ÿWPC  …# VU>a %Ÿ 0í¥UB’ 4Ô è n­÷ U:¤ Þ w@æ 0@& 0Jf 0T° 0^ 0hb 0rÊ 0|< 0†¸ 0> 1uÎ 0dCU6§U.ÝU* B)5DC^ AM¡ D3îd!˜… 01fNv~´ 0D2vÓv BI AOfƵ 0D{ D/¿ Bî˜HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,ü,,,,,ü0nLhÎ<èÀ( 9Z &Courier RegularX(ÅÕÐ$¡¡Ñ  ÑÑ7€'CXXdÈXXdÈ7ÑÑ  ÑÓ  ÓÓiU°X` ¸ hÀpÈ xÐ (#€%Ø'0*ˆ,à.813è5@8˜:ð<H? A°œXiÓ<þ6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiÔ¡¨ 3|x•«<þ6X9`(*Courier 12pt10cpiXXxþ6X@ÉJQX@,†r‰AZ‹"Arial Regular ƒD„P…E†‡ˆ‰ŠE‹ŒÓ€("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(Courier New< Œ 9p`(Courier< Œ 9p`(Arial% Line 7 d''''7Border 1dd€(Cþÿ << Gÿÿ2222'ÿÿdxd ZÝ ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€$ÔÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÑ  ÑÓ` °˜XÓÝ  ÝÔ€&ÔÔ€&ÔÓ  Óò òÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€&XÔÌÌDecember€23,€1997ÌÌCecil€W.€CrowsonÌAppellate€Court€ClerkÔ  Ôó ó ŽÝ ƒ!ÝÑ#€d#ÑÔ€$ÔÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÑ  ÑÓ` °˜XÓÝ  ÝÒ  ÒÒ X ÒÔ€&ÔÔ€&ôÔÑ7À;èXXdÈ XXdæ7Ñà àòòÚ  ÚÚ  Úóó€The€petitioner€was€originally€charged€with€two€burglaries€and€two€thefts.Ì(á(3Œ9$¤¤Ý ƒÕÐ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ7€kìXXdÈdÈ7ÑÑ  ÑÓ  ÓÓiU°X` ¸ hÀpÈ xÐ (#€%Ø'0*ˆ,à.813è5@8˜:ð<H? A°œXiÓÝ  Ýà ` àòòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó \Ñ\R AØ'\ÑPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHØ(d'`(#Ã$òòÚ  Ú0Ú  ÚóóStyl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  ion-F Geneva ÒÒ  ion-F Geneva Ò d€‚ƒCþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó„„'÷ÿ dxdüÿP PdÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€$ÔÑ  ÑÑ#€%%Xd#ÑÑ#€%%Xd#ÑÑ  ÑÓ` °˜XÓÝ  ÝÒ  ÒÒ X ÒÑ  ÑÑ Ü ÑÓÓÑ\R AØ'\ÑÔ€&Ô›Ñ7€ L‚ XXdæXXdÈ7ќـ€ÙßR€)+(A1-j|` ç `€€@ÿRß›Þ ÞÌ€à8 àà@ àIN€THE€COURT€OF€CRIMINAL€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àAT€NASHVILLEà@ à€€€€€€€€€Ìà àà à€€€€€€€€€€€€€NOVEMBER€1997€SESSIONÌÌÓÓWILLIE€JOSEPH€LAGANO,à à)à àÌ€à àà àà àà à)Ìà àAppellant,à àà à)à àNo.€œ01C01„9701„CC„00009›Ìà à€€€€€à àà à€€à à)Ìà àà àà àà à)à à€Lincoln€CountyÌv.à àà àà àà à)€€€€€€€€€Ìà àà àà àà à)à à€Honorable€Charles€Lee,€Judge€Ìà àà àà àà à)ÌSTATE€OF€TENNESSEE,à à€€€à à)à à€(Post„Conviction)Ìà àà àà àà à)€€€€€€€€Ìà àAppellee.à àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àÌÌòòFor€the€Appellantóó:à àà àà àà àòòFor€the€Appelleeóó:ÌÌN.€Andy€Myrick,€Jr.à àà àà àà àJohn€Knox€WalkupÌ116€West€Market€Streetà àà àà àAttorney€General€of€TennesseeÌFayetteville,€TN€37334à àà àà àà àandà àà àà àà àÌà àà àà àà àà àElizabeth€B.€MarneyÌà àà àà àà àà àAssistant€Attorney€General€of€TennesseeÏà àà àà àà àà à450€James€Robertson€Parkwayà àà àÌà àà àà àà àà àNashville,€TN€37243„0493ÌÌà àà àà àà àà àW.€Michael€McCownÌà àà àà àà àà àDistrict€Attorney€GeneralÌà àà àà àà àà àà àandÌà àà àà àà àà àWeakley€E.