STATE OF TENNESSEE v. SHENESSA L. SOKOLOSKY - Articles

All Content

STATE OF TENNESSEE v. SHENESSA L. SOKOLOSKY

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Aug 21, 2025

Head Comment: CORRECTION: Dissenting opinion added

Court: TN Court of Criminal Appeals

Attorneys 1: Comer L. Donnell, District Public Defender; Brennan M. Wingerter (on appeal), Assistant Public Defender – Appellate Director; Brittany Davis Deatherage (at revocation hearing), Assistant District Public Defender, for the Appellant, Shenessa L. Sokolosky.

Attorneys 2: Jonathan Skrmetti, Attorney General and Reporter; Benjamin A. Ball, Senior Assistant Attorney General; Jason Lawson, District Attorney General; and Jack A. Bare, Assistant District Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge(s): MONTGOMERY

The Tennessee Supreme Court has remanded this case for consideration of the Defendant’s appeal from the Smith County Criminal Court’s probation revocation of her two consecutive eleven-month, twenty-nine-day sentences for her guilty-pleaded misdemeanor convictions for marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. See State v. Shenessa L. Sokolosky, --- S.W.3d. --- , No. M2022-00873-SC-R11-CD, 2025 WL 2016420 (Tenn. July 18, 2025) (reversing State v. Shenessa L. Sokolosky, No. M2022-00873-CCA- R3-CD, 2024 WL 1780085 (Tenn. Crim. App. Apr. 25, 2024)). This court concluded in its previous opinion that the Defendant’s appeal was moot because she had fully served her sentence and was no longer constrained by confinement or probation supervision. The Tennessee Supreme Court disagreed and concluded that the mootness doctrine does not apply because a probation revocation may result in future adverse consequences, even after completion of a sentence. Upon further review, we reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand for further findings of fact pursuant to State v. Wade, 863 S.W.2d 406, 409 (Tenn. 1993). We, likewise, remand for the entry of a corrected judgment form in Count 6 to reflect consecutive service with Count 5 and for the entry of judgment forms, if necessary, reflecting a dismissal of the charges in Counts 2, 3, 4, and 7.

Attachments: