WPC ;e硚%YҰG;i.dy'g'|?%kLZ?ޡ'FV}"q,Ah{{g[<@S7# ΟWZas{ЍmX^yvy.A\q2 jr%k#`j J^7/4JSd|@O)1HĥMAo!6ox__Z` Kipc&.D1leW < &~prXF&^2WF 9lJ mLEdѴE{zVw@Af(.̑3F@ae>)43֤Hk,-qU'|[͍vphbö$?&sLl`є Υ Qڮ^oy mvJMr#fغ=)߾"#U0!i2Wmr<L9#m_k6)z:W b#\ %% ^ + 07 U N w 4 z%  q  m  _ % 0DNU NEM(OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOObwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww 0 Bjj 0 D5+ D-` 0K AS+ 0 0D A\\IB01S08\KNOXCLERK3,,,,0Gf/ (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regularb.:i+00 C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xULevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(#$  0   (9 Z6Times New Roman Regular- -(|G2ȟ$ !.8Wpd d 8         0  % d(|3$ !.8Wpd d 8     VVVV)!dxdx)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3$ !.8Wpd d 8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8Wpd d8     _  Wp8XXdd 8  WpWp@hhWpINTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @RR$ATKNOXVILLE#Wp+#Ԉ    AssignedonBriefsJune24,2003 > XXWp #WpXX%#STATEOFTENNESSEEv.RICHARDPHILLIPMATHERXXWp  0 @@ DirectAppealfromtheCircuitCourtforAndersonCounty  " @@No.A2CR0023JamesB.Scott,Jr.,Judge   @@*AV) ` dE<i` A j  @@TTNo.E200202344CCAR3CD _  November6,_2003_ E  AV) ` dE<*` A +{     Theappellant,RichardPhillipMather,pledguiltyintheAndersonCountyCircuitCourtto  p  criminallynegligenthomicide.ThetrialcourtsentencedtheappellantasaRangeIstandard V offendertotwoyearsincarceration.Onappeal,theappellantcontends:(1)thetrialcourterredby < failingtorecusehimselffromtheproceedings;and(2)thetrialcourterredbyrejectingtheinitial " pleaagreement.Uponreviewoftherecordandthepartiesbriefs,weaffirmthejudgmentofthe  trialcourt.   Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourtisAffirmed.  j   #WpX#XX.WpNormaMcGeeOgle,J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichGaryR.Wade,_P.J._,and 6 DavidH.Welles,J.,joined. l J.ThomasMarshall,Jr.,DistrictPublicDefender;andNancyC.Meyer,AssistantDistrictPublic 8 Defender,fortheappellant,RichardPhillipMather.  PaulG.Summers,AttorneyGeneralandReporter;BrentC.Cherry,AssistantAttorneyGeneral;  JamesN.Ramsey,DistrictAttorneyGeneral;andJanG.Hicks,AssistantDistrictAttorneyGeneral,    fortheappellee,StateofTennessee. f!!  OPINION #WpXX#XXWp 2## #WpXX #  XXWp  Theappellantpledguiltytocriminallynegligenthomicide,aClassEfelony,asaresultof $N % shootingandkillingthesixteenyearoldvictim,BrandonHale.SeeTenn.CodeAnn.3913212 %4!& (1997).Theappellanthadaskedforandreceivedapistolasagiftfromhismother.Theappellant &"' hadnotrainingintheuse#cdddoftheweapon.Onprioroccasions,theappellantplacedanemptycartridge '#( insidethegunschamber,#ddcdpointedtheguneitheratothersorathisownhead,andpulledthetrigger. (#)   Onthisoccasion,whileshowingtheguntothevictimandtheirfriends,theappellantpulled b*%+ thetrigger;thegunfiredoneshotwhichhitthevictim;andthevictimfellontothefloor.Whenthe H+&, victimstatedthathewasunabletobreathe,awitnesscalledformedicalassistance.However,the .,~'- paramedicswereunabletosavethevictim.Accordingtotheautopsyreport,thevictimdiedasa -d(. resultofasinglegunshotwoundtothechest. -J)/ _ԇ  Theappellantwaitedforthepolicetoarriveatthescene.Uponarrivingatthescene,the  policeofficersobservedthatthecryingappellantwas surprisedand veryremorseful.The  appellantgaveastatementtothepoliceadmittingheshotthevictimwhile foolingaroundwith | thegun.Hetoldthepoliceofficershewasunawarethataliveshellwasloadedinsidetheguns b