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Arrested or Criminal Citation

Arrested or presented with a citation to appear in Court for a criminal charge

General Sessions or Municipal Court

A trial court for misdemeanors and hearing court for felonies

Grand Jury

12 people who meet in secret and evaluate cases that have been waived to the Grand Jury by the defendant or a Direct Presentment is done by the District Attorney’s office and the Grand Jury decides if they will issue a “True Bill” which means they vote for the defendant to be Indicted and the case continue to Circuit Court, If no True Bill is issued the case stops in the Grand Jury

Circuit Court

Typically client will have Arraignment to be read the charges of the Indictment and receive a copy, then the client will either Hire a private attorney, or be appointed the public defender’s office

Circuit Court Plea Deadline

This is the day where the defendant will enter a Plea or set their case for a jury trial – Typically this is the last day to decide if you want a trial or to enter a Plea

Jury Trial

The Defendant will have a jury trial by 12 of their peers, the trial will begin with Voir Dire which is the Jury selection process with questions being asked by both attorneys, then striking jurors from the potential list, and finally swearing in the Jury, then there will be Opening Arguments by the District Attorney, then Defense Counsel, then the District Attorney will call their first witness and proceed through all of their witnesses which are typically police officers on the scene, detectives, witnesses, victims, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and other specialists to testify, then the defense can present their witnesses and the defendant will choose whether he or she would like to testify, the defense can call their own experts and specialists, and then there will be closing arguments by the District Attorney’s office and defense counsel, the Judge will read the Jury Instructions and the Jury will retire to deliberate, select a foreperson, make a decision and announce it to the Judge, attorneys, and defendant

Sentencing Hearing

This hearing will be approximately 45 days from the Jury Trial where the state will call the pre-sentence report creator, other witnesses and victims to testify, and the defense can call witnesses, family members, church members, neighbors, and others to testify on his or her behalf and ask the Judge for probation versus jail or prison time and then the Judge will sentence the defendant

Motion for New Trial

Defense counsel will review the Transcript or typed testimony from the trial and other evidence and prepare a Motion to Argue that the defendant was deprived of a Constitutional Right to a fair trial and receive another trial

Original Appeal to Appellate Court

If the Motion for New Trial is not Granted, defendant’s counsel shall prepare an Appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeals in Nashville on why the Defendant’s conviction and/or sentence should be overturned, modified, sent back down to have a new trial, or other relief that is requested

Rule 11 Application to TN Supreme Court

Rule 11 Application for Permission to Apply to the Tennessee Supreme Court – If the original appeal is denied by the Court of Criminal Appeals, defense counsel shall present a new Appeal with narrower issues to the Tennessee Supreme Court to be reviewed and if accepted defense counsel shall do Oral Argument and briefs in front of the Tennessee Supreme Court

Mandamus

If the Rule 11 Application is denied, the Clerk’s office shall issue a Mandamus and the case is closed at the State level

Writ of Habeas Corpus

The defendant has one year from the date of Mandamus by the Tennessee Supreme Court to file a Petition for Habeas Corpus Relief in Federal Court asking for relief from a state court conviction.

 

 

Post Plea - Post Trial - Post Conviction Relief

 

Post Conviction DNA Act

Asking the Court to test DNA after conviction if new DNA is found or testing processes were not available specific to this case at the time of conviction 

Motion to Correct Illegal Sentence Rule 36.1 Motion
Allows the defendant or the state to file a motion to correct an illegal sentence. The Rule defines illegal sentences as those that are not authorized by law or that directly conflict with the law.

Habeas Corpus at State and Federal Level

Writs of habeas corpus can be filed in state or federal court. A state-court writ of habeas corpus is brought pursuant to Tennessee law, whereas a federal writ is brought under prevailing federal law.

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Writ of Error Coram Nobis

Filing a Petition to correct an error either in admission or denial of evidence, jury instructions, illegal arrest, illegal sentence

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Post Conviction Relief

Putting trial counsel on trial for providing ineffective assistance of counsel leading to convictions

Motion to Correct Pre-Trial Jail or TDOC Sentence Credits
Get your Judgments corrected with accurate pre-trial Jail credits, or to get TDOC to correct TOMIS Sheet with accurate credits for time served before and after plea or trial)

Motion to Reinstate Probation
Technically can be filed every 90 days after probation is revoked to attempt to convince Circuit Court Judge or General Sessions Judge to Reinstate Probation

Motion To Furlough To Rehab
A Circuit Court Trial Judge has a brief amount of time after someone is sentenced and a conviction is final to Furlough someone with a TDOC inmate status to Rehab before they lose Jurisdiction to TDOC

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VERY IMPORTANT TN DRUG LAW UPDATE
Help your friends and family in prison in Tennessee

The DFZ (Drug  Free Zone) laws changed in the State of Tennessee on April 29, 2022 pursuant to TN Laws Pub. Ch. 927 TCA 39-17-432 (h) and Memorandum Summary SB 1528-HB 1449.

Offenders in prison that plead guilty or were sentenced after trial to 100% sentences to serve DAY FOR DAY can now go back before a Circuit Court judge and file a Petition asking to have their case Re-sentenced and have their sentences redone and possibly considered for 30% sentencing instead of 100%. In many cases, eligibility for relief makes parole immediate because of the adjustment to their sentence down from 100% day for day to serve to a much lower amount.

I have helped four (4) people successfully get their sentences drastically reduced and save many years of prison time they now don’t have to serve.