WPC\ <f ]rʟβj+.UaS%n7x&aGHVحDtJh%M4ff ݧRHZTm8@}newKl0wY+ވvՈsHŸ-fW wn}ЩmJL&tO8R2?DFې.Q)U\1-º I*ko#]H`(uW?7s\ jblMLY)9CJ;p D1"QdH~!Z{a*k4ݠeNڶsOɋ41HېHͪY#Cmuh14p؅z`V#^\X'U.OO S ww;ZEK4| LPM+̒!ړ8rxu;:H8Mb#\ % 0D# 0g UN N= ? zG  U&N z [ ^ - 9  wQNU4WkEz| m~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~b 0 B 0 D3I D-| 0K ASG 0   AHP LaserJet 8000 Series PS0 ($$   1  (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular  C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt(I Z6Times New Roman Regular C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wptr+s Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Q++003|xU- -(|G2s$ !.8Gd XXd8         0  . d(|3a$ !.8Gd XXd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_XYE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3a$ !.8Gd XXd8     X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8Gd d8     __     8(TXXdd 8@tt _ INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @%ATJACKSON#  _#Ԉ &    @  @` AssignedonBriefsOctober2,2001 L  XrX  # X Xr.#JAMESTHOMASPAGEv.STATEOFTENNESSEE XrX   J @@ AppealfromtheCircuitCourtforChesterCounty  J @@No.014330RoyB.Morgan,Jr.,Judge  6 @@*AV) ` dE<` A   @@TTNo.W200101122CCAR3PC_Ԅ_ԀFiledDecember7,_2001_   AV) ` dE<|` A }     Thepetitioner,JamesThomasPage,appealsasofrightfromtheChesterCountyCircuitCourts x  denial# X Xr# XrX ofhispetitionforpostconvictionrelief.Thepetitionerpledguiltytoseconddegreemurder, d aClassAfelony,andreceivedtheagreed,fortyyearsentenceasa100%violentoffender.He P contendsthathereceivedtheineffectiveassistanceofcounselandthathedidnotunderstandwhat < washappeningattheguiltypleahearing.Weaffirmthetrialcourtsdenialofthepetition.# X Xr# XrX  (x  Tenn.R.App.P.3;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourtAffirmed  P   #  Xr# XrX. JosephM._Tipton_,J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichGaryR.Wade,_P.J._,andRobert ( W._Wedemeyer_,J.,joined.  Mike_Mosier_,Jackson,Tennessee,fortheappellant,JamesThomas# X Xrg# XrX Page.  PaulG.Summers,AttorneyGeneral&Reporter;JohnH._Bledsoe_,AssistantAttorneyGeneral; t JamesG._Woodall_,DistrictAttorneyGeneral# X Xr # XrX ;andAlEarls,AssistantDistrictAttorneyGeneral,for ` theappellee,StateofTennessee. L  8@@OO& OPINION $"t!  # X XrU # XrX     Thepetitionersconvictionresultedfromthe1998murderofSenecaButler.Atthe #L# evidentiaryhearing,thepetitionertestifiedthathepledguiltyonlybecausehefeltthathisattorney $8 $ wasnothelpinghimandhehopedtogetbetterhelpforhimselfafterheleftthecountyjail.Hesaid %$!% thathetoldhisattorneyeverythingabouthisinvolvementintheoffense,whichwasthatheandthe &"& codefendantplannedtorobthevictimbutthathedidnotknowahomicidewasgoingtooccur.He '"' admittedthathisattorneyexplainedthepleaofferandthathefacedasentenceoflifewithoutparole (#( ifheproceededtotrialfortheindictedoffenseoffirstdegreemurder.Hestatedthatalthoughhe )$) couldreadandwritefairlywell,hewasyoung,didnotunderstandthelaw,andhadalotonhismind p*%* attheguiltypleahearing.Hesaidthateventhoughhesaidthatheunderstood# X Xr` # XrX RangeIIsentencing \+&+  whenthejudgeexplainedittohimattheguiltypleahearing,hedidnotunderstandit.Althoughhe H,', _admittedthathehadnowitnesseswhocouldhavehelpedhimandnodefense,hebelievedthathe  couldhavebeenconvictedofalesseroffensehadthecasegonetotrial.     