€BarnardÌà àà àà àà àà àAssistant€District€Attorney€GeneralÌà àà àà àà àà à215€E.€College€StreetÌà àà àà àà àà àP.O.€Box€904Ìà àà àà àà àà àFayetteville,€TN€37334ÌÌÌÌOPINION€FILED:____________________ÌÌÌœAFFIRMED›ÌÌJoseph€M.€TiptonÌJudgeÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÌÓÓà@ àòòò òO€P€I€N€I€O€Nóóó óÌÌà àThe€petitioner,€Willie€Joseph€œLagano,€appeals›€as€of€right€from€theÏjudgment€of€the€Lincoln€County€Circuit€Court€denying€him€post„conviction€relief.€€HeÏwas€convicted€in€September€1995€upon€his€guilty€pleas€for€the€offenses€of€aggravatedÏburglary,€a€Class€œC›€felony,€and€theft€of€property€worth€over€one€thousand€dollars,€aÏClass€D€felony.€€He€was€sentenced€to€six€and€three€years,€respectively,€to€be€servedÏœconcurrently€to€each€other›€but€consecutively€to€a€revoked€suspended€sentence€of€fourÏyears.€€He€contends€that€his€pleas€resulted€from€the€ineffective€assistance€of€counselÏand€were€not€knowingly€and€voluntarily€entered.€€We€disagree.ÌÌà àAt€the€evidentiary€hearing,€the€petitioner€complained€about€the€fact€thatÏhis€former€attorney€on€the€case€joined€the€district€attorney€generalððs€office€during€theÏœprosecution›€and€that€his€trial€attorney€did€nothing€about€it.€€He€testified€that€he€only€metÏwith€his€trial€attorney€two€or€three€times€and€told€him€that€there€were€alibi€witnesses.€ÏHowever,€the€attorney€never€talked€to€the€witnesses€and€kept€urging€him€to€pleadÏguilty.€€He€said€that€the€attorney€did€not€investigate€the€case.€€The€petitioner€deniedÏtelling€his€attorney€that€his€witnesses€would€testify€to€œanything€that›€the€petitionerÏwanted€them€to€say.€€ÌÌà àThe€petitioner€testified€that€on€the€day€of€the€pleas,€he€kept€telling€theÏattorney€that€he€did€not€want€to€plead€guilty,€but€the€attorney€wanted€him€to€plead.€€TheÏpetitioner€also€said€that€before€the€pleas,€the€assistant€prosecutor€talked€to€him€aboutÏhis€pleas€without€his€attorney€present.€€He€œsaid€that›€he€was€pressured€to€plead€guilty.€ÏThe€petitioner€denied€reading€the€petition€to€plead€guilty€or€the€guilty€plea€document,Ïalthough€he€signed€them.€€When€asked€if€he€committed€perjury€in€his€answers€to€theÏtrial€courtððs€questions€about€those€documents€at€the€guilty€plea€hearing,€the€petitionerÏsaid€that€his€attorney€had€told€him€to€say€yes€to€everything€he€asked.ÌÌà àThe€trial€attorney€testified€that€he€met€with€the€petitioner€four€times€andÏthat€the€petitioner€mentioned€alibi€witnesses,€but€it€was€to€the€effect€that€they€would€sayÏanything€for€him.€€The€attorney€did€not€interview€the€witnesses€because€he€thought€itÍinvolved€perjury.€€However,€he€talked€to€the€arresting€officer€who€found€a€stolen€shirtÏon€the€petitioner.€€He€had€a€discovery€conference€with€the€prosecutor€and€went€overÏthe€preliminary€hearing€tape.