ÿWPC< 0# ° %»UNÁ 0ÆÕ4Ýñw@ 0J@ 0TŠ 0^Þ 0h< 0r¤ 0| 0†’ 0 1u¨ 0d AQ ÆÒ 0D˜ 0@Ü 0D U>` D/ž BÍ Bê D3 U*: B)d DC AMÐ Îv~ëvÓi˜HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,ü,,,,,ü0nLhÎX(ÖÃ9 Z ‹6Times New Roman Regular(žjÆ$¡¡Ñ` ` ÑÑÜÜÑÒ4°ÒÒX°ÒÑTR[  AØ'ÿ Legal[  AØ'ÿ Legal AØ'ÿ Legal AØ'ÿ LegalTÑÓÓ ƒ‰#3|x· £¤E¥¦E§¨©ª.e«Ó€·2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ !"#%Cþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3¯$¢¢Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó< Œ 9p`(&Times New Roman'''÷ÿ dxd düÿP Pd&&&&'ÿÿdxd< Œ 9p`(Arial% Line 7 d****7Border 1dd "+Cþÿ << Gÿÿ ÄÝ ƒ!ÝÑ  ÑÑ#€d#ÑÔ€$ÔÑ ` ÑÑ Ü ÑÒ 4 ÒÒ X ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÓÓÝ  ÝÝ ƒ!"ÝÝ  ÝÔ€)ÔÔ€)ÔÓ  ÓÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€)XÔÌÌò òJanuaryÏ12,Ï1998ÌÌCecilÏCrowson,ÏJr.ÌÔ€)ôÔAppellateÏCourtÏClerkó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHØ(d'`Styl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  ion-F Geneva ÒÒ  ion-F Geneva ÒÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€$ÔÑ ` ÑÑ Ü ÑÒ 4 ÒÒ X ÒÑ\R AØ'\ÑÓÓÝ  Ý›Ñ7€g8XdìdÈ7ÑÑ  ќԀ)Ô›Þ ÞÌà@ àòòIN€THE€COURT€OF€CRIMINAL€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEóóÌÙ€ ÙœßR€,-+A1-j|ãƒ` ´- `€€@ÿRß›à@ àòòAT€JACKSONóóÌà@ àNOVEMBER€1997€SESSIONÌÌCAVIOUS€M.€WATKINS,€à àà à*à àC.C.A.€#€02C01„9701„CR„00031Ìà àà àAppellant,à àà à*à àSHELBY€COUNTYÌVS.à àà àà àà àà à*à àHon.€James€C.€Beasley,€Jr.,€JudgeÌÓÓSTATE€OF€TENNESSEE,à àà à*à à(Post„Conviction)ÌÌà àà àAppellee.à àà à*ÌÌÌÌÌÌòòFor€Appellantóó:à àà àà àà àòòFor€Appelleeóó:ÌÌGarland€Ergudenà àà àà àà àJohn€Knox€WalkupÌAttorneyà àà àà àà àà àAttorney€General€and€ReporterÌ242€Poplar€Avenue€à àà àà àÌMemphis,€TN€€38103à àà àà àClinton€J.€Morgan€à àà àà àà àÌà àà àà àà àà àà àCounsel€for€the€State€Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à450€James€Robertson€ParkwayÌà àà àà àà àà àà àNashville,€TN€€37243„0493ÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àJanet€ShipmanÌà àà àà àà àà àà àAssistant€District€Attorney€GeneralÌà àà àà àà àà àà à201€Poplar€Avenue,€Third€FloorÌà àà àà àà àà àà àMemphis,€TN€€38103ÌÌÌÌÌÌOPINION€FILED:__________________________ÌÌÌÌÌAFFIRMEDÌÌÌÌÌGARY€R.€WADE,€JUDGEÇÓÓà@ àòòOPINIONóóÌà àà àThe€defendant,€Cavious€M.€Watkins,€appeals€the€trial€court's€denial€ofÏhis€petition€for€post„conviction€relief.€€In€this€appeal€of€right,€the€defendant€contendsÏthat€his€pleas€were€neither€knowingly€nor€voluntarily€made€due€to€the€ineffectiveÏassistance€of€counsel.€€We€find€no€error€and€affirm€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court.ÌÌà àà àIndicted€on€two€counts€of€especially€aggravated€robbery€and€oneÏcount€of€felony€murder,€the€petitioner€entered€into€a€plea€agreement,Ïacknowledging€his€guilt€on€each€count.€€On€June€1,€1995,€the€trial€court€imposedÏRange€I,€twenty„five„year€sentences€on€each€of€the€two€robberies.€€A€life€sentenceÏwas€imposed€for€the€felony€murder.€€The€sentences€are€to€be€served€concurrently.€€ÌÌà àà àOn€April€26,€1996,€the€petitioner€filed€a€pro€se€petition€for€post„conviction€relief,€claiming€that€his€guilty€pleas€were€neither€freely€nor€intelligentlyÏmade€due€to€the€ineffective€assistance€of€his€retained€trial€counsel.€€An€amendmentÏto€the€petition€included€the€specific€allegation€that€the€petitioner€had€beenÏmisinformed€by€his€trial€counsel€as€to€his€release€eligibility€date.€€He€contended€thatÏhe€entered€his€plea€based€upon€information€that€he€would€be€eligible€for€releaseÏmuch€sooner€than€as€later€determined€through€the€Department€of€Correction.€€Ì€€Ìà àà àThe€petitioner€was€seventeen€years€of€age€at€the€time€of€his€plea€andÏhad€completed€the€ninth€grade.