WPC Ihj$"Wޞv&λh(=4UaWc0[dXiTf 廀HλA-(݄ۅ@4pg+f#,꽀$"ռXD;?ʭN|usnNc&'lbtg&9!GRWe{y4Q/縼ׂ]Jm!%3K#-,Z804CPi !Z 2!7^;jk^A ^nt ܇*% eL@fu yWMxӜ9Ϣ%A0]S1v`YV@^->'WC<%|t_p t79^5+.pWa `8&8N~;e&38~1eATVwnE#٘3eS~De˪E}HlWXZkN15Nn"GD~"UBF % U.  nX 0P$ 4t  0 0cb w@ U: U:? U:y  P|pU:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX B D3 0D AO&uu 0D; D/ B<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiX%2A`ArialTT|X<6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiXXx6X@JQX@%2A`ArialTTt10cpiXXX2PQXP(($D  uM%((2W$ !D   ]XXԋ]   0  ("$ X<=XXX  0   D2ebDUӀg"Arial Regular,rAZ"Arial Regular,rAZ"Arial Regular   W$D  ]XXԋ]   1    Theindictmentreferstothevictimas ElbertBryantPerkins.Thetranscript,however,refersto `  thevictimas BryantPerkins,whilethevictimsfatherisreferredtoas ElbertPerkins.   W$D  ]XXԋ]   2     ԋԋTwooftheneighborstestifiedthatthedefendantwasinthemarooncar,whileoneoftheother `  neighborstestifiedhesawthedefendantexitthebluecar.#ԋ ԋ# r  $D  ,XX,   3    Thetrialcourtfoundthatthedefendantwasaleaderintheoffenseandthatheemployeda `  deadlyweaponinthecommissionoftheoffense.SeeT.C.A.4035114(2),(9). X8XXX[' XX8   Ad FILEDX8X ['  January21,1999CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAM ,cAZ"Arial Regular d$$$$'dxd(3$ !  -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd !D   ` XPD  TR[A'Legal3'A' Legal3'T  XXXX7  XXdd7r*<,(j 8` `@Ef ` 8ttxP"`  rߛ  INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE `  @uu:MATNASHVILLE  @556MNOVEMBER1998SESSION STATEOFTENNESSEE,     ` )  p     X      ` )   C.C.A.NO.01C019707CR00293  `    Appellee,  򀀀   ` ) P     X      ` )  DAVIDSONCOUNTY  @  VS.   X      ` ) 0     X      ` )  HON.THOMASH.SHRIVER,   ERIKLEEJACKSON,     ` )  JUDGE p    X      ` )   `   Appellant.      ` )  (SecondDegreeMurder)  P  FORTHEAPPELLANT:     `   FORTHEAPPELLEE:   RICHARDMcGEE X      `   JOHNKNOXWALKUP   601WoodlandSt. X      `   AttorneyGeneral&Reporter  p Nashville,TN37206   X      `   DARYLJ.BRAND  "P    X      `   Asst.AttorneyGeneral    X      `   JohnSevierBldg. $0    X      `   425FifthAve.,North !  p#  %     X      `   Nashville,TN372430493    X      `   VICTORS.JOHNSON,III  P(!    X      `   DistrictAttorneyGeneral   X      `   JOHNC.ZIMMERMANN  +!$    X      `     and  ,"%    X      `   HELENDONNLEY  -#&    X      `   Asst.DistrictAttorneysGeneral p#  -$'    X      `   WashingtonSquare,Suite.500   X      `   222SecondAve.,North   X      `   Nashville,TN372011649   X      `      X   OPINIONFILED:____________________ AFFIRMED  @8.2  JOHNH.PEAY,  ;15 Judge  <37 МXX  @:M XXOPINION#XX#Ԉ `     ThedefendantwaschargedbyindictmentwiththefirstdegreepremeditatedmurderofBryantPerkins.   X8XXX  1      ׀Followingajurytrialandsentencinghearing, & hewasfoundguiltyofseconddegreemurderandsentencedasaRangeIstandardoffendertotwentyoneyearsimprisonment.Henowappeals,arguingthatthetrialcourterredinfailingtosuppresshisstatementtopoliceandinimproperlysentencinghim.Findingnomerittothedefendantsarguments,weaffirm.  OnJanuary12,1995,aftercominghomefromschool,seventeenyearoldBryantPerkinsandhisfriend,RobertWilkerson,werewalkingdownthestreetinPerkinsneighborhoodwhenamarooncarpullednexttoPerkins.AsthedriverofthemarooncarengagedPerkinsinconversation,alightbluecarcarryingseveralpassengerspulledalongsidethemarooncar,trappingPerkinsbetweenthetwocars.Apparently,oneofthepassengersinthebluecar,MarcusJackson,thedefendantsbrother,believedthatPerkinshadstolenhiscarearlierthatday.Somebodyinthebackseatofthebluecaryelled, Isthatthenigger?Perkinsputuphishandsandsaid, Mario,man,youknowme,butthedriverofthebluecarsaid, Killhim.Wilkersonimmediatelyran,butheheardmanygunshotsbehindhim.  Severalpeoplewitnessedtheshooting,includingtwofourteenyearoldswhoweresittingonahouseporchnearby,aneighborwhowasstandingatthecornerofhishouse,andaneighborwhowasdrivingdownthestreet.Eachofthesewitnessessawthedefendantexitoneofthecarsandhisbrother,Marcus,exittheother    X8XX X8  2      ׀andshoot .3). Perkinsmultipletimes.Perkinsdiedshortlythereafterofmultiplegunshotwounds.  Twentyfiveshellcasingsfrom.45caliberroundswerefoundinthevicinityoftheshooting.ThreebulletswereremovedfromPerkinsbody.Inaddition,ahousenearthesceneoftheshooting,whichwasoccupiedatthetime,washitbyatleastthreebullets,andaCadillacparkedonthestreetwasalsostruckbyseveralbullets.  