was€no€appeal.€€ÌÌà Œ àà ä àOn€November€19,€1997,€the€petitioner€filed€a€petition€for€post„¼conviction€relief€in€Greene€County€alleging,€among€other€things,€that€he€had€beenÏdenied€the€effective€assistance€of€counsel.€€The€petitioner€contended€that€he€lackedÏconfidence€in€the€two€Cocke€County€attorneys€who€were€appointed€as€counselÏbecause€they€had€failed€to€adequately€interview€witnesses€or€investigate€leadsÏprovided€by€the€petitioner.€€He€complained€that€while€he€had€two€attorneys€fromÏCocke€County,€one€never€contacted€him€and€was€replaced€four€days€prior€to€hisÏguilty€plea.€€He€alleged€that€his€replacement€attorney€from€Cocke€County€was€notÏpresent€when€he€pled€guilty€and€that€his€counsel€should€have€requested€aÏpsychological€evaluation.€€He€points€out€that€his€guilty€plea€in€Greene€County€wasÏentered€without€there€being€a€formal€charge€of€first€degree€murder€based€upon€anÏindictment€in€that€county.€€ÌÌà Œ àà ä àAt€the€evidentiary€hearing,€the€petitioner€testified€that€he€was€in€theÐ 8¸.4 Ðpenitentiary€on€a€parole€violation€when€he€learned€that€he€had€two€appointedÏattorneys€from€œeach€of€the›€public€defender's€œoffices›€in€Greene€County€œand€Cocke›ÏœCounty.›€€He€testified€that€his€Greene€County€attorneys€were€available€"anytime€IÏcalled€and€asked€to€speak€with€them"€and€that€they€kept€him€aware€of€the€evidenceÏthe€state€intended€to€present.€€He€complained€that€the€Cocke€County€PublicÏDefender€never€spoke€to€him€and€that€his€other€attorney€in€that€county€did€notÏcommunicate€frequently€enough.€€The€petitioner€related€that€the€offer€made€by€theÏstate€was€a€"package€deal"€and€that€he€had€to€plead€guilty€to€each€murder€andÏaccept€concurrent€sentences€of€life€without€parole,€else€he€would€face€two€trials.€€HeÏstated€that€the€offer€made€by€the€state€was€contingent€upon€the€petitioner'sÏimmediate€acceptance;€he€understood€that€if€he€required€Greene€County€to€goÏthrough€the€process€of€a€grand€jury€indictment,€that€the€state€intended€to€go€to€trial.€€ÌÌà Œ àà ä àThe€petitioner,€who€had€been€in€prison€since€March€of€1983€except€forÏa€short€period€of€time€in€which€he€was€on€parole,€complained€that€his€attorneys€didÏnot€seek€a€psychological€evaluation€even€though€he€faced€the€possibility€of€theÏdeath€penalty€in€both€counties.€€He€did€concede,€however,€that€he€was€pleased€withÏhis€representation€of€the€attorneys€in€Greene€County€and€that€his€mother,€who€heÏsaid€had€Alzheimer's€disease,€counseled€with€him€before€he€entered€the€pleaÏagreement.€€The€petitioner€contended€that€his€dissatisfaction€with€his€attorneys€inÏCocke€County€had€an€effect€upon€his€decision€to€enter€pleas€of€guilt€in€GreeneÏCounty€and€that€he€felt€pressured€to€accept€the€offers€made€by€the€state.€€HeÏtestified€that€he€had€a€seventh€grade€education,€could€"read€a€little,"€had€little€otherÏfamily€to€assist€him€in€his€decision,€and€would€have€never€pled€guilty€in€GreeneÏCounty€but€for€the€poor€quality€of€his€attorneys€in€Cocke€County.