€€There€was€testimony€that€he€had€understood€hisÏprison€sentence€would€last€approximately€seventeen€years;€however,€he€laterÏlearned€that€with€maximum€good€time€credits,€his€minimum€sentence€would€be€Ïtwenty„two€years.€€While€acknowledging€that€his€trial€counsel€had€met€with€himÏregularly€to€provide€progress€reports€on€his€case,€the€petitioner€testified€that,€inÏgeneral,€he€did€not€understand€the€nature€of€the€proceedings€against€him.ÌÌà àà àTrial€counsel€testified€that€he€had€learned€through€his€investigationÏthat€the€evidence€against€the€petitioner€was€overwhelming.€€He€learned€that€theÏdefendant€and€each€of€his€two€co„defendants€had€admitted€their€participation€in€theÏcrimes€to€the€police.€€There€was€a€videotape€of€the€car€the€defendants€used€in€theÏcommission€of€the€crimes.€€The€victim€who€had€survived€the€robbery€was€able€toÏidentify€the€petitioner€as€one€of€the€robbers.€€Trial€counsel€asserted€that€the€onlyÏdefense€possible€was€to€require€the€state€to€meet€its€burden€of€proof€on€each€of€theÏelements€of€the€crime.€€He€expressed€particular€concern€about€the€possibility€ofÏconsecutive€sentencing€had€a€trial€been€demanded€and€recalled€that€the€petitioner,Ïwhen€apprised€of€the€results€of€the€investigation,€expressed€a€genuine€desire€toÏplead€guilty€so€as€to€avoid€a€more€onerous€result.€€ÌÌà àà àTrial€counsel€specifically€denied€having€informed€the€petitioner€thatÏhe€would€be€eligible€for€release€within€seventeen€years.€€He€testified€that€it€was€hisÏunderstanding€that€a€life€sentence€would€consist€of€twenty„five€years.€€Trial€counselÏclaimed€that€it€had€been€his€policy€to€inform€clients€that€release€eligibility€is€solely€Ïdetermined€by€the€Department€of€Correction€and€potentially€influenced€byÏovercrowding,€earned€sentence€credits,€or€other€incentives.€€ÌÌà àà àIn€its€findings€of€fact€and€conclusions€of€law,€the€trial€court€determinedÏthat€the€petitioner's€only€complaint€was€that€his€trial€counsel€had€represented€thatÏhe€would€be€eligible€for€parole€in€seventeen€years.€€Otherwise,€the€petitioner€hadÏno€quarrel€with€the€quality€of€his€work.€€The€court€observed€that€trial€counsel€hadÏrepresented€the€petitioner€over€a€period€of€two€years,€had€fully€investigated€theÏmatter,€and€had€adequate€prior€experience€by€his€participation€in€a€number€ofÏmurder€trials.€€The€trial€court€generally€accredited€the€testimony€of€trial€counsel,Ïdetermining€that€the€petitioner€had€failed€to€meet€his€burden€of€proving€that€theÏpleas€were€not€knowingly€or€voluntarily€made.€€Implicit€in€the€holding€is€that€theÏpetitioner€was€unable€to€establish€to€the€satisfaction€of€the€trial€judge€that€he€hadÏbeen€misinformed€by€his€counsel€about€the€release€eligibility€date.€€ÌÌà àà àIn€order€for€the€petitioner€to€be€granted€relief€on€grounds€of€ineffectiveÍcounsel,€he€must€establish€that€the€advice€given€or€the€services€rendered€were€notÏwithin€the€range€of€competence€demanded€of€attorneys€in€criminal€cases€and€that,Ïbut€for€his€counsel's€deficient€performance,€the€result€of€his€trial€would€have€beenÏdifferent.€€òòBaxter€v.€Roseóó,€523€S.W.2d€930,€936€(Tenn.€1975);€òòStrickland€v.ÏWashingtonóó,€466€U.S.€668,€687,€104€S.€Ct.€2052,€2064€(1984).€€This€two„partÏstandard,€as€it€applies€to€guilty€pleas,€is€met€when€the€petitioner€establishes€that,Ïbut€for€his€counsel's€errors,€he€would€not€have€pled€guilty€and€would€have€insistedÏon€a€trial.€€òòHill€v.€Lockhartóó,€474€U.S.€52,€59,€106€S.€Ct.€366,€370€(1985).€€"GrossÏmisadvice€concerning€parole€eligibility€can€amount€to€ineffective€assistance€ofÏcounsel."€€òòSparks€v.€Sowdersóó,€852€F.2d€882,€885€(6th€Cir.€1988);€òòseeóó€òògenerallyóó€ÏòòAdkins€v.€Stateóó,€911€S.W.2d€334€(Tenn.€Crim.€App.€1994)€(holding€failure€ofÏcounsel€to€advise€defendant€as€to€collateral€effects€of€guilty€plea€is€not€ineffectiveÏassistance).