WPC >mi-:]IϠ5X:HR M#,Lw$~F9r —*.ݾB'ݬ X:=̄ ܙ26*ݘ/CgznH..CFf䖭+.SيIlDiZ9Ͷ/ӣɒ&c.?p+}t ÙphƆca(ʍտ0Ls_"yEOC vkP6ù|S+;9L$Lc74b@P6_?֤ZjҸUY0芐VrMTB= 0x/5[zIՊsgR/wc<"M2of YXhzu`xi=P";+"Ϗ]+oixH d1 {,sw'rM- ;oNuHXBQ%Ib %\^ b 0nUN w[4_s z m 0D #+   x >UNNRRRETTT;VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVb 0 B 0 D3s D- 0K ASq 07 0D A6hI) (w=$    ..8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regularl;)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 8000 Series PS0Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(I Z6Times New Roman Regular 1 R*$        1  b   _SeeNorthCarolinav._Alford_,400U.S.25(1970).Under_Alford_,adefendantmaypleadguiltyevenwhile  protestinghisorherinnocenceifheorsheintelligentlyconcludesthataguiltypleaisinhisorherbestinterest,andthe t recordcontainsstrongevidenceofactualguilt.Seealso_Dortch_Ԁv.State,705S.W.2d687,689(Tenn._Crim_.App.1985) 8 (recognizingthevalidityofan_Alford_or bestinterestsplea).- -(G2*$ =!    .8Ld d 8         0  d0 d(3$ =!    .8Ld d 8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ =!    .8Ld d 8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK =!    .8d d8     _  @8iXXdd 8@tt@INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @$AT#@#KNOXVILLE &    @  @` August2000Session L XX@ #@XX#ԀJOHN_PENLEY_Ԁv.STATEOFTENNESSEEXX@  J @@ AppealfromtheCriminalCourtforSullivanCounty  J @@No.C42,5260 @ 0 @ PhyllisH.Miller,Judge  6 @@*AV) ` dE<` A   @@TTNo.E200000154CCAR3CD   October6,2000   AV) ` dE<|` A }     TheDefendantfiledforpostconvictionrelief,allegingthathisguiltypleatodrugrelatedcharges d (1)wasnotknowinglyandvoluntarilyentered;(2)wastheresultofineffectiveassistanceofcounsel; P and(3)wascontaminatedbyillegalevidence.Afterahearing,thetrialcourtdeniedrelief,andthe < Defendantappealsasofright.Weaffirmthejudgmentofthetrialcourt. (x #@XX#XX@ Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCriminalCourtAffirmed.  <   #@X#XX.@DavidH.Welles,J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichJosephM._Tipton_andRobert  W._Wedemeyer_,JJ.,joined.  RichardA.Tate,AssistantPublicDefender,_Blountville_,Tennessee,fortheappellant,John_Penley_.  PaulG.Summers,AttorneyGeneralandReporter;MarkA._Fulks_,AssistantAttorneyGeneral; ` GreeleyWells,DistrictAttorneyGeneral;andJ.LewisCombs,AssistantDistrictAttorneyGeneral, L  fortheappellee,StateofTennessee. 8!  @@OO& OPINION #`"  #@XX#XX@#@XXb #XX@    TheDefendantentered bestinterestguiltypleas_  #  1      _Ԁtomultiplecountsofdrugrelated $8 $ offenses.Thechargeswerecontainedinthreeseparatecases,numbers41,425;41,426;and41,532. %$!% Withinoneyearofhispleas,hefiledforpostconvictionrelieffromtheconvictionsstemmingfrom &"& thechargescontainedincasenumber41,532.Heallegedthatheneverintendedtopleadguiltyto '"' thesecharges;thathisguiltypleawastheresultofineffectiveassistanceofcounsel;andthathisplea (#( _mustbesetasideashavingnotbeenenteredknowinglyandvoluntarily.TheDefendantfurther  allegedthattheevidencewhichtheStateintendedtorelyuponincasenumber41,532was illegal.  