Aftertalkingwiththewitnessesatthescene,policeofficerswenttotheJacksonbrothershouse,believinghimMarcusJacksontobeasuspect.Atthetime,thedefendantwasnothome.Aftertalkingwithdetectives,MarcusJacksonconfessedandwasimmediatelyarrested.ThedetectivesconversationswithMarcusandtheirinvestigationoftheshootingledthemtobelievethedefendantwasinvolvedintheshooting.  OnJanuary14,twodaysaftertheshooting,thedefendantwasstoppedonatrafficviolationandarrestedwhenweaponswerediscoveredinhisvehicle.Thedefendantwasheldforquestioningbytheinvestigatinghomicidedetectives,andthedefendanttoldthemhewasinvolvedintheshooting.Specifically,thedefendantstated, Okay.Iwasthere.Ishotwiththerifle.Ionlyshotonetime.Thedefendantsoughttosuppressthisstatement.Followingatwodaysuppressionhearing,thetrialcourtrefusedtosuppressthedefendantsstatement,findingthatthedefendantwasadvisedofhisrightsbutneverassertedthemandthattherewasnothingintimidatingaboutthedetectivesquestioning.  Thedefendantfirstchallengeshisconviction,arguingthatthetrialcourtshouldhavesuppressedhisstatement.Thisargumentwillnotaffordthedefendantreliefbecausetheevidenceagainstthedefendantwasoverwhelming.Fourindividualswho 8.4 witnessedtheshootingidentifiedthedefendantasoneoftheshooters,whichitselfissufficientevidencetosustainthedefendantsconviction.Thus,evenassumingthatthetrialcourterredinfailingtosuppressthedefendantsstatement,thedefendantsconvictionwouldnotbereversedbecauseanyerrorwouldnothaveaffectedtheresultofthetrial.Tenn.R.Crim.P.52(a).  Thedefendantalsochallengeshissentence.HefirstarguesthatthetrialcourterredinfailingtoconsiderhisyouthasamitigatingfactorunderT.C.A.4035113(6)(providingthatasentencemaybemitigatedonproofthatthe defendant,becauseofyouthoroldage,lackedsubstantialjudgmentincommittingtheoffense).Withregardtothismitigatingfactor,thetrialcourtstated:8 IdontIdontknowwhatconsiderationswentintomakingthisaseconddegreeinsteadofafirstdegreeunlessitunlessitwasthatbothdefendantsare,indeed,young.And,totheextentthatbeingyoung....theirtheiryoungageisamitigatingfactor,Imakethefindingoffactthatthatisthecauseoftheseconddegreemurderconviction,andImnotconsideringitagainasamitigatingfactorinthesentencing.%  " " Thedefendantarguesthisreasoningwaserroneousandthatthus,themitigatingfactorofyouthshouldbeappliedtoreducehissentence.Evenassumingthetrialcourtsreasoningwaserroneous,however,thedefendantsargumentlacksmerit.Thedefendantwasatwentyyearoldadultatthetimeoftheshooting,andthereisnoevidenceintherecordthatwouldtendtodemonstratehisaninabilitytoappreciatethenatureofhisconduct.Statev.Adams,864S.W.2d31,33(Tenn.1993).Thus,themitigating j, #' factorin4035113(6)isnotwarrantedinthiscase.  ThedefendantalsoarguesthatthetrialcourterroneouslyconsideredpendingchargesagainstthedefendantasafactortorebutthemitigatingfactorofT.C.A.4035113(11),thatthecrimewascommittedunder suchunusualcircumstancesthatitisunlikelythatasustainedintenttoviolatethelawmotivatedthecriminalconduct.Thedefendantcontendsthatusingpendingchargestorebutamitigatingfactorhasthesame 8/5 effectasconsideringthemasanaggravatingfactor,andhearguesthemerefactthatchargesarepending,withoutsomeevidencethatthedefendantengagedincriminalconduct,isirrelevantforsentencingpurposes.  AsaRangeIstandardoffenderconvictedofseconddegreemurder,aClassAfelony,thedefendantfacedapossiblesentenceoffifteentotwentyfiveyears.Afterfindingthattwoenhancingfactors,   XyXX Xy  3      ׀whichthedefendantdoesnotchallenge,and (  nomitigatingfactorswereapplicabletothiscase,thetrialcourtsentencedthedefendanttotwentyoneyearsincarceration.Evenassumingthatthetrialcourtsomehowerroneouslyconsideredpendingchargeswithoutevidenceofcriminalbehavior,thedefendantwouldnotbeentitledtoreliefonthisbasisbecauseconsideringallthecircumstancesinthiscase,asentenceoftwentyoneyearsisappropriate.  Insum,thedefendantschallengetohisconvictionmustfailbecauseanyerrorinadmittinghisstatementwasharmlessbeyondareasonabledoubt.Moreover,thedefendantschallengetohissentencemustalsofail.Accordingly,tThetrialcourtsjudgmentisaffirmed.Ӝ   X      `   _______________________________   X      `   JOHNH.PEAY,Judge̜CONCUR:______________________________GARYR.WADE,PresidingJudge______________________________JERRYL.SMITH,Judge