State of Tennessee v. Landon Hank Black

Syllabus

The Defendant, Landon Hank Black, was convicted in the Knox County Criminal Court of second degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and received an effective sentence of twenty-five years in confinement. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the State infringed on his right to remain silent the trial court erred by allowing a State witness to give opinion testimony but then prohibiting a defense witness from doing the same the trial court erred by allowing a State witness to testify that she had sex with the Defendant just days after the victim's death the State was allowed to attack the integrity of the defense during the presentation of the evidence the State's closing arguments were improper the trial court erred by instructing the jury that the Defendant had a duty to retreat before acting in self-defense the trial court erred by refusing to give a modified sequential jury instruction the trial court incorrectly instructed the jury on voluntary manslaughter and the cumulative effect of the errors requires a new trial. Based upon the oral arguments, the record, and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.