A Tennessee appeals court has affirmed the convictions of Nicholas S. Collins, a former Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) trooper, on charges of domestic assault, assault, and aggravated domestic assault. The case stemmed from an incident in February 2022, shortly after Collins’ wife, Whitney Collins, had moved out of their home…
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Court Upholds Sentence of Marcus Anthony Pearson, Rejecting Claims of Illegality
The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals has affirmed the trial court’s decision to deny Marcus Anthony Pearson’s motion to correct his sentence. Pearson, who is serving a life sentence plus 20 years for convictions related to a 2006 case, argued that his sentence was illegal and should be corrected. The…
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Woman’s Attempted Murder Conviction Upheld by Mississippi Appeals Court
Following a jury trial, Shameka Hall was found guilty of attempted capital murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The conviction stemmed from a plot to have her stepbrother kill her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend. Hall appealed the conviction, arguing that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient and that…
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Dog Owner Convicted After Pit Bulls Attack Child
Ray Lee Cockrell has been found guilty of injury to a child by omission after his pit bulls attacked a visiting grandchild, Nathan Smith. The incident occurred when the dogs left Cockrell’s property and encountered Nathan in the woods. The Bowie County jury delivered a guilty verdict and sentenced Cockrell…
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Court Upholds Probation Revocation in DWI Case
The First District Court of Appeals in Texas has upheld a lower court’s decision to revoke the probation of Maxx Austin Burrows. Burrows was originally placed on probation after pleading guilty to a second-offense driving while intoxicated (DWI) charge. The appeals court rejected Burrows’s arguments that the trial court violated…
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Missouri Appeals Court Reverses Ruling in Juvenile Assault Case
The Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, has overturned a lower court’s decision in the case of A.B., a juvenile who was found to have committed second-degree assault. The appeals court ruled that the lower court made a mistake by accepting A.B.’s admission of guilt without properly ensuring it was…
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Ohio Appeals Court Affirms Ruling in Belmont County Child Custody Case
A recent decision by the Seventh Appellate District Court in Ohio has upheld a lower court’s ruling to grant permanent custody of a young child, L.M., to the Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services (the Agency). The case, *In re L.M.*, involved an appeal from the child’s mother,…
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Court Ruling: Attorney Withdrawal Doesn’t Violate Due Process When Defendant Absent
The Connecticut Appellate Court has upheld a lower court’s decision in the case of Herbert A. Clark, who was appealing a denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Clark argued that his due process rights were violated when the trial court allowed his attorney to withdraw from…
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Man Sentenced for Lying to Buy Guns Fails to Overturn Conviction
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction and sentence of Nicholas Craig Woozencroft, who was found guilty of purchasing firearms by making false statements. Woozencroft had appealed his conviction, arguing that the trial court made errors regarding the exclusion of certain evidence and the application of sentencing…
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Court Upholds Sex Offender Community Notice, Citing Agreed Sentence
The Fourth Appellate District Court of Ohio has affirmed the judgment against Charles Storms, who was convicted of sexual battery and gross sexual imposition. Storms had appealed the trial court’s decision, arguing that the community notice sanction he received as a Tier III sex offender was unlawful. However, the appellate…