€€He€stated€that€he€went€to€the€two€pawn€shops€inÏAlabama€where€stolen€items€had€been€found.€€At€one€shop,€the€person€specificallyÏdescribed€the€petitioner.€€At€the€other,€the€pawn€ticket€had€the€petitionerððs€socialÏsecurity€number€on€it.€€The€attorney€said€that€the€petitioner€also€told€him€that€thereÏwere€other€items€not€yet€found€by€the€police.€€ÌÌà àThe€attorney€testified€that€the€petitioner€did€not€tell€him€about€his€formerÏattorney€presenting€a€conflict€of€interest.€€Also,€he€recalled€the€assistant€prosecutorÏtalking€to€the€petitioner€on€the€day€of€the€pleas,€but€it€was€mainly€casual€conversationÏtaking€about€two€minutes.€€He€denied€walking€away€during€the€conversation.€ÌÌà àThe€attorney€acknowledged€that€the€petitioner€had€a€difficult€timeÏdeciding€what€to€do.€€However,€he€denied€putting€any€pressure€on€him€to€plead.€€HeÏstated€that€he€went€over€the€petition€to€plead€guilty€in€detail€with€the€petitioner€andÏexplained€to€the€petitioner€his€rights.€€He€believed€that€the€petitioner€understoodÏeverything.€€Also,€he€denied€telling€the€petitioner€to€answer€yes€to€all€of€the€trial€courtððsÏquestions€at€the€hearing.€€ÌÌà àThe€petitionerððs€attorney€at€the€preliminary€hearing€testified€that€theÏformer€attorney€who€joined€the€district€attorney€generalððs€office€took€no€part€in€theÏhearing.€€The€district€attorney€general€testified€that€the€petitionerððs€former€attorney€wasÏshielded€from€the€rest€of€the€staff€with€strict€orders€not€to€communicate€about€the€case.€ÏHe€said€that€he€knew€of€no€improper€communication.€€ÌÌà àStacey€Atchley€testified€that€she€had€known€the€petitioner€for€three€years.€ÏShe€said€that€the€nights€the€burglaries× ƒ, ××  ×€were€supposed€to€have€happened,€theÏpetitioner€was€with€her.€€She€stated€that€he€did€not€bring€anything€into€her€house€andÏthere€was€nothing€in€her€car,€which€the€petitioner€used.€€She€said€that€she€would€notÏlie€for€the€petitioner€and€that€she€had€been€available€to€testify€on€his€behalf.€€SheÏdescribed€their€relationship€as€more€than€just€friends,€but€she€denied€any€romanticÏinvolvement.€ÌÌà àIn€a€post„conviction€case,€the€burden€is€on€the€petitioner€to€prove€hisÏgrounds€for€relief€by€clear€and€convincing€evidence.€€T.C.A.€ðð€œ40„30„210(f).›€€Relative€toÏa€claim€that€the€ineffective€assistance€of€counsel€resulted€in€an€invalid€guilty€plea,€aÏpetitioner€must€prove€that€counsel€performed€deficiently€and€that€but€for€counselððsÏerrors,€the€petitioner€would€not€have€pleaded€guilty€and€would€have€insisted€uponÏgoing€to€trial.€€òòHill€v.€Lockhartóó,€464€U.S.€52,€59,€106€S.€Ct.€366,€370€(1985).€€On€appeal,Íwe€are€bound€by€the€trial€courtððs€findings€unless€the€evidence€of€record€preponderatesÏagainst€those€findings.€€òòSeeóó€òòCooper€v.€Stateóó,€849€S.W.2d€744,€746€(Tenn.€1993).