WPC$ KtFUa8=xe,6XasۏNPT>un#0(}_2a74o{ pjDQewDtGrP i9c |t?Y;w}؁Fb< Cx5`5OHz> "%VpQgY1b=J]h,lb %\^ b 0nUNwD4H\ zk m # UN   s9 0DNCCCEEEEGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGb 0 B   0' D5 D- 0K-- ASx 0 0D5 Ay}1 (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular~/ ;3|x C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wptU\\IB01S02\CLERKJAC,,,,0(9 Z6Times New Roman RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(#$  0   HardinMcGinleyBagleyTiptonBhattacharyaRadfordOvertonHobertFerrellStacyeShands CrimStricklandAdkinsMcNairyThomasonHellardspoke[nn]othingindicate[dspousalGiglioKimberlandUPSHAWBeasleyCurwood WittSpicklerThomassonCorumBlackettVermaasKimbrilE]ncouraging S.Ct- -(|G2B$ !.8dXXd8         0  l d(|38$ !.8dXXd8     VVVV)!dxdx)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|38$ !.8dXXd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8dd8     _   8'XXdd8@hh7INTHECOURTOFCRIMINALAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @%ATJACKSON#7 #Ԉ #    @  @` AssignedonBriefsOctober6,2004 F X'X #XX'#MICHAELG.UPSHAWv.STATEOFTENNESSEEX'X  ? @@ AppealfromtheCriminalCourtforShelbyCounty  9 @@No.P25894CarolynWadeBlackett,Judge  # @@*AV) ` dE<` A   @@TTNo.W200302820CCAR3PCFiledDecember8,_2004_   AV) ` dE<]` A ^      X}XXX'TheAppellant,MichaelG.Upshaw,appealsthejudgmentoftheShelbyCountyCriminalCourt ? denyinghispetitionforpostconvictionrelief.Onappeal,Upshawarguesthathewasdeniedthe (x effectiveassistanceofcounselattrial.Afterreviewoftherecord,weaffirmthedenialofpost a convictionrelief.#X'XX X}##XX'#X'X J  Tenn.R.App.P.3;JudgmentoftheCriminalCourtAffirmed     #X'#X'X.DavidG.Hayes,J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichJosephM.TiptonandJames  CurwoodWitt,Jr.,JJ.,joined.  JoshuaB.Spickler,Memphis,Tennessee,fortheAppellantMichaelG.Upshaw. Z PaulG.Summers,AttorneyGeneralandReporter;MichaelMoore,SolicitorGeneral;J.RossDyer, ,| AssistantAttorneyGeneral;WilliamL.Gibbons,DistrictAttorneyGeneral;GailVermaasand e MichelleKimbrilParks,AssistantDistrictAttorneysGeneral,fortheAppellee,StateofTennessee. N #XX'e#X'X6@@OO& OPINION #XX' #X'X ! !  FactualBackground ##     InAprilof1999,theAppellantwasconvictedofseconddegreemurderbyaShelbyCounty w% % juryandsentencedtoatermoftwentyfouryearsasaviolentoffender.Ondirectappeal,thiscourt  `&!& foundnoerrorandaffirmedtheAppellantsconvictionandsentence.Statev.MichaelG.Upshaw, I'"' No.W199900777CCAR3CD(Tenn.Crim.App.atJackson,Jan.11,2001). 2(#(   InNovemberof1997,thevictim,SammyThomasson,andafriend,CarmenCorum,drove *T%* totheintersectionofPercyandDeltaStreetsinMemphistopurchasecrackcocaine.Thetwohad *=&+ purchaseddrugsatthislocationpreviously,butwereunsuccessfulintheireffortsonthisoccasion. +&', Thetwowereabouttodriveawaywhenacarwithseveralmeninitapproachedandblockedtheir ,(- vehiclesexit.Corumtestifiedthatamansteppedoutofthecar,approachedtheircar,andordered -(.V _herandthevictimtogetout.Whenthevictimattemptedtoputthecarinreverse,themanraised  aguntothewindowandfired,fatallystrikingthevictiminthehead.    MarioMerritt,thedriverofthevehiclewhichblockedthevictimsvehicleandinwhichthe k Appellantwasapassenger,testifiedattrialthattheAppellant, wasarmedwithapistolwhichhe T carriedinthefrontofhispants[and]...thathethensawtheAppellantwalktothedriverssideof =  thevictimscarandshootthevictiminthehead.Id.Duringpolicequestioning,theAppellant & v admittedthatheshotthevictimonce, bymistake,witha.38caliberpistol.  _   InNovemberof2001,theAppellantfiledaprosepetitionforpostconvictionrelief,alleging  1  thathewasdeniedtheeffectiveassistanceofcounsel.Followingappointmentofcounsel,an    evidentiaryhearingwasheldonAugust28,2003.Thepostconvictioncourtdeniedreliefbywritten   orderonNovember3,2003.Thistimelyappealfollowed.   #XX' #X'X  X}XXX'  @& Analysis n    Inordertosucceedonapostconvictionclaim,theAppellantbearstheburdenofproving, B byclearandconvincingevidence,theallegationssetforthinthepetition.Tenn.CodeAnn.40 +{ 30110(f)(2003).Tosucceedonachallengeofineffectiveassistanceofcounsel,theAppellantmust d demonstratethatcounselsrepresentationfellbelowtherangeofcompetencedemandedofattorneys M incriminalcases.Baxterv.Rose,523S.W.2d930,936(Tenn.1975).UnderStricklandv. 6 Washington,theAppellantmustestablish(1)deficientrepresentationand(2)prejudiceresulting  fromthedeficiency.466U.S.668,687,104S.Ct.2052,2064(1984).TheAppellantisnotentitled  tothebenefitofhindsight,maynotsecondguessareasonablybasedtrialstrategy,andcannot  criticizeasound,butunsuccessful,tacticaldecisionmadeduringthecourseoftheproceeding.  