WPC >6==E-,)*Y 6)\VOH"F/&3>˃w*C _92;Mٽ%Hf݋m [@)'Gn46]45d n Ԩ/uhyz*mU$͏*q\Q9WxX]5K"O7 G !xGˁTD5ǯ4;s-#%,HS҇vakPz^.>P>FLٞ,3`׸ ^\g,=CFmQ/,d?nNV*NΠn|xCbz0; ӊhROM'r|nA5xSm o~.:OJFgX$ ,OkO%f QA< :˛!kS!5H2A q\ /͓z rt73b %\^ b 0nUN w[4_s z m 0D #+   x >>NE;bCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC 0KKKK BMM 0j D3% D-X 0K AS# 0 0D AF) (w=$    ..8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regularq\;'ra3|x 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.wptU(#$  0  HP LaserJet 4,,,,,,0Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5 1 RF$        1  t  _SeeNorthCarolinav._Alford_,400U.S.25(1970).Under_Alford_,adefendantmaypleadguiltyevenwhile  protestinghisorherinnocenceifheorsheintelligentlyconcludesthataguiltypleaisinhisorherbestinterest,andthe x recordcontainsstrongevidenceofactualguilt.Seealso_Dortch_Ԁv.State,705S.W.2d687,689(Tenn._Crim_.App.1985) @ (recognizingthevalidityofan_Alford_or bestinterestsplea).- -(G2F$ =!    .8dd8         0  t d(31O$ =!    .8dd8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(31O$ =!    .8dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK =!    .8dd8     _  8XXdd8@ttINTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @$AT##KNOXVILLE ,    @  @` August2000Session X XX #XX#ԀJOHN_PENLEY_Ԁv.STATEOFTENNESSEEXX   ` @@ AppealfromtheCriminalCourtforSullivanCounty  h @@No.C42,5260 @ 0 @ PhyllisH.Miller,Judge  X @@*AV) ` dE<` A (  @@TTNo.E200000154CCAR3CD '  October6,2000   AV) ` dE<` A      TheDefendantfiledforpostconvictionrelief,allegingthathisguiltypleatodrugrelatedcharges  (1)wasnotknowinglyandvoluntarilyentered;(2)wastheresultofineffectiveassistanceofcounsel;  and(3)wascontaminatedbyillegalevidence.Afterahearing,thetrialcourtdeniedrelief,andthe  Defendantappealsasofright.Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt. v #XX#XX Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCriminalCourtAffirmed.  F   #X#XX.DavidH.Welles,J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichJosephM._Tipton_andRobert &v W._Wedemeyer_,JJ.,joined. f RichardA.Tate,AssistantPublicDefender,_Blountville_,Tennessee,fortheappellant,John_Penley_. F PaulG.Summers,AttorneyGeneralandReporter;MarkA._Fulks_,AssistantAttorneyGeneral; & GreeleyWells,DistrictAttorneyGeneral;andJ.LewisCombs,AssistantDistrictAttorneyGeneral,   fortheappellee,StateofTennessee. !  @@OO& OPINION #"  #XX#XX#XXb #XX    TheDefendantentered bestinterestguiltypleas_  #  1      _Ԁtomultiplecountsofdrugrelated v% $ offenses.Thechargeswerecontainedinthreeseparatecases,numbers41,425;41,426;and41,532. f&!% Withinoneyearofhispleas,hefiledforpostconvictionrelieffromtheconvictionsstemmingfrom V'"& thechargescontainedincasenumber41,532.Heallegedthatheneverintendedtopleadguiltyto F(#' thesecharges;thathisguiltypleawastheresultofineffectiveassistanceofcounsel;andthathisplea 6)$(C _mustbesetasideashavingnotbeenenteredknowinglyandvoluntarily.TheDefendantfurther  allegedthattheevidencewhichtheStateintendedtorelyuponincasenumber41,532was illegal.  