WPC  :ʬ'K~6 `I]qtDNG0׍?~t(&s-hM_b̅hJhaG{RI܌./qw*>t2sL`E,z!bǮ2XIDZ ??Uv~eExheJ>%A&b7dн;o}i[n,utReS {VM! #vGz:W 5u-qqVO'DvQ)UN> % 0(U:w@44HW(_U:(U: AQ#t 0D: 0D~ 0D D/ B5 BR D3o (9 Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($,  AZ"Arial Regular UUE E!U"E#U$Ӏ03n~<$AZ3|x3  !"   X XXX 6X X    Ad FILED X X 6   December3,1998  CecilCrowson,Jr. X X AppellateCourtClerk ,cAZ"Arial Regular  !"   X XXX 6X X    Ad FILED X X 6   December2,1998  CecilCrowson,Jr. X X AppellateCourtClerk ,cAZ"Arial Regular !"#%C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  ''' dxd dP Pd&&&&'dxd !  $$X XXX  TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T7+XXdXXd7  0$r (<,(j 8` `@E` ttx$ r$030r (<,(j 8` `@E` ttx$ r03333$$33t (>.*jx` `@EV` ttx$ z tߛ3@  INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@(ATJACKSON@"SEPTEMBER1998SESSIONSTATEOFTENNESSEE, @-)  ` @-) p NO.02C019708CR00310   L   ` Appellee,@-)  8  @-) p SHELBYCOUNTY     VS. @-)   @-) p HON.CHRISCRAFT,   MARYR.BRUNSON, @-) p JUDGE    @-) ` Appellant.@-) p (Sentencing) d (  @(#(#( FORTHEAPPELLANT: L JOHNE.DUNLAPGERALDD.WAGGONER 1433PoplarAvenue  Memphis,TN381042934   FORTHEAPPELLEE: L JOHNKNOXWALKUP  $ AttorneyGeneralandReporter MARVINE.CLEMENTS,JR.   AssistantAttorneyGeneralCordellHullBuilding,2ndFloor425FifthAvenueNorthNashville,TN372430493 WILLIAML.GIBBONS   F$ DistrictAttorneyGeneral JERRYR.KITCHEN  #' AssistantDistrictAttorneyGeneral201PoplarAve,Suite301Memphis,TN381031947 f&!* (  @( OPINIONFILED:򀀀 -(0 AFFIRMEDJOEG.RILEY,JUDGE  5219   OPINION    ` Thedefendant,MaryR.Brunson,appealsthetrialcourt'ssentenceimposedaftershepledguiltytosolicitationtocommitvoluntarymanslaughter.ϜSpecifically,shecontendsthetrialcourterredinfailingtosentenceherasanespeciallymitigatedoffenderandorderingsix(6)monthsincarceration.Afteracarefulreviewofthefactsofthecaseandapplicablelaw,weAFFIRMthejudgmentofthetrialcourt.  FACTS 8     ` ThedefendantlivedinthemaritalhomewithhertwochildreninMemphis.Herhusband,SergeantFirstClassCurtisBrunson,wasstationedwiththeUnitedStatesArmyatFortKnox,Kentucky.SergeantBrunsonspenteveryotherweekendathome.SergeantBrunsonpaidthemortgageonthefamilyhomeaswellashaving$700directlyplacedinthedefendant'scheckingaccounteverymonth. ` InAugust1995,SergeantBrunsonrealizedhiswifewasnottimelypayingthehouseholdbills.Uponfurtherinquiry,SergeantBrunsondiscoveredthedefendanthadamassedasubstantialcreditcarddebtandhadwithdrawnmostoftheirsavingsfromthebank.SergeantBrunsonsubsequentlyhiredaprivateinvestigatortofollowthedefendant.Theinvestigatorreportedthedefendantwasengagedinanextramaritalaffair.Thedefendantalsofalsifiedaleaseduringthisperiodinordertoqualifyforfoodstamps. ` SergeantBrunsonbegantosecretlyrecordthetelephoneconversationsinthefamilyhome.ArecordedconversationbetweenthedefendantandhernephewindicatedaplottohaveSergeantBrunsonkilled.SergeantBrunsontookthetapetotheMemphispolice. 844: Ї ` Thedefendantwassubsequentlyindictedforsolicitationtocommitfirstdegreemurder,aClassBfelony.SeeTenn.CodeAnn.3911117(a)(3).She  wasallowedtopleadguiltytosolicitationtocommitvoluntarymanslaughter,aClassEfelony,withanagreedsentenceofeighteen(18)months.Themannerofserviceofthesentencewaslefttothediscretionofthetrialcourt. ` Atthesentencinghearing,thedefendanttestifiedthatshewasnotseriouswhenshediscussedherhusband'smurderwithhernephew.Shestatedthatshehadbeendrinkingatthetime,andjust"lostit"duetopressureandherhusbandsabusivebehavior.Thedefendant,however,admittedtellinghernephewthatshewouldprofitfinanciallyfromherhusbandsdeath.Shefurtheradmittedthemortgageinsurancewouldpaytheamountowedonthehouse,andshewouldreceiveapensionfromthemilitary.   SENTENCING      ` ThisCourtsreviewofthesentenceimposedbythetrialcourtisdenovo @"  withapresumptionofcorrectness.Tenn.CodeAnn.4035401(d).Thispresumptionisconditioneduponanaffirmativeshowingintherecordthatthetrialjudgeconsideredthesentencingprinciplesandallrelevantfactsandcircumstances.Statev.Ashby,823S.W.2d166,169(Tenn.1991). )$(   A.EspeciallyMitigatedOffenderStatus    ` Thedefendantcontendssheshouldhavebeensentencedasan 01,0 especiallymitigatedoffender.Adefendantmaybeclassifiedasanespeciallymitigatedoffenderwhen:  Ӝ(1)Thedefendanthasnopriorfelonyconvictions;πand̜ |949  |949 (2)Thecourtfindsmitigating,butnot    Ѐenhancementfactors.