WPC" # VUNa % 0(4b  w@ 0JP 0T 0^ 0hL 0r 0|& 0 0( 1u 0d- B U> D3 U *B)I 0@rDC AMBv~,v AO} 0D D/ BHP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLh(9 Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($" @ d3|x- - DD4eDӀ2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X d<  9p`(&Times New Roman%%%%'dxd<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d("$    ,,,,7Border 1dd-.C << G !)  ++   YYY FILED+X April17,1997CecilCrowson,Jr.+AppellateCourtClerk PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'hStyl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   h HD: Geneva  h HD: Geneva -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . )  ݛ 4   4   \RA'\+\RA'\  INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE̜ ` XDpX R/0.A1-j|`  `@Rߛ    Q ATKNOXVILLE` XDpXӀ  Q  MARCH1997SESSION   ` D ` cDONNIERAYSEALS, ) `  c  )C.C.A.No.03C019605CC00188 Appellant, )  )HamblenCountyV. )  )HonorableBenK.Wexler,Judge   ) STATEOFTENNESSEE,  )(PostConviction)  ) Appellee. )` FORTHEAPPELLANT: FORTHEAPPELLEE:WilliamA.Zierer JohnKnoxWalkupAttorneyatLaw AttorneyGeneral&Reporter124W.MainStreetP.O.Box1276 RobinL.Harris̜Morristown,TN378161276 AssistantAttorneyGeneral 450JamesRobertsonParkway Nashville,TN372430493 C.BerkeleyBell,Jr. DistrictAttorneyGeneral VictorJ.Vaughn AssistantDistrictAttorneyGeneral 109S.MainStreet,Suite501 Greeneville,TN37743OPINIONFILED:___________________ AFFIRMED PAULG.SUMMERS, Judge    ` p   Q OPINION      7,XXdXXd7  `  p ) +Theappellant,DonnieRaySeals,pledguiltytoonecountofseconddegreemurderandthreecountsofaggravatedassault.Hewassentencedtofifteenyearsforseconddegreemurderandthreeyearsforeachaggravatedassaultconvictionat30%asastandardoffender.Thesentenceswereorderedtorunconcurrently.Theappellantfiledaprosepetitionforpostconvictionreliefallegingineffectiveassistanceofcounsel,andcounselwasappointedfortheappellantspostconvictionhearing.Thehearingcourtdeniedrelief.Theappellantappealsthisdenial.Weaffirm.)+ Theappellantwasinvolvedinaheadoncollisionwithanothervehicle.Theappellant,whoatthetimeoftheincidenthadabloodalcohollevelof.28,wastravelinginthewrongdirectionandstruckanoncomingvehicle.Onepersonwaskilled,andthreeotherswereinjured. Theappellantallegesthathewasdeniedeffectivecounselbecause(1)hiscounseldisregardedapotentialdefensetohisseconddegreemurdercharge;(2)hiscounselbasedhisplearecommendationontheassumptionthat,iftheappellantstoodtrial,anyconvictionstothechargeswouldrunconsecutively;and(3)hiscounselallowedhimtorelyonreceivingarelativelyearlyreleaseifhewouldenteraguiltyplea. Tobegrantedreliefonthegroundofineffectiveassistanceofcounsel,anappellantmustestablishthattheadvicegivenortheservicesrenderedwerenotwithinthecompetencedemandedofattorneysincriminalcasesandthat,butforcounselsdeficientperformance,theresultofhisorhertrialwouldhavebeendifferent.Stricklandv.Washington,466U.S.668(1984).Thistwopartstandard,asitappliestoguiltypleas,ismetwhentheappellantestablishesthat,butforcounselserror,heorshewouldnothavepledguiltyandwouldhaveinsistedontrial.Hillv.Lockhart,474U.S.52,59(1985).InTennessee,theappropriatetestiswhethercounselsperformancewaswithintherangeofcompetencedemandedofattorneysincriminalcases.Baxterv.Rose,523S.W.2d930,936(Tenn.1975). Inpostconvictionproceedings,petitionersbeartheburdenofprovingtheirallegationsbyapreponderanceoftheevidence.Blackv.State,794S.W.2d752,755(Tenn.Crim.App.1990);McBeev.State,655S.W.2d191,195(Tenn.Crim.App.1983).Furthermore,thetrialcourtsfindingsoffactinpostconvictionhearingsareconclusiveonappealunlesstheevidencepreponderatesagainstthosefindings.Butlerv.State,789S.W.2d898,899(Tenn.1990);Statev.Buford,666S.W.2d473,475(Tenn.Crim.App.1983);Clennyv.State,576S.W.2d12,14(Tenn.Crim.App.1978). First,theappellantallegesthathiscounseldisregardedapotentialdefensetohisseconddegreemurdercharge.Theappellantcontendsthathewasina