HARRY RAYMOND COLEMAN, JR. v. STATE OF TENNESSEE - Articles

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HARRY RAYMOND COLEMAN, JR. v. STATE OF TENNESSEE

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jun 20, 2025

Court: TN Court of Criminal Appeals

Attorneys 1: Joseph McClusky (on appeal), William Massey (on appeal and at hearing), and Lauren Fuchs (at hearing), Memphis, Tennessee, for the appellant, Harry Raymond Coleman, Jr.

Attorneys 2: Jonathan Skrmetti, Attorney General and Reporter; Richard D. Douglas, Senior Assistant Attorney General; Steven J. Mulroy, District Attorney General; and Leslie Byrd, Assistant District Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge(s): GREENHOLTZ

A Shelby County jury convicted the Petitioner, Harry Raymond Coleman, Jr., of second degree murder, among other offenses. The trial court sentenced him to an effective eighteen-year sentence in the Tennessee Department of Correction. Thereafter, the Petitioner filed a post-conviction petition asserting that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel at his trial. More specifically, the Petitioner argued that his trial counsel failed to adequately investigate and present a mental health defense centered around his post-trial diagnosis of Bipolar I disorder. He also claimed that trial counsel failed to call witnesses who would have supported his claim of self-defense. After a hearing, the post-conviction court denied relief, and the Petitioner appealed. Upon our review, we respectfully affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

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