TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Apr 16, 2021

The Tennessee Supreme Court today upheld a death sentence for Michael Dale Rimmer, convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Ricci Lynn Ellsworth in 1997. The court’s action upholds Rimmer’s second conviction for the crime. His first conviction in 1998 was overturned and a new trial ordered. Rimmer appealed the second conviction arguing that (1) it violated the double jeopardy clause in the Constitution, (2) DNA evidence in his car should not have been admissible because his attorneys were not able to inspect the car, and (3) evidence of a 1989 rape conviction of Ellsworth and escape attempts from prison should not have been admissible. The court rejected all claims. Justice Sharon G. Lee concurred with the majority but disagreed with how the court determined whether the death sentence was excessive or disproportionate to the penalty imposed in similar cases. Read more about the case from the Administrative Office of the Courts.