€€ÌÌà Œ àà ä àThe€petitioner€also€asserted€that€letters€written€by€his€co„defendant,Ð 8¸.4 ÐIvan€Dean€Shaver,€supported€his€innocence€of€the€crimes€and€that€neither€hisÏGreene€County€nor€his€Cocke€County€lawyers€sufficiently€communicated€with€himÏabout€the€content€of€the€letters.€€As€an€example,€the€petitioner€cited€a€letter€datedÏMarch€10,€1996,€from€Shaver€to€his€wife,€DeeDee€Shaver,€who€was€also€charged€inÏthe€crimes:ÌÓÓà8 Œ àà8ä Œ (#Œ (#àI€will€get€you€out€of€this,€Dee,€because€I€know€that€theyÏwant€Eddie€and€his€brother€bad€over€the€1991€murder€ofÏthat€Cobble€man,€and€they€also€want€Eddie€in€all€this....€€IÏam€going€to€give€them€what€they€want€and€they'll€give€meÏwhat€I€want,€and€that's€you€out€of€all€this€...€that€Max€putÏon€us.Ð ä Ð ä Ð  ÐÌÓÓAnother€letter€by€Shaver€to€his€wife€included€the€following€passage:ÌÓÓà8 Œ àà8ä Œ (#Œ (#àSure,€I€might€have€to€tell€a€lie€here€and€there,€but€yourÏfreedom€and€your€life€means€more€to€me€than€mine€everÏcould.€€Ð ä Ð ä Ð  ÐÌÓÓThe€petitioner€stated€that€neither€his€Greene€County€lawyers€nor€his€Cocke€CountyÏlawyers€discussed€specific€portions€of€the€correspondence€which€might€have€beenÏhelpful€in€his€defense.€€Ìà Œ àÌà Œ àà ä àThe€petitioner€was€cross„examined€about€the€transcript€of€his€guiltyÏplea.€€After€acknowledging€that€he€entered€an€òòAlfordóó,œ×ƒ×Ý ƒ %ÃÝòòÚ  Ú1Ú  ÚóóÝ  Ý×  ×›€best„interest€plea€rather€thanÐ '¦! Ðconfessing€his€guilt€on€either€charge,€the€petitioner€agreed€that€he€had€not€beenÏcoerced€in€accepting€the€agreement,€that€he€got€along€well€with€his€Greene€CountyÏattorneys,€that€he€understood€the€nature€of€the€charges€and€the€range€of€penalties,Ïand€otherwise€had€no€questions€about€the€nature€of€the€proceedings.€ÌÌà Œ àà ä àThe€only€other€witness€at€the€evidentiary€hearing€was€Susanna€LawsÏThomas,€one€of€the€two€attorneys€who€represented€the€petitioner€in€Cocke€County.€ÏMs.€œThomas›€testified€that€she€had€represented€the€petitioner€for€approximately€aÐ f5,1 Ðyear€before€he€entered€into€the€plea€agreement.€€While€the€state€and€the€trial€courtÏraised€questions€about€the€relevance€of€her€testimony€as€to€the€Greene€CountyÏpleas,€she€was€nevertheless€allowed€to€testify€that€she€visited€the€petitioner€six€orÏeight€times€during€the€course€of€her€representation.€€œMs.€Thomas›€testified€œthat›œ›€theÏGreene€and€Cocke€cases€were€œrelatedñçñ€in€thñçññèññçñt€ñçññèññéñat€they€ñéññêñ,›€"the›€facts›€of›€the›€separate›€cases›€were›€not›€[related›€except›€that›€they]›€ñêññëñ"ñëñinvolved›€the€same€people...."€ÏThe€Greene€County€offense€occurred€November€8,€1995,€and€the€Cocke€CountyÏmurder€was€November€24,€1995.€€ÌÌà Œ àà ä àœMs.€Thomas›€testified€that€the€Shaver€letters€included€over€500€or€600Ïpages€covering€approximately€four€months'€time.€€She€recalled€having€read€all€of€theÏletters€and€having€discussed€with€the€petitioner€those€portions€which€were€helpful€toÏhis€defense.