Afteranevidentiaryhearing,thetrialcourtdeniedrelief,findingthattheDefendantfailedtoprove  hisallegationsbyclearandconvincingevidence.Itisfromthejudgmentofthetrialcourtdenying t postconvictionreliefthattheDefendantappeals. ` @(FACTS 8    TheDefendanttestifiedthathemetwithhislawyerseveraltimesandspokewithhimover  ` thephoneseveraltimesbeforehistrialdate.Hislawyerexplainedtohimthathewasfacinga  L  sentenceofoveronehundred(100)yearsifhewenttotrial.TheStateofferedtopleabargainthe  8  threecasesinexchangeforaneffectiveforty(40)yearsentence,andtheDefendantadmittedthathe $  toldhislawyerthathewantedtotaketheState'ssentencingoffer.TheDefendanttestifiedthathe   toldhislawyerhewantedtopleadguiltytotwoofthecases,butthathedidnotwanttopleadguilty   tocasenumber41,532"becauseIdidn'tdoit."Headmittedthathesignedaguiltypleaincase   number41,532,butclaimedhedidn'trealizethathewaspleadingguiltytothosecharges.The   Defendantfurtheradmittedthatduringhispleahearing,heunderstoodthesignificanceofhisAlford p plea:thathewaspleadingguiltytoservehisbestinterest,notbecausehewasadmittingthathehad \ actuallycommittedthecrimescharged.Additionally,theDefendantdidnotdenythatthe H prosecutingattorneydescribedduringthepleahearingtheevidenceinsupportofthecharges 4 containedincasenumber41,532.  p   ThetranscriptoftheDefendant'spleahearingwasadmittedintoevidence,anditreflectsthat H theDefendantacknowledgedgoingoverthepleadocumentswithhislawyer;thathetoldthetrial 4 courtheunderstoodthem;andthathesignedthem.Thetranscriptalsoreflectsthatthetrialcourt   explainedtheoffensestowhichtheDefendantwaspleadingguiltyineachcaseandthatthe   Defendantstatedthatheunderstoodwhathewaspleadingguiltytoincasenumber41,532.The  Defendantfurtherstatedduringthepleahearingthathewassatisfiedwithhislawyer's  representation.    TheDefendantalsoallegedinhispetitionthattheevidencetheStateintendedtouseagainst X  himincasenumber41,532was illegal.TheState'sproofwasbasedoninformationitobtained D! fromaninformantnamedGuyMichaelSams.Athispostconvictionhearing,theDefendantcalled 0"  awitnessnamedGuyMichaelSamswhotestifiedthathehadneverpurchasedanydrugsfromthe #l! Defendantandhadneverworkedforthepolicedepartmentasaninformant.Samsalsoexplained $X" thatthereweretwoothermenbythesamename(oneofwhomhadsincedied). $D #   #@XX #XX@Attheconclusionoftheevidentiaryhearing,thetrialjudgestatedherfindingsand &"% conclusionsontherecord.Shesubsequentlyenteredanordersettingforthherfindingsoffactand '#& herconclusionsoflawconcerningtheDefendant'sassertedgroundsforrelief.Thetrialjudgefound (#' thattheDefendant enteredhisAlfordpleaofguiltyinCaseNo.S41,532knowingly,intelligently )$( andvoluntarilybasedonthetotalityofthecircumstances.Thetrialjudgefurtherfoundthatthe |*%) Defendanthadnotprovenbyclearandconvincingevidencethathehadreceivedineffective h+&* assistanceofcounsel.Finally,thejudgefoundthatSamswasnotacrediblewitnessandthatno   illegalevidencehadbeenadmittedduringDefendant'sguiltypleahearing.  @&ANALYSIS t   Toobtainreliefuponapostconvictionpetition,adefendantmustprovehisorher L  allegationsbyclearandconvincingevidence.Tenn.CodeAnn.4030210(f).Thetrialcourt's 8  findingsoffactonapetitionforpostconvictionreliefare conclusiveonappealunlesstheevidence $ t intherecordpreponderatesagainstthosefindings.Momonv.State,18S.W.3d152,156(Tenn.  ` 2000);Tidwellv.State,922S.W.2d497,500(Tenn.1996).Wewillnotreweightheevidence,and  L  wegivedeferencetothetrialcourtonquestionsconcerningthecredibilityofthewitnessesandthe  8  weightandvalueaccordedtheirtestimony.Henleyv.State,960S.W.2d572,57879(Tenn.1997). $    Theevidenceintherecordbeforeusdoesnotpreponderateagainstthetrialcourt'sfindings   offact.WeagreethattheDefendantdidnotprovehisallegationsbyclearandconvincingevidence   andthatheisthereforenotentitledtopostconvictionrelief.Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtis   accordinglyaffirmed. p #@XX#XX@   `     h     ___________________________________  \    `     h     DAVIDH.WELLES,JUDGE