### IN THE CO URT OF CR IMINAL APPEALS OF T ENN ESSEE AT JACKSON Ass ig ne d o n B rie fs Marc h 1 , 20 11

STATE OF TENNESS EE v . PHIL LI P WAYNE FLOW ERS

D i r e c t A p p e a l f

r o m t h e C i r c u i t C o u r t f o r G i b s o n C o u n t y N o
. 1 7 5 9 3 C l a y b u r n L

. P e e p l e s , J u d g e

N o
. W 2 0 1 0

- 0 0 9 8 0

- C C A

- R 3

- C D

- F i l e d M a y 5 , 2 0 1 1

T h e d e f e n d a n t
, P h illip Way

n e F lo w ers, w h o p led g u ilty to o n e co u n t o f sex u al b attery
, a C lass E f elo n y , an d w as sen ten ced to o n e y ear o n co m m u n ity co rrectio n s, ap p eals th e trial

co u rt’s d en ial o f h is m o tio n to w ith d ra w h i s g u ilty p lea. A f ter rev iew

, w e af

f irm th e j u d g m en t o f

th e trial co u rt.

T e n n
. R

. A p p
. P

. 3 A p p e a l a s o f R i g h t ; J u d g m e n t o f t h e C i r c u i t C o u r t A f f i r m e d

A LA N E

. G LE N N , J

. , d e l i v e r e d t h e o p i n i o n o f t h e C o u r t
, i n w h i c h R O B E R T W

. W E D E M E Y E R

a n d C A M ILL E R

. M C M U LLE N , J J

. , j o i n e d

.

C l i f f o r d K

. M c G o w n , J r

. , W a v e r l y , T e n n e s s e e ( o n a p p e a l ) ; a n d T o m W

. C r i d e r , D i s t r i c t
P u b l i c D e f

e n d e r ( a t t r i a l a n d o n a p p e a l ) ; a n d R a c h e l e S c o t t
, A s s i s t a n t P u b l i c D e f e n d e r ( a t

t r i a l )

, f o r t h e a p p e l l a n t
, P h i l l i p W a y n e F l o w e r s

.

R o b e r t E

. C o o p e r , J r

. , A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l a n d R e p o r t e r ; D a v i d H

. F i n d l e y , S e n i o r C o u n s e l ; G a r r y G

. B r o w n , D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l ; a n d E d w a r d L

. H a r d i s t e r , A s s i s t a n t D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l

, f

o r t h e a p p e l l e e , S t a t e o f T e n n e s s e e

.

O P I N I O N

F A C T S a n d P R O C E D U R A L H IS T O R Y

In early M arch 2 0 0 7

, th e d ef en d a n t w as in d icted o n o n e co u n t o f sex u al b attery b y

an au th o rity f

ig u re an d o n e co u n t o f sex u al b attery related to acts alleg ed l y c o mmitted
ag ain st h is step d au g h ter. T h e sex u al b attery b y an au th o rity f

ig u re ch arg e w as d ism issed

, an d th e d ef

en d an t p led g u ilty to sex u al b attery o n M ay 7

, 2 0 0 7

. H e w as sen ten ced to o n e y ear o n co m m

u n ity co rrectio n s as a stan d ard o f f en d er. T h e j u d g m en t f

o rm states th at j u d g m en t w as en tered an d sen ten ced im p o sed o n M ay 7

, 2 0 0 7

, an d b ears a f ile-stam p d ateo f M ay 2 9

, 2 0 0 7

. H o w ev er, a sen ten cin g o rd er is also p resen t in th e reco rd

, w h ich b ears a

f ile-stam p d ate o f Ju n e 4 , 2 0 0 7

.

