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YYY FILED.X July24,1998CecilCrowson,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 ! . -  4     .\RA'\ 򛜛 INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE ٜR120A1-j|g/`  `@Rߛ ` XDpX    ATJACKSONMAY1998SESSION     ` D ` DSTATEOFTENNESSEE, ) `  D  )C.C.A.No.02C019710CR00402 Appellee, )  )ShelbyCountyV. )  )HonorableCarolynWadeBlackett,Judge  ) ROGERMARTIN/ )(PetitionforExonerationofSurety) LIBERTYBAILBONDCOMPANY, )   ) Appellant. )` ӀFORTHEAPPELLANT: FORTHEAPPELLEE:MichaelJ.Gatlin JohnKnoxWalkupAttorneyatLaw AttorneyGeneral&ReporterP.O.Box27331Memphis,TN381670331 ElizabethT.Ryan AssistantAttorneyGeneral 425FifthAvenueNorth 2dFloor,CordellHullBuilding Nashville,TN372430493 WilliamL.Gibbons DistrictAttorneyGeneral JamesJ.Challen,III AssistantDistrictAttorneyGeneral 201Poplar,Suite301 Memphis,TN38103OPINIONFILED:___________________ AFFIRMED PAULG.SUMMERS, ̜Judge `  p    Q  Q OPINION   7^XXdXXd7   LibertyBailBondCompany( Liberty)wasthesuretyona$750.00appearancebondforRogerMartininBartlettCityCourt.Martinfailedtoappearatascheduledcourtdate.LibertyBailBondfiledapetitionforexonerationofsuretyintheShelbyCountyCriminalCourt.Afterahearing,thecourtdeniedthemotion.Libertyappeals.Thesoleissueforourreviewiswhetherthetrialcourtabuseditsdiscretionindenyingthepetition.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed. ThebookkeeperforLiberty,MarteeArredondo,wastheonlywitnesstotestifyatthehearingontheappellantspetition.ShetestifiedthatLiberty madeanappearancebondforRogerMartinintheamountof$750.00.Martinfailedtoappear.OnSeptember5,1995,LibertyreceivedaforfeiturefromtheBartlettCityCourt.AbountyhunterpaidbyLibertyfoundMartin.HewasrearrestedandtenderedbacktotheBartlettCityCourt.ItappearsfromtherecordthatthejudgereinstatedMartinsbond. Later,LibertyreceivedanotherforfeitureonMartinsbondforfailuretoappear.LibertyagainrearrestedMartinandtenderedhimtothecourt.Apparently,thejudgeagainreinstatedMartinsbond.Then,LibertyreceivedathirdforfeiturenoticeonMartininreferencetothesamebond.LibertywasunabletolocateMartin.Asaresult,LibertyreceivedademandforpaymentfromtheCityofBartlett.Apparently,LibertyfiledapetitionforexonerationintheBartlettCityCourt.Thetrialcourtdeniedthepetition.LibertyappealedtotheShelbyCountyCriminalCourt.Thecourtdeniedthepetition.   4   Theforfeitureofbailisgovernedbystatute.Tenn.CodeAnn.4011201through215.Whenthedefendantfailstoappearasrequired,theissuanceofascirefaciasrequiressuretiestogivereasonswhyaforfeitureofbailshouldnotbecomefinal.Tenn.CodeAnn.4011202.Trialcourtshavethediscretiontorelievebailbondsmenorothersuretiesfromtheliabilityofbailandareauthorizedtoholdhearingstodeterminewhethertheforfeitureshouldbeexcused,lessened,orabsolutelyremitted.Tenn.CodeAnn.4011204.Thediscretionhasbeendescribedasbroadandcomprehensive,empoweringtrialcourtstomakedeterminationsinaccordancewith[its]conceptionofjusticeandright.Blackv.State,154Tenn.88,92,290S.W.20,21(1927).Thestatuteispermissiveandextendsnoparticularrightsuponthesureties.Diehlv.Knight,158Tenn.246,12S.W.2d717(1929).Theauthoritytorelievesuretiesfromliabilitymayonlybeexercisedinextremecases,suchasthedeathofthedefendantorsomeotherconditionmakingitimpossibleforsuretiestosurrenderthedefendant;thegoodfaitheffortmadebythesuretiesortheamountsoftheirexpensearenotexcuses.Statev.Frankgos,114Tenn.76,85S.W.79(1904);Statev.LeQuire,672S.W.2d221(Tenn.Crim.App.1984). [T]hepowertoexcuseaforfeitureonlyresultsonaccountofdeathorsomeotherconditionofaffairs,ifanycanexist,whichmakeitequallyimpossible...tosurrender[thedefendant].Frankgos,114Tenn.at82,85S.W.at8081. 4     Statev.Shredeh,909S.W.2d833,836(Tenn.Crim.App.1995). InShredeh,thedefendantfledtoJordan.TheUnitedStatesdidnothaveanextraditiontreatywithJordan.FindingthatthebondingcompaniesknewthatthedefendantwasnotaUnitedStatescitizen,thecourtgrantedexonerationfromonlyaportionofthetotalforfeiture.Id. ThepolicybehindonlygrantingreliefinextremecaseswasstatedinFrankgos:   4   Thesuretiesknowinglyandabsolutelycontractthattheirprincipalshallbepresentatthetimeintheobligationstated,toanswerthestateuponthechargepreferredagainsthim;andiftheyfailtodoso,theymustcomplywiththetermsofthebondorrecognizance.Awiseandsoundpublicpolicyrequiresarigidenforcementofthebondswhenbreached....Torelievesuretiesuponthegroundshereaskedwouldencouragedefendantstoforfeittheirbail,andbringaboutaverylaxadministrationofthecriminallawsofthestate. 4     85S.W.at81;seeStatev.LeQuire,672S.W.2d221,222(Tenn.Crim.App.1984). Indenyingthepetition,thetrialcourtfoundthattherewasnotenoughevidenceintherecordtograntthepetition.ThecourtnotedthattherewasnothingintherecordtoexplainwhythecitycourtcontinuedtoletMartinoutonbonddespitehisfailuretoappearontwooccasions.LibertyarguedthatitwasnottheirresponsibilitytosubpoenaarepresentativeoftheBartlettCityCourt.Libertyarguedthatthecourtshouldgrantitspetitionbecausedespitenotice,thecitycourtfailedtoappearatthehearingbeforethecircuitcourt.Thebondingcompanyhastheburdenofprovingthatitspetitionforexonerationshouldbegranted.Tomaketherecordclearer,LibertyshouldhavepresentedevidencetoexplainwhythecityjudgereleasedMartinafterhistwofailurestoappear.LibertycitesBlankenshipv.State,443S.W.2d442(Tenn.1969)insupportofitspetition.WereadBlankenshiptosupportexonerationwhenadefendantisincustodyatthetimethatheorsheisscheduledtoappear.AlthoughLibertyrearrestedMartintwice,hewasnotincustodyatthetimeofhisthirdfailuretoappear.Therefore,Blankenshipisinapplicabletothefactsofthepresentcase. Thetrialcourtsfindingsareconclusiveforappellatepurposesunlesstheevidencepreponderatesotherwise.Shredeh,909S.W.2dat836.Theevidencedoesnotpreponderateagainstthetrialcourtsfindings.WedonotunderstandwhyMartinwouldhavebeenreleasedonbondafterfailingtoappeartwice.AlthoughLibertyhasexpendedtimeandmoneysecuringthepresenceofMartintwice,theevidenceintherecorddoesnotestablishthatthisisanextremecaseascontemplatedbythecourtinShredeh.Libertyhasfailedtopresentacompellingreasonastowhythedefendantcannotbefound. Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisaffirmed. `  p Q  _____________________________ Q  PAULG.SUMMERS,JudgeCONCUR:____________________________JOHNH.PEAY,Judge____________________________THOMAST.WOODALL,Judge