̀  Tenn.CodeAnn.40-35-109.  Ӏ ` Wenotethedefendantraisesthisissueforthefirsttimeonappeal.Sincetherecorddoesnotreflectanyrequestmadeofthetrialcourttosentencethedefendantasanespeciallymitigatedoffender,theissueiswaived.Tenn.R.App.P.36(a).̛̛ ` Weretheissuenotwaived,wewouldnotfinderror.Thequestionofwhetheradefendantshouldbesentencedasanespeciallymitigatedoffenderrestswithinthesounddiscretionofthetrialcourt.Statev.Braden,867S.W.2d750,762(Tenn.Crim.App.1993).Whilethetrial  8  courtfoundthedefendanthadnopriorfelonyconvictions,itnotedthedefendantfraudulentlyobtainedfoodstampsbyfalsifyingaleaseonthefamilyhome.Additionally,wenotethedefendantadmittedtopriormarijuanause.Therewasnoabuseofdiscretioninthefailuretoclassifythedefendantasanespeciallymitigatedoffender. ` Thisissueiswithoutmerit.  B.Confinement      ` Thedefendantssecondsentencingissueisthatthetrialerredinsentencinghertosix(6)monthsconfinementasopposedto grantingprobationoranothersentencingalternative. ` Adefendantiseligibleforprobationifthesentenceiseightyearsorless.Tenn.CodeAnn.4035303(a).AnespeciallymitigatedorstandardoffenderconvictedofaClassC,DorEfelonyispresumedtobeafavorablecandidateforalternativesentencingintheabsenceofevidencetothecontrary.Tenn.CodeAnn.4035102(6).However,thedefendanthastheburdenofestablishingsuitabilityfortotalprobation.Statev.Boggs,932S.W.2d467,477 28.2 (Tenn.Crim.App.1996);seeTenn.CodeAnn.4035303(b).Adefendant 404 seekingfullprobationbearstheburdenonappealofshowingthesentenceimposedisimproper,andthatfullprobationwillbeinthebestinterestofthe!!""# H:5: #defendantandthepublic.Statev.Baker,966S.W.2d429,434(Tenn.Crim.  App.1997). ` Indeterminingwhethertograntordenyprobation,atrialcourtshouldconsiderthecircumstancesoftheoffense,thedefendant'scriminalrecord,socialhistoryandpresentcondition,theneedfordeterrence,andthebestinterestofthedefendantandthepublic.Statev.Grear,568S.W.2d285,286   (Tenn.1978);Statev.Boyd,925S.W.2d237,244(Tenn.Crim.App.1995);   Statev.Black,924S.W.2d912,917(Tenn.Crim.App.1995).Lackofcredibility p isalsoanappropriateconsiderationandreflectsonadefendant'spotentialforrehabilitation.Statev.Dowdy,894S.W.2d301,306(Tenn.Crim.App.1994).  p  ` SentenceswhichinvolveconfinementarebasedonthefollowingconsiderationscontainedinTenn.CodeAnn.4035103(1):  8      (A)[c]onfinementisnecessarytoprotectsocietybyrestrainingadefendantwhohasalonghistoryofcriminalconduct;(B)[c]onfinementisnecessarytoavoiddepreciatingtheseriousnessoftheoffenseorconfinementisparticularlysuitedtoprovideaneffectivedeterrencetootherslikelytocommitsimilaroffenses;or(C)[m]easureslessrestrictivethanconfinementhavefrequentlyorrecentlybeenappliedunsuccessfullytothedefendant.  SeeStatev.Grigsby,957S.W.2d541,545(Tenn.Crim.App.1997);Statev. T,'+ Millsaps,920S.W.2d267,270(Tenn.Crim.App.1995). ,.|)-  ` Thedefendantwasaffordedthestatutorypresumptionandgivenalternativesentencingintheformofsplitconfinement.However,infindingsomeperiodofconfinementappropriate,thecourtnotedthat,butforlawenforcementintervention,thecasecouldeasilyhavebeenanunsolvedmurder.Thecourtalsonotedthedefendantwasallowedtopleadtoalesseroffense,and <949 confinementwasnecessarytoavoiddepreciatingtheseriousnessoftheoffense.Further,thetrialcourtfoundthedefendanttobe oneoftheleastcrediblewitnessesIveseen.ThetrialcourtisinamuchbetterpositiontoassesscredibilitythanthisCourtsinceitcanassesstheappearanceanddemeanorofthedefendant. ` Thedefendanthasnotmetherburdenofestablishingsuitabilityfortotalprobation.Weseenoreasontodisturbthesentenceimposedbythetrialcourt. ` Thisissueiswithoutmerit.  CONCLUSION  H    ` Forthereasonsstatedabove,thesentenceimposedbythetrialcourtisϜAFFIRMED.̛̛ ̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̛̜ `     h      p _________________________ `     h      p JOEG.RILEY,JUDGECONCUR:_________________________PAULG.SUMMERS,JUDGE̜_________________________DAVIDH.WELLES,JUDGE