IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TENNESSEE
AT NASHVILLE FILED AUGUST 1998 SESSION October 19, 1998
Cecil W. Crowson Appellate Court Clerk STATE OF TENNESSEE, ) ) C.C.A. NO. 01C01-9708-CC-00344 Appellee, ) ) MONTGOMERY COUNTY V. S ) ) HON. JOHN H. GASAWAY III, FRANK WAYNE HILL, ) JUDGE ) Appellant. ) (AggravatedRobbery)
FORTHEAPPELLANT: F RT EA P L E : O H P EL E
GREGORY D. SMITH JOHN KNOX WALKUP OneP Square, Suite321 ublic Attorney General &Reporter Clarksville, TN37040 (OnAppeal) DARYL J. BRAND Asst. Attorney General STACY A. TURNER 425FifthAve., North 1 5 S u T irdS 0 o th h t. Nashville, TN 37243 Clarksville, TN 37040 (A T l) t ria JOHN W. CARNEY District Attorney General
DANIEL BROLLIER Asst. District Attorney General 204FranklinSt., Suite200 Clarksville, TN 37040
O IN NF E : P IO IL D
CONVICTION AFFIRMED; REMANDED FOR RESENTENCING
JOHN H. PEAY, Judge OPINION
TheMontgom Countygrandjury indictedthedefendantononecountofaggravatedrobbery. OnS ery eptember
18, 1996,ajury foundthedefendantguiltyof thechargedoffense. OnOctober18, 1996,thetrial court sentencedthedefendant,
asaRangeIstandardoffender, toatermofeight years, tobeservedinthecomm correctionsprogram. Thecourt ordered unity
thissentencetobeservedconsecutivelytoafour year sentenceof incarcerationonapriorrobbery conviction.1
O Novem 18, 1996,thetrial court, suasponte, heldasecondsentencinghearinginorder toconsiderthe n ber
effect ofanother indictm against thedefendant whichthecourt wasm awareof aftertheoriginal sentencinghearing. The ent ade
tria court am l ended its original sentence and ordered that the eight year sentence be served in the Tennessee Departm of ent
Correctionratherthaninacomm correctionsprogram. unity
Thedefendant appeals, challengingthesufficiencyof theevidenceusedtoconvict himandthelegalityof the
sentencewhch wa impo After areviewoftherecordandtheap icablelaw,wefindnom tothedefend sufficiency i s sed. pl erit ant's
challenge;however, weremandthecaseforresentencing.
O theeveningofJuly27, 1995,EricTannerwasrobbedatgunpoint ataconveniencestore. Hew onhis n as
wayhom fromworkandstoppedtobuy gas. Afterhefinishedpumping thegas, hewalkedtowardtheconveniencestore and e
wasstoppedbyayoungmale. Them begantotalktothevictimand,as theconversationwenton, hebeganto backintoa an
darker areabesidethestore. Them thenpulledouta gun,pointedthegundirectlyat thevictim face, andorderedthevictim an 's
togivehimall hismoney. Whe thevictimsaidhehadnom n oney, them reachedintothevictim backpocket andpulledout an 's
his wallet. T m thenorderedthevic toem h fro pock A th vic co plied them orderedthevic to he an tim pty is nt ets. fter e tim m , an tim
turn around an run aw d ay.
Hill was on post-trial diversion in the prior robbery case and this conviction for aggravated robbery resulted in this diversion being terminated.
Duringthedefendant'strial, thevictimpositively identifiedthedefendantas therobber. Thevictimtestified
that atthetim oftherobberyhehadvaguelyrecognizedtherobber butcouldnotrem ber ane nam Approxim two e em xact e. ately
monthsafte th ro r e bbery, th victimre edtosc andbegantolook thro oldye ooksinaneffo tofindout th ro e turn hool ugh arb rt e bber's
ide Accordingtothevictim hefoundthedefendant'spictureandtheninform thepoice. Thep icethensho dthevictim ntity. , ed l ol we
aphotoline-upandheagainidentifiedthedefendantas therobber.
As the victim identification of the defendant was the major proof against himat the trial, the defendant 's
challengesthesufficiencyof theevidenceusedtoconvict him Thedefendant contendsthat thevictim identificationisunreliable. . 's
Insupport of thisthedefendant pointstothefact that therewasasixweektim lapsebetweentherobbery andthedefendant's e
arrest. Thedefenda alsocontendsthat thevictimfoundthedefendant'spictureintheyearbook onlyafterthepolicehadgiven nt
himthe defenda nam According to the de nt's e. fendant, the victim's identificationisalsounreliablebecausethedefendant does
not exa m thedesc ctly atch riptionof therobber give by th vic inthepolicere n e tim port.
Thedefenda also contend that the evidenceis insufficient to support his conviction becausethe victim's nt