€€Ms.€œThomas€testified›€that€she€was€not€able€to€locate€all€of€theÏwitnesses€provided€by€the€petitioner€but€"did€talk€to€many€witnesses€in€the€case."€ÏWhen€questioned€as€to€why€she€did€not€seek€a€psychological€evaluation€for€theÏpetitioner,€she€answered€as€follows:€€"I€did€not€see€any€indication€that€there€was€aÏcompetency€or€insanity€issue,€and€I€felt€the€results€of€the€psychological€would€beÏdetrimental€in€a€capital€trial."€€She€testified€that€both€Greg€Eichelman€and€MichaelÏWalcher,€who€represented€the€petitioner€in€Greene€County,€were,€in€her€opinion,Ïeffective€in€their€representation€of€the€petitioner.€€œMs.€Thomas›€testified€that€all€of€theÏattorneys€cooperated€in€the€investigation,€divided€responsibilities,€and€avoided€anyÏduplication€of€effort.€€She€testified€that€she€was€able€to€elicit€the€plea€offer€from€eachÏof€the€two€district€attorney€generals€involved€in€the€prosecution.€€She€stated€that€theÏpetitioner€had€been€"very€involved€in€negotiating€the€precise€terms€of€what€he€wouldÏaccept€in€a€plea€agreement"€before€accepting€the€offer€of€the€state.€€Ms.€œThomasÏtestified›€that€the€petitioner€had€one€month€to€consider€whether€to€enter€the€pleaÏagreement€ultimately€approved€by€Judge€Holt.€€ÌÐ 8¸.4 Ðà Œ àà ä àAt€the€conclusion€of€the€evidentiary€hearing,€the€trial€court€ruled€thatÏthe€circumstances€did€not€warrant€having€a€psychological€evaluation,€that€theÏpetitioner€knowingly€and€voluntarily€entered€into€the€plea€agreement,€and€that€theÏGreene€County€attorneys€had€been€effective€in€their€representation.€€The€petitionÏwas,€of€course,€dismissed.€€ÌÌà Œ àà ä àIn€order€to€establish€that€his€counsel€was€ineffective,€the€petitionerÏmust€show€in€a€post„conviction€proceeding€that€the€advice€given€or€the€servicesÏrendered€were€not€within€the€range€of€competence€of€attorneys€in€criminal€cases.€ÏòòBaxter€v.€Roseóó,€523€S.W.2d€930€(Tenn.€1975).€€He€must€also€establish€that€but€forÐ Œ, Ðhis€counsel's€deficient€performance,€the€results€of€the€trial€would€have€beenÏdifferent.€€òòStrickland€v.€Washingtonóó,€466€U.S.€668€(1984).€€This€two„part€standard,Ð $Ä Ðas€it€applies€to€guilty€pleas,€is€met€when€the€petitioner€establishes€that,€but€forÏcounsel's€errors,€he€would€not€have€pleaded€guilty€and€would€have€insisted€on€trial.€ÏòòHill€v.€Lockhartóó,€474€U.S.€52€(1985).Ð ˆ"( ÐÌà Œ àà ä àUnder€our€statutory€law,€the€petitioner€bears€the€burden€of€proving€hisÏallegations€by€clear€and€convincing€evidence.€€Tenn.€Code€Ann.€ðð€40„30„210(f).€€TheÏburden€is€on€the€petitioner€to€show€that€the€evidence€preponderates€against€theÏfindings€of€the€trial€judge€who,€in€this€instance,€found€in€favor€of€the€state.€€òòClenny€v.Ð „+$"& ÐStateóó,€576€S.W.2d€12€(Tenn.€Crim.€App.€1978).€€The€findings€in€the€trial€court€onÐ P-ð#( Ðquestions€of€fact€may€not€be€reversed€on€appeal€unless€the€evidence€preponderatesÏotherwise.€€òòGraves€v.€Stateóó,€512€S.W.2d€603€(Tenn.€Crim.€App.€1973).