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State v. Christopher Knighton
Citation: Not availableDocket: E1999-01788-CCA-R3-CD
Court: Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee; May 26, 2000; Tennessee; State Appellate Court
Original Court Document: View Document
Christopher Knighton pled guilty to multiple felony charges related to cocaine delivery and counterfeit controlled substances, receiving concurrent sentences of eight years, three years, and one year to be served in a Community Corrections Program. His Community Corrections sentence was later revoked due to multiple violations, including failure to pay court costs, perform community service, provide wage verification, and involvement in a rape case. After initially being incarcerated for six months due to these violations, Knighton failed to report to his probation officer and subsequently moved to Knoxville. He was later placed in a halfway house but continued to violate program rules, including curfew violations. A revocation hearing revealed further noncompliance, leading to the trial court's decision to revoke his Community Corrections sentence and order him to serve his time in the Tennessee Department of Correction, which was upheld on appeal. Defendant reported experiencing conflicts with other residents at the halfway house and claimed that notifying authorities exacerbated the issues. He alleged that his probation officer decided to violate him upon discovering his pending rape and robbery charges. Defendant denied knowledge of a thirty-day house restriction and admitted to not contacting his probation officer after moving in with his girlfriend post-release from jail, despite acknowledging this was his responsibility. He left the halfway house on March 12, 1999, due to concerns about a potential violation warrant, which he did not verify because he felt there was a conflict of interest with his probation officer. The trial court found that Defendant violated his Community Corrections sentence by failing to report to his probation officer, breaching his curfew, and leaving the halfway house. On appeal, Defendant contended that the court erred in revoking his sentence, but the court maintained that the decision was within its discretion, supported by substantial evidence of violations, including Defendant’s admission of leaving the halfway house without proper notification. The appeal was deemed waived due to a lack of supporting legal authority, and the trial court's decision was upheld based on the sufficient evidence of misconduct. Defendant contends that the revocation of his Community Corrections sentence was unjustified, citing alleged bias from witness Ballard and inconsistencies in her testimony. He further claims that his failure in the program stemmed from the incompetence of its administrators. However, the determination of witness credibility and the weight of testimony are within the purview of the trial court. The court found Ballard’s testimony credible regarding Defendant's violations and attributed those violations to Defendant's own actions, not to administrative failures. The evidence clearly indicated that Defendant violated the program's requirements, demonstrating either an inability or unwillingness to comply. Consequently, the trial court's decision to revoke his placement in the Community Corrections Program is upheld, and the judgment is affirmed.