STATE OF TENNESSEE v. ALERIQ LORENZO SMITH - Articles

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STATE OF TENNESSEE v. ALERIQ LORENZO SMITH

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Nov 19, 2025

Court: TN Court of Criminal Appeals

Attorneys 1: Raven Prean Morris, Assistant Public Defender – Appellate Division, Tennessee District Public Defenders Conference (on appeal); George Morton Googe, District Public Defender; and Richard McFall, Savannah, Tennessee (at trial), for the appellant, Aleriq Lorenzo Smith.

Attorneys 2: Jonathan Skrmetti, Attorney General and Reporter; Jacob Durst, Assistant Attorney General; Jody S. Pickens, District Attorney General; and Bradley F. Champine, Assistant District Attorney General, for the appellee, State of Tennessee.

Judge(s): GREENHOLTZ

A Madison County jury convicted the Defendant, Aleriq Lorenzo Smith, of first degree premeditated murder, first degree felony murder, attempted first degree murder, and aggravated assault, among other offenses. The trial court imposed an effective sentence of life imprisonment. On appeal, the Defendant raises two principal issues. First, he challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his convictions. Second, he contends that the trial court erred in denying his motions to suppress his confession, asserting that he was not competent to knowingly and intelligently waive his rights under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966). Upon our review, we conclude that the evidence is legally insufficient to sustain the Defendant’s conviction for aggravated assault, and we therefore vacate that conviction and dismiss the charge. We also remand the case for entry of corrected judgments reflecting the merger of his two first degree murder convictions. In all other respects, we respectfully affirm the judgments of the trial court.

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