O n Ju n e 5

, 2 0 0 7

, th e d ef en d a n t
, t h r o u g h co u n sel, f iled a m o tio n to w ith d raw h is
g u ilty p lea b ased o n th e v ictim ’s recan tin g h er alleg atio n ag ain st th e d ef en d an t. A h earin g

w as h eld o n th e m atter o n S ep tem b er 1 7

, 2 0 0 7

, b u t n o p ro o f w as o f f ered

. T h e S tate arg u ed th at an y recan tatio n b y th e v ictim w as u n reliab le b ecau se sh e h ad recan ted o n ce b ef o re af ter h av in g b een p ressu red b y h er f am ily

. T h e S tate also p o in ted o u t th at th e d ef en d an t, w h o h ad

a d rin k in g p ro b lem

, h ad ad m itted to in ad v erten tly to u ch in g th e v ictim ’s b reast w h en h e w as in to x icated

. D ef

en se co u n sel asserted th at th ey h ad a tap e reco rd in g o f th e v ictim ’s latest

recan tatio n an d th at th e v ictim w as q u estio n ed co n cern in g w h eth er sh e h ad b een p ressu red

to recan t. D ef

en se co u n sel stated th at th e v ictim m ain tain ed th at sh e h ad n o t b een p ressu red

an d w as recan tin g b ecau se th e alleg atio n s ag ain st th e d ef en d an t h ad n o t h ap p en ed

. T h e trial

co u rt o b serv ed th at it d id n o t b eliev e th at a recan tatio n w as j u stif icatio n f o r w ith d raw al o f

a g u ilty p lea u n d er th e law an d d en ied th e d ef en d an t’s m o tio n

. H o w ev er, th e co u rt ask ed f o r a tran scrip t o f

th e tap e reco rd in g o f

th e v ictim ’s recan tatio n

.

A t a h earin g o n M arch 2 4

, 2 0 0 8

, th e S tate ack n o w led g ed th at th e v ictim h ad recan ted h er alleg atio n s an d t h a t sh e co n tin u ed to m ain tain th at sh e h ad f ab ricated th e alleg atio n s. H o w ev er, th e S tate asserted th at th ere w as a h isto ry o f th e v ictim

b ein g m an ip u lated

. T h e

co u rt d en ied th e m o tio n to w ith d raw b u t later stay ed th at o rd er af ter a m o tio n to reco n sid er b y th e d ef en d an t in d icated th at th e d ef en d an t h ad n o t b een p resen t at th e h earin g

.

O n M ay 7

, 2 0 0 8

, th e trial co u rt en tered an o rd er f in d in g th a t t h e d e f

en d an t h ad

co m p leted h is sen ten ce.

A t a h earin g o n J u ly 2 8

, 2 0 0 8

, th e trial co u rt in stru cted d ef en se co u n sel to p ro v id e

a sy n o p sis o f w h at th e d ef

en d an t’s w itn esses w o u ld say if th ey testif ied

. T h e t r i a l c o u r t stated th at it w o u ld m ak e a d eterm in atio n as to w h eth er it w o u ld g ran t a h earin g a f ter it

rev iew ed th e sy

n o p sis.

A t a h earin g o n N o v em

b er 2 4

, 2 0 0 8

, d ef

en se co u n sel in f

o rm ed th e co u rt th at tw o o f th e d ef en se w itn esses h ad n o t b een serv ed w i t h s u b p o e n as. T h e co u rt ag ain d en ied th e d ef en d an t’s m o tio n to w ith d raw b u t in f o rm ed th e d ef

en d an t th at h e co u ld su b m it a w ritten

o f f er o f p ro o f an d set th e m atter f

o r an o th er co u rt d ate.

T h ereaf ter, th e case w as co n tin u ed at least tw ice, an d o n S ep tem b er 1 4

, 2 0 0 9

, th e trial

co u rt f iled an o rd er p erm ittin g th e d ef en d an t to d ep o se th e S tate’s w itn esse s

. T h e S tate

o b j ected to th e tak in g o f d ep o sitio n s, an d th e trial co u rt o rd ered th at th e d ef en d an t m ak e h is

o f f er o f p ro o f in th e f o rm o f af f id av its o f th e w itn esses.