blackedoutmentalstate)Ԁ+whenhedrovehisvehicleheadonintothecarinwhichfourpersonswereriding.Theappellant,anadmittedalcoholic,suggeststhroughhisexpertwitnessonaddictionmedicinethathisintoxicationwasnotvoluntary.Inhisbrief,theappellantallegesthatwhilehe voluntarilyconsumedthatfirstbeer,hewasnotvoluntarilyintoxicated,andthusdidnot knowinglykillthevictim.However,theappellant,whoalreadyhadthreepriorconvictionsfordrivingundertheinfluenceandhadhadhisdriverslicenserevoked,knowinglyandvoluntarilytookthatfirstdrinkandproceededtodrive.TheappellantasksthisCourttodisregardwellsettledlawthatvoluntaryintoxicationisnotadefensetoseconddegreemurder.Statev.Butler,900S.W.2d305,31011(Tenn.Crim.App.1994);Statev.McKinney,603S.W.2d755,760(Tenn.Crim.App.1980).ThisCourtisnotpreparedtodoso.Fromtherecord,counselwasnotineffectiveforfailingtousevoluntaryintoxicationasadefensefortheappellantsseconddegreemurdercharge.Thisclaimisbaseless. Second,althoughtheappellantcouldnotrecalladiscussionwithhisattorneyregardingconsecutivesentencing,heallegesthathiscounseladvisedhimthatifhestoodtrial,anyconvictionstothechargescouldrunconsecutively.Counseladmittedthathedidsoadvisetheappellant.Althoughthehearingcourtnotedthatitwouldhaveadvisedthatthesentencesrunconcurrently,theprosecutorstatedthattheappellantcouldhavereceivedconsecutivesentencesas anoffenderwhoserecordofcriminalactivityisextensive.Tenn.CodeAnn.4035115(b)(2)(1990). Theappellanthasalengthyrecordoftrafficanddrivingundertheinfluencecharges.Furthermore,theprosecutornotedthathadtheappellantgonetotrial,hisrecordandthefactsofthecasewouldhaveresultedinsixenhancementfactorsforsentencingpurposeswithnomitigatingfactors.Thus,accordingtotheprosecutor,theappellantcouldhavereceivedasmuchaseighteenyearsonthelesseroffensesofvehicularhomicideandvehicularassaulthadhegonetotrial;andhadhebeenconvictedofthechargesasindicted,hecouldhavereceivedasmuchasfortythreeyears.Consequently,counselsadviceregardingconsecutivesentencingwasnotonlycorrectbutalsoprudent.Thisissueiswithoutmerit. Third,theappellantwassentencedtofifteenyearsat30%asaRangeIstandardoffender.Hisreleaseeligibilitydateisfourandonehalfyears.Theappellantcontendsthathistrialcounselmistakenlyrepresentedthathisfifteenyearsentencecouldbeservedinonlytwoyears.Heclaimsthathisrelianceonearlyreleaseledhimtopleadguilty.Trialcounseladmittedthathetoldtheappellantthathewouldbeeligibleforreleasein4.7years,andperhapsearlierbecauseofthe)Ԁ+overcrowdingconditionsinprison.Trialcounsel,however,deniedthathetoldtheappellantthathewouldbeeligibleforreleaseinonlytwoyears.Inhisbrief,theappellantadmitsthatcounsel madenopromisesofearlyreleasebeforewhathesaidwouldbe4.7(sic)years(15yearstimes30%). Therecordrevealsthatatthetimeheenteredhisplea,theappellantadmittedthatheunderstoodthathissentencewasfifteenyearsat30%releaseeligibility.Theappellantalsoadmittedthathehadcompletedtheeleventhgrade,andalthoughhestatedatthepostconvictionhearingthathecouldnotmultiply30%times15atthetimeheenteredhisplea,headmittedthathecouldnowdothismultiplication.Therecorddoesnotindicatethatcounselsapparentmathematicalerrorinuredtoappellantsdetriment;themiscalculationwasontheconservativeside.Thisissueiswithoutmerit. ThisCourtfindsthattheappellanthasfailedtoestablishthathereceivedineffectiveassistance.Becausetheevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainstthehearingcourtsfindings,weaffirmthatcourtsjudgment.`  p  Q  ______________________________  Q  PAULG.SUMMERS,JudgeCONCUR:______________________________JOHNH.PEAY,Judge______________________________CORNELIAA.CLARK,SpecialJudge) +