# FILED
October 1, 199 7 Cecil Crowson, Jr . App ellate C ou rt Clerk IN THE COU RT OF CR IMINA L A PPEA LS OF TENN ESSEE

AT KNOXVILLE SEPTEMBER S ESSION, 1997

KENNETH L OWE, ) ) No. 03C01-9612 -CR-00467 Appellant ) ) JOHNSON COUNTY vs. ) ) Hon. Lynn W. Brown, Judge HOWA RD CA RLTON, ) WARDEN, and STA

TE OF ) (Writ of Habeas Corp us) TENNESSEE, ) ) Ap pellee )
For the Appell ant : For the Appell ee : Ke nn et h L owe , Pro Se Charles W. Burson 212010 NECC Attorney Gen eral and Repor ter P. O. Box 5000 Mountain Cit

y, TN 37683- 5000 Michael J. Fah ey, II Assistant Att orney Gener al Criminal J ustice Div ision 450 James Roberts on Parkway Nashvil le, TN 37243-0493 (AT TRIAL AND O N APPEAL)

OPINION FILE D:
AFFIRMED PURSUANT TO R ULE 20
David G . Hayes Judge2 OPINION
The appellant, Ke nneth Lowe, appeals the trial court’s dism issal of his pro se petition for w rit of habeas cor pus relief. In September of 1992, the appel lant was convicted by a Bradley County jury of the offenses of at tempt to commit rape and a ggrava ted r ape and wa s sub sequ entl y sent ence d to a n ef fec tive sentence of fifteen year s imprisonment. He is cur rently confined at the Northeast Cor rectional C enter in Johnso n County. The appellant filed th e instant petition all eging that

the judgments entered against him are void because the indictment failed to allege th e mens rea of the off enses charged. The trial court dismissed the p etition on the bas is that alle gations concerning the s ufficiency of the indictment ar

e not the proper subject of habeas co rpus relief. We agree with this ruli ng. See Haggard v. State , 475 S.W.2d 186, 187 (Tenn. Crim. App

. 1971); Brown v . State , 445 S.W.2d 669, 674 (Tenn. Crim. App . 1969); Barb er v. State , No. 01C01-940 8-CR-00281 (Tenn. Crim. App. at Nashvi lle, Feb. 23, 1995). Accor

dingly , we affirm the tr ial court' s dismissal of the petition.
Moreover, upon further review, we find the substance of the appellant's claim wi thout merit. I n order for an i ndictment to sati sfy both consti tutional and statutory guidelines , it must contai n the material e lements of the offense and must sufficiently

apprise the accused of the offense he is called upon to defend. State v. Tate , 912 S.W.2d 785, 789 (Tenn. Crim. App . 1995); see also Tenn. Code Ann. §40-13- 202 (1990); State v. Per kinson , 867 S. W.2d 1, 5 (Tenn . Cri m. App. 1992). As p reviousl y stated by panels of this court, no req uisite mental state is inc luded in the defini tions of the offenses of rape and aggrav ated rape. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 39- 13-502; -503. When the legis lature fails t o define a specific mental state in the definit ion of an offense, proof of either intent, knowledg e, or reckl essness suffices t o establish th e culpable mental state. Tenn. Code Ann. § 39- 11-301(c)( 1991). Accor dingly , the accused' s mental3 state is not a material element of the offense and need not be included in the indictment. State v. Di son , No. 03C01-960 2-CC-00051 (Tenn. Crim. App. at Knoxvil le, Jan. 31, 1997) . Other panels of this court ha

ve upheld the validity

of indictments under

similar c hallenges. See, e. g. , Slagle v . State , No. 03C01- 9704-CR-00145 (Tenn. Crim. Ap p. at Knoxv ille, June 25, 1997); State v. Vann , No. 03C01-9602-CC-00066 (Te nn. Crim. App. at Knoxville, June 10, 1997); State v. James , No. 01C01-9601-CR-00016 (Te nn. Crim. App. at Nashville, Mar. 27, 1997); State v. Burrell , No. 03C01-940 4-CR-00157 (Tenn. Crim. App. at Knoxvil le, Feb. 11, 1997)

. Contrary to the appellant' s assertions , the allegations in the i ndictment sufficiently a pprise the acc used of the offenses of attempt to co mmit rape and aggravated rape. Consequently, we find the indictment valid. The trial court's dismissal of the appellant's pet ition for w rit of habeas cor pus is affirmed purs uant to Rule 20, Rules of the Court of Criminal Appeals.

___________________________________ DAVID G. HA YES, Judge

CONCUR:

_______________________________ JOHN H. PEA Y, Judge

_______________________________ W ILLIAM M. BARKER, Judge