WPCo U.V %bn 0JK 0(U:w@47 0TK 0 0D8 U:| 0^ 0h 0r| 0| 0j 0 1u 0d BYB)vDCU* AM YafE D3v~ 0@cv 0Tv AO 0D D/# BR<6X9`(CourierX 3|x<6X9`(CourierXx6X@`7X@2 0Indent123  ($,  AZ"Arial Regular PEDDEӀԡ 2" 0Indent20 23  (I(2@T$  !  XXXX `   0  (#$  0  ,cAZ"Arial Regular2, 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% Line 7 d####7Border 1dd<  9p`(Arial-$C << G  !  %%   YYY FILED%XSeptember19,1997CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk   \\RA'\""""'dxd   !#d#  $    %       Thetrialcourtincorrectlyreliedonthe"preponderanceoftheevidence"standardofproofrequiredunderthepreviousPostConvictionProcedureAct.Thismisplacedrelianceisofnoconsequence,however,becausetheoldstandardismorefavorabletothepetitionerthanthecurrent"clearandconvincing"standard.PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'h("$    Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   h HD: Geneva  h HD: Geneva (8$  -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd  ! .      \RA'\  \RA'\%R&($A1-j|`  `@Rߛ  @ INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEÈ@ ATNASHVILLE @ AUGUST1997SESSION̜ ROSSJONES,    )      )   Appellant,   ) C.C.A.No.01C019604CR00155      )vs.      ) DavidsonCounty      )̜ STATEOFTENNESSEE,  󀀀 ) HonorableAnnLacyJohns,Judge      )  Appellee.   ) (PostConviction)      )            FORTHEAPPELLANT:    FORTHEAPPELLEE:JACKE.SEAMAN     JOHNKNOXWALKUPAttorneyatLaw 0   0 AttorneyGeneral&ReporterTheTower611CommerceSt.,Ste.2704 0 0 LISAA.NAYLORNashville,TN37203    AssistantAttorneyGeneral       CriminalJusticeDivision       450JamesRobertsonParkway       Nashville,TN372430493 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 VICTORS.JOHNSONIII0 0 0 0 0 0 0 DistrictAttorneyGeneral       ROGERD.MOORE       AssistantDistrictAttorneyGeneral       WashingtonSquare       222SecondAve.North,Ste.500       Nashville,TN372011649OPINIONFILED:____________________ AFFIRMEDRULE20 CURWOODWITTJUDGE)7rXXdXXd7    7 bh XXdXXd7  @ OPINION   Thepetitioner,RossJones,appealstheDavidsonCountyCriminalCourt'sdismissalofhispetitionforpostconvictionrelief.Thepetitioneriscurrentlyservingasentenceof15yearsintheTennesseeDepartmentofCorrectionforaconvictionofaggravatedburglary.Inthisappeal,hepresentstwoissuesforourreview:(1)whetherhewasdeniedtheeffectiveassistanceofcounsel,and(2)whetherthesentencingstatuteunderwhichhewassentencedisunconstitutional.Followingareviewoftherecord,weaffirmthejudgmentofthelowercourtpursuanttoRule20oftherulesofthiscourt.  ThepetitionerwasconvictedfollowingajurytrialintheDavidsonCountyCriminalCourt.HisconvictionwasaffirmedbythiscourtonFebruary8,Ϝ1995,andthesupremecourtdeniedreview.Statev.RossJones,No.01C019405CR00175(Tenn.Crim.App.,Nashville,Feb.8,1995),permapp.deniedconcurringinresultsonly(Tenn.1995).ThepetitionerfiledhispostconvictionpetitiononSeptember25,1995.Counselwasappointed,thepetitionwasamendedandahearingwasheldatwhichthepetitionerandhistrialcounseltestified.Thelowercourtdeniedrelief,findingthepetitionerfailedtocarrytheburdenofproofastotheineffectiveassistanceofcounselclaimsandthattheappellatecourtshadpreviouslyrejectedanalogouschallengestotheconstitutionalityofthesentencingstatute.Thepetitionerthenperfectedhisappealtothiscourt.  HavingfiledhispostconvictionpetitionafterMay10,1995,theeffectivedateofthenewPostConvictionProcedureAct,thepetitionerhastheburdenofprovinghisallegationsofineffectiveassistanceofcounselbyclearandconvincingevidence.SeeTenn.CodeAnn.4030210(f)(Supp.1996).Thepetitionertestifiedonhisownbehalfastosomeofhisclaims,andheelectedtopresentnoevidencewhatsoeveronotherclaims.Thestatepresentedthetestimonyofthepetitioner'strialcounsel.Thetestimonyofthepetitionerandtrialcounselwascontradictoryonkeypoints.Thetrialcourtfoundpetitioner'strialcounselcredibleandrejectedthecontrarytestimonygivenbythepetitioner.Assuch,thecourtfoundthepetitionerfailedtocarrytheburdenofproof. +   ׀Theevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainstthelowercourt'sjudgmentinthisregard.Butlerv.State,789S.W.2d898,900(Tenn.1990).  Next,thepetitioner,whowassentencedasapersistentoffender,arguesheisentitledtoaminimumsentencebecausetheSentencingReformActof1989violatestheseparationofpowersprovisionofArticleII,Section2oftheTennesseeConstitutionbysettingreleaseeligibilityandgivingthetrialcourttheauthoritytorequireserviceofadefinitepercentageofasentencepriortoparoleeligibility.Asthelowercourtcorrectlyfound,thechallengedportionoftheSentencingReformActof1989doesnotviolateseparationofpowers.See,e.g.,WilliamLeeTollettv.State,No.01C019605CR00180,slipop.at34(Tenn.Crim.App.,Nashville,Apr.24,1997);FrankBellv.RickyBell,Warden,No.01C019602CR00058,slipop.at1(Tenn.Crim.App.,Nashville,Jan.30,1997),perm.app.denied(Tenn.1997);cf.,e.g.,JackieLeeChildsv.State,No.01C019604CR00164,slipop.at34(Tenn.Crim.App.,Nashville,Apr.24,1997)(SentencingReformActof1982);CharlesMassengillv.State,No.01C019605CR00191,slipop.at35(Tenn.Crim.App.,Nashville,May16,1997)(SentencingReformActof1982).  Thecourtbelowcommittednoerroroflawrequiringreversal.ThejudgmentisaffirmedpursuanttoRule20,CourtofCriminalAppealsRules.      _______________________________      CURWOODWITT,JUDGECONCUR:_______________________________JOEG.RILEYJR.,JUDGE_________________________________________WALKER,SPECIALJUDGE NOTE:NEEDJUDGEWALKER'SFULLNAME