chamberandhedidnotintendtoharmthevictim. H   I.TRIALCOURTPROCEEDINGS   d     OnApril5,2002,duringahearing,thetrialjudgeinformedthepartiesthatheandthe  0 victimsgrandfatherattendedhighschooltogetherandwere closefriends.OnApril15th,defense    counselmovedforthetrialjudgetorecusehimselfduetohisrelationshipwiththevictims    grandparents.Indenyingthemotion,thetrialjudgeassuredthepartiesthathisrelationshipwiththe   victimsgrandfatherwouldnotaffecthisabilitytobeimpartial. x    AtapleahearingonMay24th,thepartiesinformedthetrialcourtthattheyhadreacheda D  pleaagreementwherebytheappellantwouldpleadguiltytocriminallynegligenthomicideand *z  receivejudicialdiversion.AfterlisteningtotheStatesrecitationofthefacts,thetrialcourt ` expressedreservationsaboutacceptingthepleaagreementandcontinuedthehearinginorderto F researchtheissue.OnJune20th,thetrialcourtenteredanorderrejectingthepleaagreementwhich , providedforjudicialdiversion.    OnJuly19th,defensecounselinformedthetrialcourtthatshehadfiledanapplicationfor  aninterlocutoryappealpursuanttoTennesseeRuleofAppellateProcedure9toappealthetrial t courtsdenialof diversion.OnJuly29th,ahearingwasheldduringwhichdefensecounsel Z informedthetrialcourtthattheappellanthadagreedtowithdrawtheRule9motionbasedupona @ similarcaseinwhichthiscourtaffirmedthedenialofdiversion.CounselcitedthecaseofStatev. &v ChristopherCavnor,No.02C019704CR00155,1998Tenn.Crim.App.LEXIS401,at**1314  \ (Jackson,Mar.31,1998)(denialofpretrialdiversionaffirmedbasedonsimilarfacts),perm.toapp. B denied(Tenn.1999).Defensecounselthenannouncedthattheappellantwouldpleadguiltyandbe ( sentencedbythetrialcourt.Thetrialcourtthenexplainedtothevictimsfamilythattheappellant  waspleadingguiltyascharged;theappellantwasnolongerseekingdiversion;andthetrialcourt  woulddeterminethesentence.Immediatelythereafter,theappellantenteredhisguiltyplea.On   September16th,thetrialcourtconductedasentencinghearingandsentencedtheappellantasa p!  RangeIstandardoffendertotwoyearsincarceration. V"!   II.WAIVER  "$r#     Onappeal,theappellantraisesonlytwoissues,towit:whetherthetrialcourterredin %>!% denyinghismotionforrecusalandwhetherthetrialcourterredinrefusingtoaccepthisinitialplea &$"& agreement.However,bothallegederrorsoccurredpriortotheappellantspleaofguilty.Aguilty ' #' pleawhichisknowingly,voluntarily,andintelligentlyenteredeffectivelywaivesallpriornon (#( jurisdictional,procedural,andconstitutionaldefectsintheproceedings.Statev.Pendergrass,937 )$) S.W.2d834,837(Tenn.1996);Statev.McKissack,917S.W.2d714,716(Tenn.Crim.App.1995). l*%* Theappellantdoesnotcontendthathisguiltypleawasunknowingly,involuntarily,or R+&+ unintelligentlyentered.Accordingly,byenteringtheguiltyplea,theappellantwaivedhisrightto 8,', appealthepriordenialofthemotiontorecuseandpriorrejectionofthepleaagreement.Moreover,  weareunabletoconcludethatthetrialjudgeerredinrefusingtorecusehimselforinrejectingthe  pleaagreement.SeeStatev.Hines,919S.W.2d573,578(Tenn.1995)(holdingappellatecourtwill | notreversefailuretorecuseabsentashowingofabuseofdiscretion);Statev.Burris,40S.W.3d b 520,523(Tenn.Crim.App.2000)(holdingthereisnoabsoluterighttoacceptanceofaplea H agreementbythetrialcourt,andthedecisionrests entirelywiththetrialcourt). . ~ @GG% CONCLUSION  J    Baseduponourreviewoftherecord,weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt.       `     h     ____________________________________ ^     `     h     NORMAMCGEEOGLE,JUDGE