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($$   1  ..' dxdP Pd((((7Border 1dd* /C << G !'  +"       YYY FILED X October2,1997CecilCrowson,Jr. AppellateCourtClerk  !#d#'   $             ݀Thisspellingisusedintheindictment.  !#d#'   $             ݀ThetestimonyvariesastohowCloaractuallyfell.Witnessestestifiedthatdefendantknockedhimdownwithhis[defendants]feet,thatWeaverknockedhimdown,thatCloarpassedout,andthatCloarlosthisfootingandfell.However,WeavertestifiedthatCloarfellafterWeaverpunchedhim.  !#d#'   $             ݀Weaveralsotestified.HeclaimedthatheonlyhitCloarbecausehethoughtthatCloarwouldhithimfirst.HetestifiedthatheaccidentallyjumpedonCloarsheadwhenhewastryingtojumpoverCloar.PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'`Styl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   ion-F Geneva  ion-F Geneva ! . '     \RA'\*   \RA'\R01/A1-j|`  `@Rߛ @ INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ ATJACKSON@ SEPTEMBER1997SESSIONSTATEOFTENNESSEE, @ )@ ) NO.02C019612CC00453  Appellee,@ )@ ) OBIONCOUNTYVS. @ )@ ) HON.WILLIAMB.ACREE,JR.COLLISPAULLANCASTER,JR., @ ) JUDGE @ ) Appellant.@ ) (AggravatedAssault) FORTHEAPPELLANT:    FORTHEAPPELLEE:JOSEPHP.ATNIP(trialandappeal)  JOHNKNOXWALKUP DistrictPublicDefender    AttorneyGeneralandReporter JAMESDAVIDKENDALL(sentencing) GEORGIABLYTHEFELNER AssistantDistrictPublicDefender  AssistantAttorneyGeneral111MainStreet     450JamesRobertsonParkwayP.O.Box734     Nashville,TN372430493Dresden,TN38225       THOMASA.THOMAS        DistrictAttorneyGeneral       JAMEST.CANNON        AssistantDistrictAttorneyGeneral       414S.Fourth       P.O.Box218       UnionCity,TN382610218 OPINIONFILED:򀀀AFFIRMEDJOEG.RILEY,JUDGE7uXXdXXd7@ OPINION  Thedefendant,CollisPaulLancaster,Jr.,wasindictedfortheoffenseofattempttocommitseconddegreemurder.AnObionCountyjuryfoundhimguiltyofthelesseroffenseofaggravatedassault.HewassentencedasaRangeII,MultipleOffender,toten(10)yearsintheTennesseeDepartmentofCorrection.Onappeal,hepresentsthefollowingissuesforourreview:(1)whethertheevidenceissufficienttosupporttheverdictofguilt,and(2)whetherthetrialcourterredinrefusingtoconsideramitigatingfactorindetermininghissentence.Afterathoroughreviewoftherecord,weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt.@ FACTS  ThestatesproofattrialshowedthatonJanuary15,1996,defendantandcodefendant,Reginold 2   כWeaver,wereincarceratedintheObionCountyjail.Aroundmealtime,defendantandB.J.Shaw,anotherinmate,beganfightingoveradisagreementconcerningShawsdinnertray.Afterthefight,defendanttoldShawthathewouldbewaitingforShawwhenhereturnedhisdinnertraysothattheycould finishwhat[they]hadstartedoff. Inanefforttoavoidanyfurtheraltercationwithdefendant,ShawaskedMichaelCloartoreturnhisdinnertraytothefront.Cloaragreed. Subsequently,defendantandWeaverapproachedShawtodeterminewhereShawsdinnertraywas.Cloarexplainedthathehadtakenittothefrontofthecell.Thisangereddefendant,andhebeganhittingCloar.Somehow,Cloarfelltothefloor. 