Appeals Court Upholds 4-Year Sentence For White County Man

The Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld a trial court’s decision to revoke probation for a White County man.

The trial court ordered James Wolford to serve his original 4-year sentence for possessing meth after he assaulted and injured two men in April of last year.

Court documents indicate that Wolford used a stick to attack the men, causing a compound fracture to one victim and dislocated pinkie to another.

Wolford appealed the trial court’s ruling on the grounds of admitting testimony regarding injuries to a non-testifying witness.

The appeals court agreed with the state’s augment that Wolford had full opportunity to cross-examine witnesses against him and the state did not present any hearsay testimony.

According to the judgement from the court of appeals, the Tennessee Supreme Court has noted that “the full panoply of rights due a defendant in criminal prosecutions” do not apply to probation revocations.

The appeals court ruled that the defendant’s guilt or innocence is not at issue during a revocation hearing, so confrontation rights are relaxed.