Adkinsv.State,911S.W.2d334,347(Tenn.Crim.App.1994).Thisdeferencetothetactical s decisionsoftrialcounselisdependentuponashowingthatthedecisionsweremadeafteradequate \ preparation.Cooperv.State,847S.W.2d521,528(Tenn.Crim.App.1992). E   Theissuesofdeficientperformancebycounselandpossibleprejudicetothedefenseare g mixedquestionsoflawandfact.Statev.Burns,6S.W.3d453,461(Tenn.1999). [A]trialcourts  P findingsoffactunderlyingaclaimofineffectiveassistanceofcounselarereviewedonappealunder  9 adenovostandard,accompaniedwithapresumptionthatthosefindingsarecorrectunlessthe !"  preponderanceoftheevidenceisotherwise.Fieldsv.State,40S.W.3d450,458(Tenn.2001) " ! (citingTenn.R.App.P.13(d);Henleyv.State,960S.W.2d572,578(Tenn.1997)).However, #" conclusionsoflawarereviewedunderapurelydenovostandardwithnopresumptionof $# correctness.Fields,40S.W.3dat458.Upondenovoreview,accompaniedbyapresumptionthat v% $ thepostconvictioncourtsfindingsarecorrect,thiscourtmustdeterminewhethertheAppellant _&!% receivedtheeffectiveassistanceofcounsel. H'"&   TheAppellantarguesthathereceivedineffectiveassistanceofcounselinthefollowing )j$( respects:(1)trialcounselfailedtoproperlyadvisetheAppellantwithregardtoreleaseeligibility *S%)  duringpleanegotiations;(2)trialcounselfailedtoproperlycrossexaminewitnesses;and(3)trial *<&* counsel failedtoprovideadequatelegalcounselbyencouragingAppellanttogototrialwithno  witnesses....   I.ReleaseEligibilityAdvice  k   Atthepostconvictionhearing,trialcounselexplainedthatshecommunicatedtheStates >  offeroffifteenyearsinexchangeforaguiltypleatoseconddegreemurdertotheAppellant.The ' w Appellantagreedtotheoffer,andtrialcounselpreparedthepleaagreementform,whichreflected  ` serviceofthesentenceat30%asaRange1offender.Trialcounselwasthenremindedbythe  I prosecutorthatseconddegreemurderwasclassifiedasaviolentcrimewhichrequiredserviceat  2  100%.TheAppellantwasadvisedofthemistake,andasaresult,rejectedtheStatespleaofferand    requestedthathiscaseproceedtotrial.Becausewefindthatthemistakewascorrected,no   prejudiceisshown.     II.FailuretoProperlyCrossExamineWitnesses o     TheAppellantcontendsthattrialcounselfailedtoproperlycrossexamineMarioMerritt, C KarenCorum,and twootherwitnesseswhoarenotidentified.Heassertsthattrialcounselshould ,| havecrossexamined MarioMerritt[who]testifiedthatAppellantdidntshootthevictim.The e proofattrial,however,clearlyestablishedthatMerrittidentifiedtheAppellantastheshooter.With N regardtoCorum,theproofattrialestablishedthatCorumwasunabletoidentifytheAppellantas 7 thepersonwhoshotthevictim.Thus,itisunclearwhatfurtherbenefitcouldhavebeenobtained   fromcrossexaminationofthiswitness,nordoestheAppellantprovideanysuggestioninhisbrief.   Thepostconvictioncourtfoundthattheextentorabsenceofcrossexaminationofthevarious  Stateswitnessesbytrialcounselwasgovernedbychosentrialstrategy.Thefactsdonot  preponderateagainstthisfinding. t  III. [E]ncouragingAppellanttogotoTrial F  0  Finally,theAppellantarguesthattrialcounsel failedtoprovideadequatelegalcounselbyj(#(# encouragingtheAppellanttogototrialwithnowitnessesdespitetheStatesproofandinsteadof  S pleadingguiltytothenegotiatedpleaoffer.First,weareconstrainedtonotethatnowhereinthe  < recorddoestheproofindicatethattrialcounsel encouragedAppellanttogototrial.Onthe !%  contrary,therecordisclearthattheAppellant,atthetriallevel,advisedthetrialcourtthatitwas "! hisdesireto proceedandgototrial.Moreover,atthepostconvictionhearing,theAppellant #" testifiedthathechosetogototrialbecausetheState didnthaveenoughevidenceagainst[him]. $# Forthesereasons,wefindAppellantsallegationofdeficientperformancewithoutmerit. y% $   @*   @ CONCLUSION *?&*  +)'+     Inreviewinganineffectivenessclaim,wearerequiredtoconsiderthetotalityoftheevidence  presentedattrial.Strickland,466U.S.at695,104S.Ct.at2069.Thus,weexaminenotonlywhat  trialcounselfailedtodo,butwhatcounseldiddo.Assuch,ourfocusisupontheadequacyor  inadequacyoftrialcounselsperformancefromcounselsperspectiveatthetime,notfromthe k distortingeffectsofhindsight.Id.at689,104S.Ct.at2065.Moreover,ourreviewishighly T deferential.Afterreview,wefindthattrialcounselfortheAppellantwasfunctioningas counsel =  guaranteedtheAppellantbytheSixthAmendmentandfurtherfindthatthetrialdidnotproduce & v anunreliableorunjustresult.Accordingly,thejudgmentofthepostconvictioncourtdenyingrelief  _ totheAppellantisaffirmed.#X'XX X}#  H    `     h     ___________________________________      `     h     DAVIDG.HAYES,JUDGE