Thepetitionerstrialattorneytestifiedthatshediscussedthecasewiththepetitioner,who t gavenoalibiordefensewitnesses.Shesaidthatthepetitionerreceivedtwomentalevaluations, ` whichrevealednomentalincapacitydefense.Shesaidthathehadconfessedtorobbingthevictim L  andtobeingpresentwhenthemurdertookplace.Shesaidthatasidefromthecodefendant,who 8  pledguiltyandplannedtotestifyagainstthepetitioner,thestatehadtwootherwitnesseswhocould $ t placethepetitioneratthescenemakingatelephonecalltothevictimandwiththebodyrightafter  ` themurder# X Xr# XrX .Shesaidthatoneofthesewitnesseswouldtestifythatheknewamurderwasaboutto  L  occur.Shesaidthatsheinterviewedthecodefendant,whotoldherthatthepetitionerhelpedplan  8  themurder,obtainedthegun,andbroughtsomegarbagebagsfordisposingofthebody.Shesaid $  thatshediscussedwiththepetitioner# X Xr# XrX thestatesofferandthefactthathewouldbepleadingoutside   ofhisrange,whichwasRangeI.Shesaidthatthepetitionercompletelyunderstoodwhathewas   doingbutwasnothappywiththeofferbecausehewantedalessersentence.Sheagreedthat   althoughthepetitionerwasreluctant,hewantedtoacceptthepleaoffer.     Thetrialcourtfoundthatthepetitionerfailedtopresentanyevidencethathistrialattorney \ didorfailedtodoanythingthatviolatedhisconstitutionalrights.Specifically,itfoundthat the H petitionerknewandwasadvisedthathewaspleadingoutsideofhisrangewhenheacceptedthe 4 Statespleaoffer.  p   WhenaclaimofineffectiveassistanceofcounselismadeundertheSixthAmendment,the H burdenisuponthecomplainingpartytoshow(1)thatcounselsperformancewasdeficientand(2) 4 thatthedeficiencywasprejudicialintermsofrenderingareasonableprobabilitythattheresultof   thetrialwasunreliableortheproceedingsfundamentallyunfair.Stricklandv.Washington,466U.S.   668,687,104S.Ct.2052,2064(1984);seeLockhartv.Fretwell,506U.S.364,36872,113S.Ct.  838,84244(1993);seealsoStatev.Melson,772S.W.2d417,419n.2(Tenn.1989)# X XrV# XrX Ԁ(applyingthe  StricklandstandardtotherighttocounselunderarticleI,section9oftheTennesseeConstitution).# X Xr# XrX   Whenapetitionerclaimsthattheineffectiveassistanceofcounselresultedinaguiltyplea,heorshe l mustprovethatcounselperformeddeficientlyandthatbutforcounselserrors,thepetitionerwould X  nothavepledguiltyandwouldhaveinsistedupongoingtotrial.Hillv.Lockhart,464U.S.52,59, D! 106S.Ct.366,370(1985).# X Xry# XrX Thepetitionerhastheburdeninthetrialcourttoprovebyclearand 0"  convincingevidencethefactualallegationsthatwouldentitlehimtorelief.Tenn.CodeAnn. #l! 40-30-210(f).Onappeal,thiscourtreviewsthetrialcourtsfactualfindingsregardingtheineffective $X" assistanceofcounseldenovowithapresumptionthatthefindingsarecorrectunlesstheevidence $D # preponderatesotherwise.Fieldsv.State,40S.W.3d450,458(Tenn.2001)# X Xrg # XrX .# X Xr"# XrX Inthepresentcase,the %0!$ petitionerisessentiallyassertingthatweshouldaccepthistestimonyoverthatofhistrialcounsel. &"% Thetrialcourtsfindingsrevealthatitresolvedtheissueofcredibilityinfavoroftrialcounsel.The '#& recorddoesnotpreponderateagainstthisfinding.Therefore,weaffirmthetrialcourts (#' determinationthatthepetitionerstrialcounselwasnotdeficient. )$(   |*%)   Basedupontheforegoingandtherecordasawhole,weaffirmthetrialcourtsdenialofthe   petitionforpostconvictionrelief.  ̀ `    `  # X Xr##Ԁ0   h   ___________________________________L (#(#    `     h    XrX JOSEPHM.TIPTON,JUDGE# X Xr)'#