JOHN ALLEN HESSMER v. STATE OF TENNESSEE - Articles

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JOHN ALLEN HESSMER v. STATE OF TENNESSEE

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jul 9, 2025

Court: TN Court of Criminal Appeals

Attorneys 1: John Allen Hessmer, Clifton, Tennessee, Pro Se.

Attorneys 2: Jonathan Skrmetti, Attorney General and Reporter; Ryan Dugan, Assistant Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge(s): GREENHOLTZ

In two separate criminal proceedings, one in Smith County and one in Wilson County, the Petitioner, John Allen Hessmer, was convicted of two felony offenses and two misdemeanors. The trial court sentenced him to an effective sentence of twenty-four years’ incarceration. Approximately one year later, the Petitioner applied for a writ of habeas corpus in Wilson County, alleging that his Smith County convictions were void. He also asserted that he had not received proper credit for time served in pretrial detention. The habeas corpus court summarily dismissed the application, concluding that it lacked jurisdiction over the convictions from a different county and that the application otherwise failed to state a cognizable claim for relief. The Petitioner appealed, arguing that the habeas corpus court improperly dismissed the application. Upon our review, we respectfully disagree with the Petitioner and affirm the judgment of the habeas corpus court.

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