Court Opinion

ID: 9747917
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 15:42:55.322966+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:28.725273
License: Public Domain

SCHRODER, J.,
concurring, in part, and dissenting, in part:
I concur on the manslaughter, burglary, and robbery convictions. However, as to the first-degree assault conviction, I dissent on grounds that the indictment failed to state an offense. RCr 8.18. Hall was only instructed on first-degree assault as a lesser-included offense of attempted wanton murder, which the majority opinion essentially concedes is a non-existent offense. A defendant cannot be convicted of a lesser-included offense of a non-existent crime. See Nease v. State, 592 S.W.2d 327, 332 (Tenn.Crim.App.1979) from our sister state. Although the specific argument was not raised below, failure to charge an offense can be raised by the court at anytime, RCr 8.18, and would constitute palpable error.