Opinion ID: 2165868
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Petitioner's Convictions

Text: The jury convicted the Petitioner of facilitating the first degree premeditated murder of Ben White, facilitating the attempted first degree premeditated murders of Jerome Jones and Leo White, and facilitating the aggravated assaults of Jerome Jones and Leo White. The trial court merged these latter two convictions with the two convictions of facilitation of attempted first degree murder. Our criminal code provides that [a] person is criminally responsible for the facilitation of a felony, if, knowing that another intends to commit a specific felony, but without the intent required for criminal responsibility under § 39-11-402(2), the person knowingly furnishes substantial assistance in the commission of the felony. Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-11-403(a) (2006). [7] The Sentencing Commission Comments to this section explain, The section states a theory of vicarious responsibility because it applies to a person who facilitates criminal conduct of another by knowingly furnishing substantial assistance to the perpetrator of a felony, but who lacks the intent to promote or assist in, or benefit from, the felony's commission. First degree premeditated murder is defined as [a] premeditated and intentional killing of another. Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-202(a)(1) (2006). A premeditated killing is one done after the exercise of reflection and judgment. Id. at (d). Premeditation means that the intent to kill must have been formed prior to the act itself. It is not necessary that the purpose to kill pre-exist in the mind of the accused for any definite period of time. The mental state of the accused at the time the accused allegedly decided to kill must be carefully considered in order to determine whether the accused was sufficiently free from excitement and passion as to be capable of premeditation. Id. Premeditation may be inferred from the manner and circumstances of the killing. Bland, 958 S.W.2d at 660. Factors tending to demonstrate premeditation include the use of a deadly weapon upon an unarmed victim and declarations by the accused of an intent to kill. Id. Other circumstances supporting an inference of premeditation include lack of provocation, State v. Anderson, 835 S.W.2d 600, 605 (Tenn.Crim.App.1992), and the accused's failure to render aid to the victim, State v. Fugate, 776 S.W.2d 541, 545 (Tenn.Crim. App.1988). An intentional killing is one committed by a person who acts intentionally with respect . . . to a result of the conduct when it is the person's conscious objective or desire to . . . cause the result. Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-11-302(a) (2006). In this case, the evidence is sufficient to support the Petitioner's conviction of facilitating the first degree premeditated murder of Ben White if it establishes that the Petitioner provided one or both of his cohorts with substantial assistance, knowing that one or both of his cohorts intended to commit the premeditated murder, but without the intent to promote or benefit from the murder. See State v. Rice, 184 S.W.3d 646, 676 (Tenn.2006); State v. Jackson, 52 S.W.3d 661, 666 (Tenn.Crim. App.2001) (jury convicted defendant of facilitating first degree murder by finding that he knowingly furnished substantial assistance in the murder while knowing that others intended to murder the victim). Our review of the evidence convinces us that the State had adduced sufficient evidence at the close of its case-in-chief to support the Petitioner's conviction of facilitating the first degree premeditated murder of Ben White. Taking this evidence in the light most favorable to the State and drawing all reasonable inferences therefrom, the State established that Jones and the Petitioner had an argument on the day before the gunfight. Later that same day, both Jones and Sanders saw the Petitioner carrying a handgun in the vicinity of Jones' apartment. The next day, the Petitioner and two of his cohorts visited Jones at Jones' apartment. They accused Jones of threatening to kill the Petitioner. In the Petitioner's presence, Huey pistol-whipped Jones and then tried to take Jones outside with the stated intention of shooting him. When Jones' cousin intervened, Huey let go of Jones and warned Jones' cousin to mind his own business. Huey left the apartment, fired his gun into the air, and declared, that will teach them to mess with my family. Later that evening, the Petitioner, Huey, and Gills were seen together near Jones' apartment immediately before the gunfight began. Stevens and Sanders each saw Gills firing a gun. Works and Goff saw Huey with a long gun, and Goff testified that she saw Huey shooting the gun. The shots were fired toward the area in which Ben and Leo White were standing and which Jones was beginning to leave. The evidence gathered at the scene of the crimes established that at least three guns had been fired from the vicinity in which the Petitioner, Huey, and Gills had been seen during the gunfight. Specifically, Steve Scott testified that two different nine-millimeter guns and an assault-style rifle were fired from the area extending from the corner of the building into the street. The State adduced no testimony placing anyone other than the three defendants in that area. No witness saw either Huey or Gills with more than one gun. A bullet of the type shot by an assault rifle was recovered during Ben White's emergency treatment. While no witness for the State testified to having seen the Petitioner holding or firing a gun on the night of the gunfight, a reasonable inference is that he shot one of the two nine-millimeter guns fired from this area. The testimony at trial established that the defendants formed a firing line while at least two of them aimed their weapons toward a group of unarmed persons, and, without provocation, opened fire. While accompanied by the Petitioner, Huey had been heard threatening to shoot Jones earlier that day. A total of seventeen shell casings fired from at least three different guns was found in the area in which the defendants were seen during the gunfire. Two bullets struck and killed Ben White. A third bullet struck and injured Leo White. The defendants rendered no aid to their victims. This proof establishes that one or more of the defendants shot and killed Ben White intentionally and with premeditation It further establishes that one or more of the defendants intentionally and with premeditation attempted to shoot and kill Leo White and Jerome Jones. Under the facts and circumstances of this case, it is reasonable to infer that the Petitioner fired one of the nine-millimeter weapons. Even if he did not fire directly at any of the victims, his participation in the gunfight supports the conclusion that he provided substantial assistance to Huey and Gills. Accordingly, as of the close of the State's case-in-chief, the proof was sufficient to support the Petitioner's conviction of facilitating the first degree murder of Ben White. The same proof also supports the Petitioner's convictions of facilitating the attempted first degree murders of Leo White and Jerome Jones. Witnesses saw Huey and Gills open fire while Jones was in the general vicinity of his uncles. Leo White testified that the shots which hit him and his brother Ben came from the direction in which Huey, Gills and the Petitioner were seen. Leo was hit by one of the bullets. Jones was able to avoid being hit by running onto his porch and then up the stairs in the breezeway. Nevertheless, he was the victim of an attempted premeditated murder. The Petitioner facilitated the commission of these two attempted first degree premeditated murders in the same manner that he facilitated the first degree murder of Ben White. Because the State's proof at the close of its case-in-chief was sufficient to support the Petitioner's convictions, which are lesser-included offenses of the crimes which with he was charged, the Petitioner suffered no prejudice by the manner in which his lawyer handled the motion for judgment of acquittal. Had counsel insisted the trial court rule and had the trial court then denied the motion, the Petitioner would not have been entitled to a reversal on direct appeal even had his lawyer stood on the motion. Accordingly, because he has failed to establish that his lawyer's performance prejudiced him, the Petitioner is not entitled to post-conviction relief. It is therefore unnecessary for us to address the Petitioner's contention that his proper remedy is the entry of a judgment of acquittal.