3   ׀DefendantandWeaverthenkickedCloarrepeatedlyand stompedonhishead. CloarwasadmittedtotheJacksonMadisonCountyGeneralHospital.Dr.JohnNeblett,Cloarsattendingphysician,diagnosedhimwithacutesubduralhematoma,abasilarskullfractureandabrokenjaw.Cloaralsosustainedtwoblackeyesandscrapestothebackofthehead.Asaresultoftheinjurytothebaseoftheskull,Cloaralsosufferedfromdiminishedhearinginhisrightear. Defendanttestifiedattrial.Hisversionoftheincidentwasremarkablysimilartothatofthestateswitnesses.However,hetestifiedthatheneverintendedtohurtCloar.Hestatedthathedidnot stomponCloarshead,butthatWeaverdidinstead.HealsoclaimedthatheandWeaverdidnotconspiretohurtCloar. 4    Thejuryreturnedaverdictofguiltyofaggravatedassault.ThetrialcourtimposedthemaximumRangeIIten(10)yearsentenceforthisClassCfelony.Thecourtorderedthatthesentencewastobeservedconsecutivelytothesentencehewasthenserving.Fromtheconvictionandsentence,defendantbringsthisappeal.@ SUFFICIENCYOFTHEEVIDENCE  Inhisfirstissue,defendantchallengesthesufficiencyoftheconvictingevidence.Wheresufficiencyoftheevidenceischallenged,therelevantquestionforanappellatecourtiswhether,afterviewingtheevidenceinthelightmostfavorabletotheprosecution,anyrationaltrieroffactcouldhavefoundtheessentialelementsofthecrimeorcrimesbeyondareasonabledoubt.Tenn.R.App.P.13(e);Jacksonv.Virginia,443U.S.307,319,99S.Ct.2781,2789,61L.Ed.2d560(1979);Statev.Abrams,935S.W.2d399,401(Tenn.1996). Ajuryverdictaccreditsthestate'switnessesandresolvesallconflictsinfavorofthestate.Statev.Bigbee,885S.W.2d797,803(Tenn.1994);Statev.Harris,839S.W.2d54,75(Tenn.1992).Onappeal,thestateisentitledtothestrongestlegitimateviewoftheevidenceandallreasonableinferenceswhichmaybedrawntherefrom.Id.;Statev.Cabbage,571S.W.2d832,835(Tenn.1978).Moreover,aguiltyverdictremovesthepresumptionofinnocencewhichtheappellantenjoyedattrialandraisesapresumptionofguiltonappeal.Statev.Grace,493S.W.2d474,476(Tenn.1973).Theappellanthastheburdenofovercomingthispresumptionofguilt.Id.@ A.  Defendantarguesthatthereis nocredibleevidencethathewasresponsibleforinflictinganyoftheinjuriessustainedbythevictimsinceallofCloarsinjurieswereconfinedtohishead.HeclaimsthatWeaverwassolelyresponsiblefor stompingonCloarshead,causingseriousbodilyinjury.Therefore,becausethestatedidnotprovethatheinflicted seriousbodilyinjuryonthevictim,hemaintainsheismerelyguiltyofsimpleassault.SeeTenn.CodeAnn.3913101(a)(1),3913102(a)(1)(A). Theproofattrialwassomewhatconflicting.However,ShawtestifiedthatϜdefendantandWeaverstartedbeatingCloarinthefaceandstompedhiminthehead.AnotherinmatewhowitnessedtheincidenttestifiedthatdefendantwasresponsibleforknockingCloartotheground.Althoughdefendantdoesnotfindthistestimonytobecredible,theweightandcredibilityofthewitnessestestimonyaremattersentrustedexclusivelytothejuryasthetriersoffact.Statev.Sheffield,676S.W.2d542,547(Tenn.1984);Statev.Brewer,932S.W.2d1,19(Tenn.Crim.App.1996).Wefindthatthisevidenceissufficientforarationaltrieroffacttoconcludethatdefendantdirectlyparticipatedininflictingseriousbodilyinjuryonthevictim.@ B.  