€€ÌÌà àà àThe€burden€is€on€the€petitioner€to€show€that€the€evidenceÏpreponderates€against€the€findings€of€the€trial€judge.€€òòClenny€v.€Stateóó,€576€S.W.2dÏ12€(Tenn.€Crim.€App.€1978).€€Otherwise,€the€findings€of€fact€by€the€trial€court€areÏconclusive.€€òòGraves€v.€Stateóó,€512€S.W.2d€603€(Tenn.€Crim.€App.€1973).€€In€post„conviction€claims,€the€credibility€of€the€witnesses€and€the€weight€and€value€to€beÏgiven€their€testimony€is€within€the€exclusive€authority€of€the€trial€court.€€òòTaylor€v.ÍStateóó,€875€S.W.2d€684,€686€(Tenn.€Crim.€App.€1993).ÌÌà àà àHere,€the€petitioner€testified€that€his€true€release€eligibility€date€wasÏ2029,€almost€thirty„four€years€after€his€pleas.€€That€date€is€erroneous€asÏacknowledged€by€the€petitioner€in€his€appellate€brief;€thus,€the€testimony€did€notÏenhance€the€petitioner's€credibility.€€The€trial€court€deemed€as€significant€the€factÏthat€no€other€witnesses€testified€on€behalf€of€the€petitioner€as€to€his€releaseÏeligibility€date€allegations€even€though€trial€counsel€had€consulted€with€otherÏmembers€of€the€petitioner's€family€prior€to€the€acceptance€of€the€plea€agreement.€ÏWe€cannot€disagree€with€the€trial€court's€rationale.€€The€record€suggests€that€theÏpetitioner€may€still€be€confused€about€his€release€eligibility€date.€€From€all€of€this,€itÏis€our€view€that€the€petitioner€has€been€unable€to€demonstrate€that€the€evidenceÏpreponderates€against€the€finding€made€by€the€trial€court€that€he€had€beenÏrepresented€within€professional€guidelines.€€ÌÌà àà àIt€follows€then€that€the€petitioner€has€failed€to€demonstrate€that€hisÏplea€was€involuntary€or€unknowing.€€In€òòBoykin€v.€Alabamaóó,€395€U.S.€238€(1969),Ïthe€United€States€Supreme€Court€ruled€that€defendants€should€be€advised€ofÏcertain€of€their€constitutional€rights€before€entering€pleas€of€guilt.€€Included€amongÏthose€required€warnings€are€the€right€against€self„incrimination,€the€right€to€confrontÍwitnesses,€and€the€right€to€a€trial€by€jury.€€òòId.óó€at€243.€€The€overriding€òòBoykinóóÏrequirement€is€that€the€guilty€plea€must€be€knowingly€and€voluntarily€made.€€òòId.óó€atÏ242„44.€€If€the€proof€established€that€the€petitioner€was€aware€of€his€constitutionalÏrights,€he€is€entitled€to€no€relief.€€òòJohnson€v.€Stateóó,€834€S.W.2d€922,€926€(Tenn.Ï1992).€€"[A]€plea€is€not€'voluntary'€if€it€is€the€product€of€'[i]gnorance,Ïincomprehension,€coercion,€terror,€inducements,€[or]€subtle€or€blatant€threats€....'"€ÏòòBlankenship€v.€Stateóó,€858€S.W.2d€897,€904€(Tenn.€1993)€(quoting€òòBoykinóó,€395€U.S.Ïat€242„43).€ÌÌà àà àThe€petitioner€asserts€that€his€plea€was€neither€knowing€nor€voluntaryÏbecause€he€pled€guilty€expecting€to€serve€a€seventeen€year€sentence€rather€than€aÏtwenty„two€year€sentence.€€As€we€have€previously€determined,€however,€theÏpetitioner€has€failed€to€meet€his€burden€of€showing€that€the€evidenceÏpreponderates€against€the€trial€court's€findings.€€The€trial€court€found,€and€we€haveÏagreed,€that€the€petitioner's€trial€counsel€did€not€erroneously€inform€the€petitionerÏhe€would€serve€only€a€seventeen€year€sentence.€€Moreover,€the€petitioner€admittedÏat€the€post„conviction€hearing€that€when€he€entered€his€pleas,€he€had€understoodÏhe€would€receive€a€life€sentence€and€two€concurrent€twenty„five€year€sentences;€heÏfurther€admitted€that€he€understood€each€of€his€rights€at€that€time.€€Thus,€the€recordÏindicates€a€knowing€and€voluntary€plea.€€€ÌÌà àà àAccordingly,€the€judgment€is€affirmed.ÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà à________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àGary€R.€Wade,€Judge€ÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌÌÌ_____________________________ÌDavid€G.€Hayes,€JudgeÌÌÌÌ_____________________________ÌJoe€G.€Riley,€Judge€