€€Ð è0ˆ', ÐÌà Œ àà ä àIn€òòStricklandóó,€the€standard€of€review€on€the€issue€of€assistance€ofÐ €4 +0 Ðcounsel€was€stated€as€follows:ÌÓÓà8 Œ àà8ä Œ (#Œ (#àThis€requires€showing€that€counsel€made€errors€soÏserious€that€counsel€was€not€functioning€as€the€"counsel"Ð þ8ž/5 Ðguaranteed€the€defendant€by€the€Sixth€Amendment.€ÏSecond,€the€defendant€must€show€that€the€deficientÏperformance€prejudiced€the€defense.€€This€requiresÏshowing€that€counsel's€errors€were€so€serious€as€toÏdeprive€the€defendant€of€a€fair€trial,€a€trial€whose€result€isÏreliable.€€Unless€a€defendant€makes€both€showings,€itÏcannot€be€said€that€the€conviction€or€...€sentence€resultedÏfrom€a€breakdown€in€the€adversary€process€that€rendersÏthe€result€unreliable.€Ð ä Ð ä Ð  ÐÌòòÓÓStricklandóó,€466€U.S.€at€687.€€òòStricklandóó€warns€that€courts€should€"eliminate€theÐ \ü  Ðdistorting€effects€of€hindsight€...€and€to€evaluate€the€conduct€from€counsel'sÏperspective€at€the€time."€€òòId.óó€at€689.€€Ð ô”  ÐÌà Œ àà ä àHere,€the€record€reflects€that€the€petitioner€actually€complimented€theÏperformance€of€his€attorneys€in€Greene€County.€€The€conviction€in€Greene€County€isÏthe€only€one€under€attack€in€this€proceeding.€€Certainly,€the€testimony€by€Ms.ÏThomas€supported€the€conclusion€that€counsel€had€adequately€represented€theÏpetitioner.€€The€only€serious€complaints€made€by€the€petitioner€œwñìñereñìññíñasñíñ›€the€failure€of€hisÏcounsel€œñîñwas›€ñîñto›€seek€a€psychological€evaluation€and€their€failure€to€further€discuss€theÏcontent€of€the€letters€written€by€Shaver€to€his€wife€(who€was€also€charged€in€theÏœoffense)ñïñ€while›€he›€was›€incarcerated.›€›€Yñïññðñ.€€Yñðñet›€the€petitioner€has€failed€to€give€any€reason€other€than€a€lack€ofÏeducation€as€to€why€his€counsel€should€have€considered€asking€for€a€psychologicalÏevaluation.€€The€plea€agreement,€which€may€have€had€the€effect€of€saving€his€life,Ïwas€available€for€only€a€short€time€and€the€professional€judgment€of€counsel,€whichÏhad€to€be€exercised€expeditiously,€appears€to€have€been€sound,€even€in€hindsight.€ÏFurthermore,€there€is€no€indication€that€the€content€of€the€letters€were€soÏinconsistent€with€the€theory€of€the€prosecution€as€to€warrant€a€demand€for€trial.€€TheÏtrial€court€accredited€the€testimony€of€Ms.€Thomas€that€the€petitioner's€counsel€hadÏreviewed€all€of€the€letters,€found€portions€which€would€have€been€supportive€to€theÏdefense,€and€communicated€that€to€the€petitioner€before€he€accepted€the€pleaÏagreement.€€In€short,€the€evidence€does€not€preponderate€against€the€conclusionsÐ 8¸.4 Ðreached€by€the€trial€court.€€ÌÌà Œ àà ä àAccordingly,€the€judgment€is€affirmed.ÌÌÓÓà Œ àà ä àà < àà ” àà ì àà D à________________________________Ìà Œ àà ä àà < àà ” àà ì àà D àGary€R.€Wade,€Presiding€Judge€ÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ_____________________________ÌNorma€McGee€Ogle,€JudgeÌÌÌÌ_____________________________ÌCornelia€A.€Clark,€Special€Judge€