DefendantfurtherclaimsthatthereisinsufficientevidencethathewascriminallyresponsiblefortheactionsofWeaver.Anaccusediscriminallyresponsibleforanoffensecommittedbytheconductofanotherif actingwithintenttopromoteorassistthecommissionoftheoffense,ortobenefitintheproceedsorresultsoftheoffense,thepersonsolicits,directs,aids,orattemptstoaidanotherpersontocommittheoffense.Tenn.CodeAnn.3911402(2).ϜThedefendantscriminalintentmaybeinferredbycircumstantialevidencesurroundingtheoffense.Statev.McBee,644S.W.2d429,42829(Tenn.Crim.App.1982). Inadditiontofindingsufficientevidenceofdefendantsdirectparticipationintheaggravatedassault,wealsofindthatthereissufficientevidencethatdefendantaidedWeaverinthecommissionofthisoffense.DefendantadmittedthathestartedthealtercationwithCloar.HetestifiedthathecontinuedtokickCloarsbodywhileCloarwasontheground.Simultaneously,WeaverjumpedonCloarshead.DefendantandWeaveractedinconcerttoinflictseriousbodilyinjuryonthevictim.Thisissuehasnomerit.@ SENTENCING  Defendantcontendsthatthetrialcourtdidnotcreditanappropriatemitigatingfactorindetermininghissentence.Heassertsthatthetrialcourtshouldhaveconsideredthatheplayedaminorroleinthecommissionoftheoffense.Tenn.CodeAnn.4035113(4).Therefore,heclaimsthathissentenceshouldbereducedaccordingly. ThisCourtsreviewofthesentenceimposedbythetrialcourtisdenovowithapresumptionofcorrectness.Tenn.CodeAnn.4035401(d).Thispresumptionisconditioneduponanaffirmativeshowingintherecordthatthetrialjudgeconsideredthesentencingprinciplesandallrelevantfactsandcircumstances.Statev.Ashby,823S.W.2d166,169(Tenn.1991). Theburdenisupontheappealingpartytoshowthatthesentenceisimproper.Tenn.CodeAnn.4035401(d)SentencingCommissionComments.Inconductingourreview,wearerequired,pursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.4035210,toconsiderthefollowingfactorsinsentencing:8 (1)[t]heevidence,ifany,receivedatthetrialandthesentencinghearing;(2)[t]hepresentencereport;(3)[t]heprinciplesofsentencingandargumentsastosentencingalternatives;(4)[t]henatureandcharacteristicsofthecriminalconductinvolved;(5)[e]videnceandinformationofferedbythepartiesontheenhancementandmitigatingfactorsin4035113and4035114;and(6)[a]nystatementthedefendantwishestomakeinhisownbehalfaboutsentencing.Ӝ Indeterminingdefendantssentence,thetrialcourtconsideredfiveenhancementfactorsandnomitigatingfactors.Inrejectingthedefendantsprofferedmitigatingfactorthatheplayedaminorroleinthecommissionoftheoffense,thecourtfoundthat heplayedaverymajorrole.Infact,oftheculpabilityofthetwodefendants,heplayedagreaterroleandIthinkshouldhaveagreaterresponsibility. Weagreewiththelearnedtrialjudgethatthereisnosupportintherecordfortheapplicationofthismitigatingfactor.Defendantadmittedattrialthathewastheinstigatorofthealtercation.Hewasanactiveparticipantintheassaultonthisvictim.Thetrialcourtproperlyrefusedtoconsiderthismitigatingfactor.Thisissueiswithoutmerit.̜@ CONCLUSION  ThereissufficientevidenceintherecordtosupportafindingthatdefendantdirectlyparticipatedintheaggravatedassaultandthatdefendantwascriminallyresponsiblefortheactionsofWeaver.Furthermore,thetrialcourtdidnoterrinitssentencingdeterminations.Accordingly,thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.       򀀀       JOEG.RILEY,JUDGE̜ǛCONCUR:򀀀JOEB.JONES,PRESIDINGJUDGE򀀀DAVIDH.WELLES,JUDGE