€€ÌÌà àIn€this€case,€the€trial€court€entered€detailed€findings€that€discredited€theÏpetitionerððs€testimony€and€accredited€that€of€the€trial€attorney.€€In€pertinent€part,€theÏfindings€and€conclusions€reached€by€the€trial€court€are€as€follows:ÌÓ  ÓÓÓà8 àà àœ›Ìà8 àà àThe€court€must€first€determine€the€credibility€of€theÏwitnesses€that€have€appeared€before€it€today€because€thereÏare€issues€that€cannot€be€reconciled.ÌÌà8 àà àThe€defendant€alleges€certain€events€to€haveÏoccurred,€certain€conversations€to€have€occurred,€certainÏrepresentations€to€have€been€made€to€him€which€theÏStateððs€position€is€contradictory.ÌÌà8 àà àThe€defendant€comes€in€first€and€says€that€he€didnððtÏtell€the€court€the€truth€the€first€time.€€So€he€wants€the€court€toÏbelieve€him€this€time.€€Even€after€being€advised€that€if€heÏmade€a€false€statement€concerning€a€material€fact€that€heÏcould€be€charged€with€perjury.ÌÌà8 àà àHe€lied€to€the€court€on€several€different€occasionsÏduring€the€plea€acceptance€hearing.€€He€tries€to€explain€thatÏby€saying€that€he€was€only€doing€what€his€lawyer€told€him€toÏdo€and€his€lawyer€told€him€to€answer€ð ðyesðð€regardless€ofÏwhat€the€question€was€and€the€transcript€contains€two€ð ðnoððÏanswers€which€obviously€is€not€what€transpired.ÌÌà8 àà àIt€has€also€been€brought€out€[peripherally]€that€Mr.ÏLagano€prior€to€the€entry€of€this€plea€had€been€previouslyÏconvicted€of€felonies.€€Therefore€that€has€a€great€bearing€onÏthe€court€and€also€upon€his€credibility€as€a€witness.ÌÌà8 àœà àThe›€court€finds€Mr.€Laganoððs€credibility€before€thisÏcourt€to€be€virtually€[nil].€€It€is€difficult€for€this€court€toÏœunderstand›€how€it€is€that€you€can€explain€to€someone€thatÏthey€will€be€charged€with€perjury€if€they€make€a€falseÏstatement€concerning€a€material€fact€and€[then]€get€up€andÏlie.€€Mr.€Lagano€either€lied€today€or€he€lied€on€SeptemberÏ19,€1995.€€There€œ[are]›€no€two€ways€around€it.ÌÌà àà à.€.€.ÌÌà8 àà àThe€court€finds€Mr.€Laganoððs€credibility€to€be€[nil].€ÏThe€court€accepts€credibility€and€finds€[the€trial€attorneyððs]Ïstatements€before€the€court€are€the€more€credible€andÏaccredits€his€testimony€and€so€finds€that€[the€trial€attorney]Ïconsulted€with€Mr.€Lagano€on€several€different€occasions;Ïhe€conducted€an€independent€investigation€to€verify€whatÏthe€Stateððs€theory€of€the€case€was€which€was€recentÏpossession€of€stolen€property.ÌÌà8 àà àThe€court€finds€that€[the€trial€attorney]€did€not€insistÏupon€a€plea€from€Mr.€Lagano.€€The€court€finds€that€.€.€.€[theÏtrial€attorney]€did€not€suggest€to€Mr.€Lagano€that€he€wouldÏbe€released€in€a€specific€period€of€time.Ìà àÌà8 àà àWith€regard€to€the€issue€of€whether€Mr.€LaganoÏwould€have€entered€a€plea€had€he€had€available€Ms.ÏAtchleyððs€testimony,€[the€trial€attorneyððs]€explanation€as€toÏwhy€he€did€not€contact€Ms.