ERIC BLEDSOE v. GRADY PERRY, WARDEN - Articles

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ERIC BLEDSOE v. GRADY PERRY, WARDEN

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Feb 25, 2026

Court: TN Court of Criminal Appeals

Attorneys 1: Eric Bledsoe, Clifton, Tennessee, Pro Se.

Attorneys 2: Jonathan Skrmetti, Attorney General and Reporter; Ronald L. Coleman, Senior Assistant Attorney General; and Steve Mulroy, District Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge(s): HIXSON

The Petitioner, Eric Bledsoe, appeals the trial court’s summary dismissal of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Specifically, he contends he is entitled to relief due to a defective indictment for his underlying charge of aggravated rape. However, as pointed out by the State, the Petitioner’s notice of appeal was filed late. Following our review, we conclude that the interest of justice does not require waiver of the timely filing requirement because the Petitioner’s explanation for the late filing is based upon a misunderstanding of the “prison mailbox rule,” see Tennessee Rule of Appellate Procedure 20(g), and the nature of his defective indictment issue does not warrant such. Accordingly, we dismiss the appeal.

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