State of Tennessee v. David Wayne Eady

Style: State of Tennessee v. David Wayne Eady

TSC Docket Number: M2021-00388-SC-R11-CD

Court of Criminal Appeals Opinion: https://tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/eady_d_-_filed_opn.pdf

Summary by the Court of Criminal Appeals:

Defendant, David Wayne Eady, was convicted by a jury of eleven counts of aggravated robbery and one count of attempted aggravated robbery. The trial court sentenced Defendant as a repeat violent offender and imposed eleven concurrent sentences of life without the possibility of parole. The trial court ran the life imprisonment sentences concurrently with a fifteen-year sentence for the attempted aggravated robbery conviction. On appeal, Defendant contends 1) the trial court abused its discretion in denying his motion to sever the offenses; 2) the trial court abused its discretion in denying his motion to suppress his statements; 3) the trial court abused its discretion in denying his motion to disqualify the District Attorney General’s Office, 4) the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction for aggravated robbery as charged in count eight of the indictment; and 5) his convictions for aggravated robbery as charged in counts one and two of the indictment violate Double Jeopardy as a matter of plain error. Because the facts and circumstances support only one conviction for aggravated robbery as charged in counts one and two, we merge the two counts, and remand for entry of amended judgments in counts one and two reflecting the merger. In all other respects, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Permission to Appeal Granted: January 31, 2023

Appellants’ Briefs Filed: March 13, 2023

Appellees’ Briefs Filed: May 2, 2023

Appellants’ Reply Brief Filed: May 16, 2023

Appellees’ Reply Brief Filed:

Amicus Briefs Permitted:  

Oral Argument Date: May 24, 2023

Link to Oral Argument Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXdFgpryduU

Date of TSC Opinion: February 6, 2024

Opinion of the TSC: https://tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/OpinionsPDFVersion/M2021-00388-SC-R11-CD%20-%20Opinion.pdf

TSC Summary of the Opinion:

This case was heard upon the record on appeal from the Court of Criminal Appeals, application for permission to appeal having heretofore been granted, and upon the briefs and argument of counsel. Upon consideration thereof, this Court holds that the judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals should be affirmed in part and reversed in part, and this matter should be remanded to the trial court for further proceedings. In accordance with the Opinion filed herein, it is, therefore, ordered and adjudged that the judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals is hereby affirmed with respect to counts one through seven and counts nine through twelve. The judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals is hereby reversed with respect to count eight. This matter is remanded to the trial court for a new trial with respect to count eight consistent with the Opinion filed herein. Because the Defendant appears to be indigent, costs of this appeal are taxed to the State.