Opinion ID: 1060730
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: admission of webb judgment of conviction

Text: The state introduced the judgment showing that the defendant had been found guilty of the first degree murder of Webb. Defendant contends this judgment was erroneously relied upon by the state as an aggravating circumstance. No contemporaneous objection was made to the introduction of this evidence. The issue is, therefore, waived. Tenn. R.App. P. 36(a); State v. Walker, 910 S.W.2d 381, 386 (Tenn.1995). We will, nevertheless, address this issue. This was a re-sentencing hearing only as guilt had already been determined and affirmed on the previous appeal. The state was entitled to show to the jury that the defendant had in fact been convicted of the first degree murder for which the jury was to determine the sentence. Defendant's primary argument is that the state was improperly allowed to use this first degree murder conviction as an aggravating circumstance in the same case. The state relied upon one (1) aggravating circumstance; namely, the defendant was previously convicted of one (1) or more felonies, other than the present charge, whose statutory elements involved the use or threat of violence to the person. Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-2-203(i)(2) (1982) (emphasis added). Obviously, the state could not rely upon the present conviction as one of the previous violent felony convictions. However, our reading of the record does not indicate that the state relied upon this conviction as one of the prior violent felonies. From voir dire through final argument the state contended that the defendant had been convicted of three (3) prior felony offenses involving violence or the threat of violence; namely, two (2) robberies and the first degree murder of Pierce. The trial judge further instructed the jury that the state alleged the defendant had been previously convicted of murder in the first degree and two (2) robberies. The trial court was obviously referring to the Pierce first degree murder conviction which had been made an exhibit. This issue is without merit.