Opinion ID: 1060413
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Standard of Review by Trial Court

Text: The defendant, relying on this Court's decision in State v. Herron, 767 S.W.2d 151 (Tenn.1989), next contends that the trial court failed to adhere to the same balancing procedure required of the district attorney general when assessing a defendant's suitability for pretrial diversion and that the trial court's failure to set out specific findings of fact is an error requiring this Court to order pretrial diversion. The State argues that where the trial court fails to apply the appropriate standard of review in determining whether the district attorney general abused his or her discretion in denying diversion, the remedy is a remand to the trial court for appropriate proceedings and not a grant of diversion. The State further argues that a remand is not necessary in this case because the trial court properly found that the district attorney general did not abuse his discretion in denying pretrial diversion. In reviewing this issue, we first clarify that a writ of certiorari is available to review the actions of administrative tribunals and to review the denial of pretrial diversion. See Ben H. Cantrell, Review of Administrative Decisions by Writ of Certiorari in Tennessee, 4 Mem. St. L.Rev. 19, 20 (1973); Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-15-105(b)(3) (1997 & Supp.2001). A writ of certiorari to review the grant or denial of pretrial diversion requires that the trial court review the method used by the district attorney general, but not the intrinsic correctness of the decision. See Review of Administrative Decisions by Writ of Certiorari in Tennessee, 4 Mem. St. L.Rev. at 28; Arnold v. Tennessee Bd. of Paroles, 956 S.W.2d 478, 480 (Tenn.1997). In reviewing the district attorney general's decision, therefore, the trial court must not re-weigh the evidence, but must consider whether the district attorney general has weighed and considered all of the relevant factors and whether there is substantial evidence in the record to support the district attorney general's reasons for denying diversion. See Review of Administrative Decisions by Writ of Certiorari in Tennessee, 4 Mem. St. L.Rev. at 30; see also State v. Bell, 69 S.W.3d at 177. In State v. Herron , this Court addressed whether the trial court erred by affirming the district attorney general's denial of pretrial diversion. We stated: The trial judge must also adhere to the same balancing procedure [used by the district attorney general], which must be followed on a case-by-case basis, assigning due significance to all relevant factors, and set out in findings of fact and/or his order affirming or reversing the prosecutors decision. It is only thus that meaningful appellate review may be had and the likelihood sustained that pretrial diversion will serve the ends of justice and the best interest of both the public and the defendant. 767 S.W.2d at 156. This statement in Herron was meant to clarify that the trial court should examine each relevant factor in the pretrial diversion process to determine whether the district attorney general has considered that factor and whether the district attorney general's finding with respect to that factor is supported by substantial evidence. To the extent that this language in Herron , or any other case, indicates that the trial court must conduct the same balancing procedure that a district attorney general must undertake and re-weigh the district attorney general's decision, it is overruled for conflicting with the very nature of certiorari review. Now that we have clarified the proper standard of review on writ of certiorari, we turn to the facts of this case. At the certiorari hearing in this case, the trial court stated: I do not find evidence that the State has grossly or patently abused its discretion in this case given the nature of this case and the facts or at least the facts that have been reported and supported by your client's statement. This does seem to be a case where the circumstances of the crime and the need for deterrence outweigh any other relative factors that would justify pretrial diversion. And I find therefore that the State has not abused its discretion in this case and deny the motion for certiorari in this case. These findings are ambiguous as to the standard applied by the trial court. It appears initially that the trial court properly applied the abuse of discretion standard of review. The trial court, however, recites only two of the factors in the context of outweigh[ing] any other factors. The trial court does not state whether the district attorney general considered all of the relevant factors or whether the district attorney general's findings were supported by substantial evidence. Therefore, we conclude that this case should be remanded to the trial court for application of the proper standard of review.