€Atchley€is€that€he€had€theÏimpression€that€the€defendant€was€offering€up€perjuredÏtestimony.€€Unless€an€attorney€knows€the€testimony€isÏperjured,€then€he€has€a€duty€to€interview€the€witnesses€toÏevaluate€their€testimony€to€determine€if€whether€or€not€it€isÏperjured€testimony€and€if€it€is€then€he€does€not€have€a€dutyÏto€offer€that€testimony.ÌÌà8 àà àIn€this€case€.€.€.€the€testimony€before€the€court€doesÏnot€indicate€that€the€attorney€knew€the€testimony€wasÏperjured;€that€he€had€a€very€strong€suspicion€it€wasÏperjured.€€That€calls€upon€whether€or€not€that€is€a€tacticalÍdecision€made€by€the€attorney€not€to€œ[pursue]›€that€and€theÏcourt€cannot€really€call€that€a€tactical€decision.ÌÌà8 àà àThe€inquiry€does€not€end€there.€€The€court€must€goÏfurther€to€determine€whether€or€not€if€this€testimony€hadÏbeen€available€if€the€attorney€had€interviewed€this€witness€itÏwould€have€had€a€bearing€upon€the€outcome€of€the€case.ÌÌà8 àà àIt€would€not.€€This€witness€that€appeared€before€thisÏcourt€today€has€a€close,€and€[the€trial€attorney]€was€correct,Ïa€very€suspicious€relationship€with€the€defendant.€€SheÏmade€a€poor€witness€on€behalf€of€defendant€today.€€TheÏcourt€had€an€opportunity€to€sit€and€judge€her€demeanor€inÏanswering€the€Stateððs€questions€as€well€as€those€of€theÏcourt.€€Quite€frankly€she€probably€would€have€hurt€theÏdefendant€more€than€she€would€have€helped€him€had€itÏgone€to€trial.ÌÌà8 àà àThat€is€not€the€issue€before€court.€€Not€whether€or€notÏthis€witness€was€believable€or€not.€€The€court€finds€in€theÏcourtððs€mind€she€would€not€have€had€an€œ[effect›œ]›€upon€theÏoutcome€of€the€case€and€therefore€the€failure€to€interviewÏher€was€not€fatal€to€Mr.€Laganoððs€defense.ÌÌà8 àà àThe€question€before€the€court€is€whether€Mr.€LaganoÏentered€his€plea€voluntarily€and€knowingly.€€He€told€me€heÏdid.€€He€told€me€no€threats€had€been€made€against€him.€€HeÏtold€me€he€broke€into€these€peopleððs€houses€and€stole€theirÏstuff.€€Today€he€says€he€œdidnððt›œ.›ÌÌà8 àà àThe€court€finds€this€plea€was€entered€into€freely€andÏvoluntarily€by€the€defendant.€€He€knew€what€his€choicesÏbefore€him€were€and€that€the€attorney€gave€to€him€the€onlyÏadvice€that€he€could.€€Here€are€your€choices.€€It€is€up€to€youÏto€decide.ÌÌà àà à.€.€.ÌÌà8 àà àFor€those€reasons€the€[petitionerððs]€.€.€.€petition€isÏrespectfully€denied.ÌÌÓ  ÓÓÓÌà àÑ€.ÑÇà àOur€review€of€the€record€finds€nothing€that€would€give€rise€to€a€questionÏabout€the€trial€courtððs€findings€and€conclusions.€€The€judgment€of€the€trial€court€isÏaffirmed.ÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà à_____________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àJoseph€M.€Tipton,€Judge€ÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ________________________ÌJohn€H.€Peay,€Judge€ÌÌÌÌ________________________ÌDavid€H.€Welles,€Judge€Ì