Court Upholds 30-Year Sentence, Rejecting Ineffective Counsel Claim

The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals has affirmed the denial of post-conviction relief for Shaquil Murphy, a Knox County man serving a 30-year sentence for attempted first-degree premeditated murder and other serious charges. Murphy had argued that his trial counsel was ineffective for not requesting a bifurcated trial for his gun possession charge.

The appellate court, in an opinion delivered by Judge Robert L. Holloway Jr., sided with the post-conviction court’s ruling, concluding that Murphy failed to prove his counsel’s performance was deficient or that it prejudiced his case.

Murphy was convicted by a Knox County jury on multiple counts, including attempted first-degree premeditated murder, attempted second-degr

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