Afteranevidentiaryhearing,thetrialcourtdeniedrelief,findingthattheDefendantfailedtoprove  hisallegationsbyclearandconvincingevidence.Itisfromthejudgmentofthetrialcourtdenying  postconvictionreliefthattheDefendantappeals. p @(FACTS P    TheDefendanttestifiedthathemetwithhislawyerseveraltimesandspokewithhimover 0  thephoneseveraltimesbeforehistrialdate.Hislawyerexplainedtohimthathewasfacinga  p  sentenceofoveronehundred(100)yearsifhewenttotrial.TheStateofferedtopleabargainthe `  threecasesinexchangeforaneffectiveforty(40)yearsentence,andtheDefendantadmittedthat P  hetoldhislawyerthathewantedtotaketheState'ssentencingoffer.TheDefendanttestifiedthat @  hetoldhislawyerhewantedtopleadguiltytotwoofthecases,butthathedidnotwanttoplead 0  guiltytocasenumber41,532"becauseIdidn'tdoit."Headmittedthathesignedaguiltypleain   casenumber41,532,butclaimedhedidn'trealizethathewaspleadingguiltytothosecharges.The  Defendantfurtheradmittedthatduringhispleahearing,heunderstoodthesignificanceofhisAlford  plea:thathewaspleadingguiltytoservehisbestinterest,notbecausehewasadmittingthathehad  actuallycommittedthecrimescharged.Additionally,theDefendantdidnotdenythatthe  prosecutingattorneydescribedduringthepleahearingtheevidenceinsupportofthecharges  containedincasenumber41,532. p   ThetranscriptoftheDefendant'spleahearingwasadmittedintoevidence,anditreflectsthat P theDefendantacknowledgedgoingoverthepleadocumentswithhislawyer;thathetoldthetrial @ courtheunderstoodthem;andthathesignedthem.Thetranscriptalsoreflectsthatthetrialcourt 0 explainedtheoffensestowhichtheDefendantwaspleadingguiltyineachcaseandthatthe  p Defendantstatedthatheunderstoodwhathewaspleadingguiltytoincasenumber41,532.The ` Defendantfurtherstatedduringthepleahearingthathewassatisfiedwithhislawyer's P representation. @   TheDefendantalsoallegedinhispetitionthattheevidencetheStateintendedtouseagainst   himincasenumber41,532was illegal.TheState'sproofwasbasedoninformationitobtained ! fromaninformantnamedGuyMichaelSams.Athispostconvictionhearing,theDefendantcalled "  awitnessnamedGuyMichaelSamswhotestifiedthathehadneverpurchasedanydrugsfromthe #! Defendantandhadneverworkedforthepolicedepartmentasaninformant.Samsalsoexplained $" thatthereweretwoothermenbythesamename(oneofwhomhadsincedied). % #   #XX #XXAttheconclusionoftheevidentiaryhearing,thetrialjudgestatedherfindingsand `'"% conclusionsontherecord.Shesubsequentlyenteredanordersettingforthherfindingsoffactand P(#& herconclusionsoflawconcerningtheDefendant'sassertedgroundsforrelief.Thetrialjudgefound @)$' thattheDefendant enteredhisAlfordpleaofguiltyinCaseNo.S41,532knowingly,intelligently 0*%( andvoluntarilybasedonthetotalityofthecircumstances.Thetrialjudgefurtherfoundthatthe  +p&) Defendanthadnotprovenbyclearandconvincingevidencethathehadreceivedineffective ,`'* assistanceofcounsel.Finally,thejudgefoundthatSamswasnotacrediblewitnessandthatno   illegalevidencehadbeenadmittedduringDefendant'sguiltypleahearing.  @&ANALYSIS    Toobtainreliefuponapostconvictionpetition,adefendantmustprovehisorher `  allegationsbyclearandconvincingevidence.Tenn.CodeAnn.4030210(f).Thetrialcourt's P  findingsoffactonapetitionforpostconvictionreliefare conclusiveonappealunlesstheevidence @  intherecordpreponderatesagainstthosefindings.Momonv.State,18S.W.3d152,156(Tenn. 0  2000);Tidwellv.State,922S.W.2d497,500(Tenn.1996).Wewillnotreweightheevidence,and  p  wegivedeferencetothetrialcourtonquestionsconcerningthecredibilityofthewitnessesandthe `  weightandvalueaccordedtheirtestimony.Henleyv.State,960S.W.2d572,57879(Tenn.1997). P    Theevidenceintherecordbeforeusdoesnotpreponderateagainstthetrialcourt'sfindings 0  offact.WeagreethattheDefendantdidnotprovehisallegationsbyclearandconvincingevidence   andthatheisthereforenotentitledtopostconvictionrelief.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtis  accordinglyaffirmed.  #XX#XX   `     h     ___________________________________ `    `     h     DAVIDH.WELLES,JUDGE