-2-It ap p ears th at th e n ex t su b stan tial actio n in th e case o c c u r red o n M arch 1 9

, 2 0 1 0

,

w h en th e d ef

en d an t f iled a m o tio n f

o r reco n sid eratio n o f th e trial co u rt’s d ecisi o n n o t to
g ran t h im a h earin g o n th e m erits o f h is m o tio n to w ith d raw h is g u ilty p lea. T h e d ef en d an t attach ed to h is m o tio n af

f id av its f ro m th e v ictim an d th ree o th er w itn esses w h o stated th at th e v ictim

to ld th em

th at sh e lied ab o u t th e alleg atio n s ag ain st th e d ef en d an t.

A t a h earin g o n M arch 2 9

, 2 0 1 0

, th e trial co u rt d en ied th e d ef en d an t’s mo t i o n to

reco n sid er. T h e co u rt en tered a w ritten o rd er o n A p ril 5

, 2 0 1 0

. I n i t s o r d e r, th e co u rt

o b serv ed th at th e v ictim h ad recan ted h er statem en t p rio r to th e p relim in ary h earin g , b u t th en stated th at sh e h ad b een co erced in to recan tin g an d testif ied at th e p relim in ary h earin g , an d th en later recan ted af

ter th e g u ilty p lea. T h e co u rt f o u n d th at th ere w a s n o leg al au th o rity

u p o n w h ich to g ran t th e d ef en d an t’s m o tio n to w ith d raw an d d en ied th e m o tio n

.

A N A L Y S IS

O n ap p eal, th e d ef

en d an t arg u es th at th e trial co u rt erred in d en y in g h is m o tio n to

w ith d raw h is g u ilty p lea b ecau se a recan tatio n b y th e v ictim m eets th e stan d ard o f “m an if est in j u stice” req u ired to w ith d raw a p lea af ter sen ten cin g

. H e ask s th at th is co u rt p erm it h im

to eith er w ith d raw h is g u ilty p lea o r req u ire a f

u ll ev id en tiary

h earin g o n h is m o tio n

.

A s an in itial m atter, w e n o te th at th e d ef en d an t h as f

ailed to in clu d e a tran sc r i p t o f th e g u ilty p lea h earin g in th e reco rd o n ap p eal. A tran scrip t o f th e p lea h earin g in w h ich th e S tate’s p ro o f o f th e d ef en d an t’s g u ilt w as set o u t w o u ld lik ely b e relev an t to o u r

co n sid eratio n o f th e issu e. It is th e d u ty o f th e d ef en d an t “to p rep are a reco rd w h ich co n v ey s

a f air, accu rate an d co m

p lete acco u n t o f w h at tran sp ired w ith resp ect to th e issu es f o rm in g th e b asis o f

th e ap p eal.” S tate v

. B allard

, 8 5 5 S .W.2 d 5 5 7

, 5 6 0 (T en n . 1 9 9 3 ) (citin g S tate

v

. B u n ch

, 6 4 6 S .W.2 d 1 5 8

, 1 6 0 (T en n

. 1 9 8 3 )). “A b sen t th e n ecessary relev an t m aterial in th e reco rd an ap p ellate co u rt can n o t co n sid er th e m erits o f an issu e.” Id . at 5 6 1

.

Waiv er n o tw ith stan d in g , T en n essee R u le o f C rim in al P ro ced u re 3 2 (f )(1 ) p ro v id es th at a trial co u rt m ay g ran t a m o tio n to w ith d raw a g u ilty p lea “f o r an y f air an d j u st reaso n ” b ef o re sen ten ce is im

p o sed

, o r to co rrect m an if est in j u stice af ter th e sen ten ce is im

p o sed b u t b ef o re th e j u d g m en t b eco m es f in a l

. M an if

est in j u stice is p resen t w h ere (1 ) th e p lea w as

en tered a s a r e s u l t o f f

ear, f rau d

, o r m isu n d erstan d in g ; (2 ) th e S tate f ailed to d isclo se

e x c u l p a t o r y ev id en ce as req u ired b y B rad y v

. M ary lan d

, 3 7 3 U .S

. 8 3 (1 9 6 3 ); (3 ) th e p lea

w as n o t k n o w in g ly

, u n d erstan d in g ly

, an d v o lu n tarily en tered ; o r (4 ) th e d ef en d an t w as d en ied th e ef

f ectiv e assistan ce o f co u n sel in co n n ectio n w ith e n t e rin g th e p lea. S tate v

