State of TEnnessee v. Robert Joseph Atkins
Court
Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
Decided
August 11, 2025
Jurisdiction
SA
Importance
45%
Practice Areas
Case Summary
08/11/2025 THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TENNESSEE AT KNOXVILLE April 22, 2025 Session STATE OF TENNESSEE v. ROBERT JOSEPH ATKINS Appeal from the Criminal Court for Knox County No. 117774 Steven Wayne Sword, Judge ___________________________________ No. E2024-00320-CCA-R3-CD ___________________________________ A Knox County jury convicted the Defendant, Robert Joseph Atkins, of delivery of a Schedule I controlled substance (acetylfentanyl) within 1,000 feet of a drug-free zone and delivery of a Schedule II controlled substance (fentanyl) within 1,000 feet of a drug-free zone. On appeal, the Defendant argues: (1) the trial court erred by admitting his statements to law enforcement because new testimony at trial corroborated his claim that his statements were involuntary; (2) the trial court failed to properly instruct the jury on the inference of casual exchange and the order of consideration; and (3) the evidence is insufficient to sustain his convictions. Upon review, we affirm. Tenn R. App. P. 3 Appeal as of Right; Judgments of the Criminal Court Affirmed CAMILLE R. MCMULLEN, P.J., delivered the opinion of the court, in which ROBERT W. WEDEMEYER and KYLE A. HIXSON JJ., joined. Tyler Mark Caviness, Knoxville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Robert Joseph Atkins. Jonathan Skrmetti, Attorney General and Reporter; William C. Lundy, Assistant Attorney General; Charme P. Allen, District Attorney General; and Teddy Ryan and Sean McDermott, Assistant District Attorneys General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee. OPINION The facts giving rise to the Defendant’s convictions stem from the death of Velma Smith, the victim in this case, on January 19, 2019. At the time of her death, the victim was living at “Beverly Park Place Health and Rehab Center.” On January 21, 2019, Lieutenant Heather Reyda of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) was assigned to a federal task force investigating drug-related overdose deaths. Based on information obtained from the victim’s cell phone and from family members, Lieutenant Reyda determined that the Defendant had provided the victim with drugs on the day she died. The Defendant was not located by law enforcement until February of 2020. On August 5, 2020, a Knox County grand jury charged the Defendant by presentment with four counts: one count of second-degree murder and three counts of delivery of a controlled substance. The State dismissed the fourth count of the presentment prior to trial. At trial, the jury acquitted the Defendant of the charge of murder in count one. The jury convicted the Defendant on the remaining two counts of delivery of a controlled substance. This appeal concerns only those two convictions. Suppression Hearing. On February 22, 2022, the Defendant filed a motion to suppress the statement he made on February 10, 2020, to Lieutenant Reyda. He argued generally that his statement was involuntary under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 8 of the Tennessee Constitution. As factual grounds, he asserted that (1) he was incarcerated at the Knox County Detention Center on charges unrelated to this case; (2) because he was in custody he was “deprived of his freedom to not talk to detectives”; (3) he told detectives he did not want to talk to them; (4) he was tased and maced while in custody “which then caused him to be indicted for [Second] degree murder”; (5) at the time of the instant interview he had never been interrogated by law enforcement while in custody; and (6) although he was informed of his rights pursuant to Miranda, under the circumstances, he did not make a knowing and voluntary statement. He argued that the circumstances surrounding his interrogation with Lieutenant Reyda created a coercive environment that influenced his statements. In particular, he claimed that an altercation with correctional officers that occurred before his interrogation caused his statement to be involuntary. On July 12, 2022, the State filed a detailed response to the Defendant’s motion to suppress. The State alleged that on February 10, 2020, the Defendant was incarcerated on a separate charge in the Knox County Jail. He was transported to Visitation Booth 1 to speak to detectives. The Defendant became agitated and advised officers that he would not speak to anyone and wanted to be taken back to his cell. The Defendant then began kicking the door and windows in the visitation booth. The Defendant refused to comply with orders to stop. At 8:16 a.m., officers entered the visitation booth to restrain the Defendant. When officers entered the booth, the Defendant began fighting officers and resisting restraints. One officer maced the Defendant. When the Defendant continued
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Status
Decided
Date Decided
August 11, 2025
Jurisdiction
SA
Court Type
federal
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Case Summary
AI-generated comprehensive summary with legal analysis
Case Overview
In the case of State of Tennessee v. Robert Joseph Atkins, the Defendant was convicted of delivering controlled substances within a drug-free zone. The appeal raised significant issues regarding the admissibility of statements made to law enforcement, the adequacy of jury instructions, and the sufficiency of evidence supporting the convictions.