. C ro w e, 1 6 8 S .W.3 d 7 3 1

, 7 4 2 (T en n

. 2 0 0 5 ). It is th e d ef en d an t’s b u rd en o f estab lish in g th at th e p lea o f g u ilty sh o u ld b e w ith d raw n to p rev en t “m an if est in j u stice.” S tate v

. T u rn er, 9 1 9 S .W.2 d 3 4 6

, 3 5 5 (T en n

. C rim

. A p p

. 1 9 9 5 ). In d eterm in in g w h eth e r t h e d e f en d an t h as

-3-carried th is b u rd en , th e trial co u rt m u st d eterm in e w h eth er th e d ef en d an t an d an y w itn esses p resen ted to estab lish “m an if est in j u stice” are cred ib le. Id

. T h e d ecisio n w h eth er to g ran t

a m o tio n to w ith d raw a p lea o f g u ilty rests w ith th e so u n d d iscretio n o f th e trial co u r t an d

w ill n o t b e rev e r s e d ab sen t an ab u se o f d iscretio n

. S tate v

. D rak e, 7 2 0 S .W.2 d 7 9 8

, 7 9 9 (T en n . C rim . A p p . 1 9 8 6 ).

A s co n ced ed b y th e d e f

e n d a n t, b ecau se h e f

iled h is m o tio n to w ith d raw af ter h is

sen ten ce w as imp o s ed

, h is m o tio n sh o u ld h av e o n ly b een g ran ted to co rrect a m an if est in j u stice. R ely in g o n th e af f id av its o f th ree w itn esses claim in g th at th e v ictim to ld th em th at sh e h ad lied ab o u t h er al l e g a t i o n s ag ain st th e d ef en d an t, an d an af

f id av it f ro m th e v ictim h erself an d tran scrip t o f h er reco rd ed recan tatio n , th e d ef en d an t arg u es th at h is in n o cen ce is “clearly

d em o n strate[ d ] .”

T h e d ef en d an t w as p resu m ab ly aw are o f w h e t h er h e co m m itted th e ch arg ed crim e, b u t n e v e r t h eless ch o se to en ter a p lea. T h u s, h is p lea w as k n o w in g an d v o lu n tary

. I n ad d itio n , th ere are n o alleg atio n s th at th e d ef en d an t en tered th e p lea as a resu lt o f f ear, f rau d

, o r m isu n d erstan d in g ; th at th e S tate f ailed to d isclo se ex cu lp ato ry ev id en ce; o r th at th e d ef en d an t w as d en ied th e ef f ectiv e assistan ce o f c o u n sel in co n n ectio n w ith en terin g th e p lea. F u rth erm o re, th is co u rt h as p rev io u sly su g g ested th at a recan tatio n b y a v ictim d o es

n o t satisf

y th e m an if

est in j u stice stan d ard

. S ee C h arles G ates v

. S tate, N o

. 0 3 C 0 1 -9 5 1 0 -C C -0 0 3 1 3

, 1 9 9 7 WL 6 7 4 7 7 1

, at * 4 (T en n

. C rim

. A p p

. O ct. 3 1

, 1 9 9 7 ), p erm

. to ap p eal d en ied (T en n

. M ar. 2

, 1 9 9 8 )

. In lig h t o f th e trial co u rt’s im p licit cred ib ility d eterm in atio n ag ain st th e v i ctim in its f in d in g th at th e v ictim h ad p rev io u sly recan ted h er

accu satio n s an d th en af

f irm ed h er accu satio n s an d th en recan ted ag ain

, w e can n o t co n clu d e th at th e trial co u rt ab u sed its d iscretio n in d en y in g th e d ef en d an t’s m o tio n to w ith d raw h is
g u ilty p lea.

C O N C L U S IO N

B ased o n th e f

o reg o in g au th o rities an d reaso n in g , w e af f irm th e j u d g m en t o f th e trial

co u rt.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A L A N E

. G L E N N

, J U D G E

-4-