Legal Issues
The appeal addressed several critical legal questions:
- Admissibility of Defendant's statements: Were the statements made to law enforcement voluntary or coerced?
- Jury instruction on inference of casual exchange: Did the trial court provide proper jury instructions regarding the consideration of greater and lesser included offenses?
- Sufficiency of evidence for convictions: Was the evidence presented at trial adequate to support the jury's verdict?
Factual Background
Key facts relevant to the case include:
- The Defendant was convicted of delivering controlled substances, specifically fentanyl and acetylfentanyl, linked to a victim's overdose on January 19, 2019.
- The Defendant's statements were made after an altercation with correctional officers, where he claimed coercive tactics were used, including being tased and pepper sprayed.
- The Defendant admitted to being a 'middleman' in the drug delivery to the victim, which was central to establishing his involvement.
Court's Analysis
The Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee provided detailed reasoning on the following points:
- Voluntariness of Statements: The court found that the Defendant's statements were voluntary despite claims of coercion. The court relied on the 14th Amendment and Article I, Section 8 of the Tennessee Constitution, affirming the trial court's decision to admit the statements.
- Jury Instructions: The court determined that the trial court provided adequate jury instructions, adhering to standard practices in drug delivery cases. The court found no error in the instructions regarding the statutory inference of casual exchange.
- Sufficiency of Evidence: The evidence presented at trial was deemed sufficient to support the convictions. The court upheld the jury's verdict, emphasizing that the evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the prosecution.
Holdings and Decision
The court made the following key rulings:
- The trial court's decisions were affirmed, maintaining the convictions of Robert Joseph Atkins.
- The court denied the motion to suppress the Defendant's statement, ruling that it was admissible.
- The jury's conviction for delivery of fentanyl and acetylfentanyl was upheld, confirming the sufficiency of evidence presented at trial.
Legal Precedents
The court cited several important precedents:
- Owens v. State, 908 S.W.2d 923 (Tenn. 1995): Emphasized that courts must interpret statutes as written.
- State v. Davis, 266 S.W.3d 896 (Tenn. 2008): Affirmed that acquittal-first jury instructions do not violate the right to a trial by jury.
- State v. Avant, No. W2018-01154-CCA-R3-CD, 2019 WL 3072131: Established that new issues cannot be raised on appeal if not presented at trial.
Practical Implications
This case underscores the importance of:
- Ensuring that confessions and statements made to law enforcement are obtained without coercion, protecting defendants' rights against wrongful convictions.
- Properly instructing juries on the law, especially in drug-related cases, to ensure informed deliberations.
- Understanding the plain error doctrine, which sets a high threshold for defendants seeking to overturn convictions based on jury instruction errors.
Overall, State of Tennessee v. Robert Joseph Atkins serves as a significant reference for issues surrounding drug delivery offenses, voluntariness of statements, and the standards for jury instructions in criminal law.
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Case Details
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Status
Decided
Date Decided
August 11, 2025
Jurisdiction
SA
Court Type
federal
Legal Significance
Case importance metrics
Metadata
Additional information
Quick Actions
Case management tools