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| Cliffer Saulsberry vs. Labcorp
W2000-02826-COA-R3-CV
Plaintiff truck driver was required to submit to a random urine drug test pursuant to his employer's drug policy and mandatory Department of Transportation (DOT) guidelines. After the specimen tested positive for the presence of cocaine metabolites, plaintiff was discharged from his employment. Plaintiff sued the laboratory that conducted the test, alleging negligence in the testing procedure that resulted in a false report. The trial court granted the laboratory summary judgment, and plaintiff appeals. We reverse.
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Originating Judge:James F. Russell |
Shelby County | Court of Appeals | 06/19/01 | |
| Frank Donovan vs. National Bank
W2000-03064-COA-R3-CV
This is a breach of contract case. The defendant bank hired the plaintiff as a consultant to contact supermarkets about placing branch banks in their stores. In August 1988, the parties signed a written consulting contract which expired by its own terms in November 1988. In that contract, the plaintiff was to receive a salary plus $2,000 for each branch bank placed in a store as a result of his efforts. This contract expired, but the plaintiff continued to work for the bank for about ten years with no other written agreement. The plaintiff was never paid the $2,000-per-store bonus. In 1990, the plaintiff asked the bank to pay the $2,000-per-store bonus, and this request was ignored. The plaintiff's employment was terminated in 1998. In May 1999, the plaintiff sued the bank for breach of contract, claiming that they owed him the $2,000-per-store bonus under the original contract. The trial court granted the bank summary judgment based on the applicable statute of limitations. The plaintiff now appeals. We affirm, finding that the cause of action accrued, at the latest, in 1990 when the plaintiff requested the bonus and his request was ignored.
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Originating Judge:D. J. Alissandratos |
Shelby County | Court of Appeals | 06/19/01 | |
| Gary Leon Cureton v. State of Tennessee
E2000-01638-CCA-R3-PC
On May 21, 1999, Gary Leon Cureton, the Petitioner and Appellant, pled guilty in the Greene County Criminal Court to two counts of rape and two counts of sexual battery and waived his right to appeal. Following the guilty plea, the trial court sentenced the Petitioner to serve seventeen years incarceration. On May 25, 2000, the Greene County Court Clerk received a post-conviction petition from the incarcerated pro se Petitioner and stamped the document to indicate that it had been filed on that date. On June 2, 2000 the trial court issued a preliminary order dismissing the petition on the ground that it was not timely filed. On June 12, the trial court received a pro se motion to reconsider the dismissal of the petition, but the trial court denied the motion on June 19, 2000. On August 2, 2000, this Court ordered the trial court to address the Petitioner's request for the appointment of counsel, and the trial court subsequently appointed counsel to assist with the Petitioner's appeal. The Petitioner appeals the trial court's dismissal of his petition and subsequent denial of his motion to reconsider, arguing that he carried his burden of proving that the petition was timely filed. Because the Petitioner was never afforded an opportunity to prove that he timely filed his petition, we remand for a hearing to determine whether the Petitioner's petition was timely filed.
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry L. Smith
Originating Judge:Judge James E. Beckner |
Greene County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 06/19/01 | |
| Barbara White vs. Dr. John Albritton
W2000-03068-COA-R3-CV
This appeal arises from a medical malpractice claim filed in the Circuit Court of Shelby County by the Appellant against the Appellees. On the first day of trial, the Appellant announced her intention to voluntarily nonsuit the case. The trial court entered an order of voluntary nonsuit. The Appellees filed a motion for discretionary costs. The trial court held that the motion was premature but would revisit the motion if the lawsuit was refiled. The Appellant refiled the lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. The Appellees refiled the motion for discretionary costs in the Circuit Court of Shelby County. The circuit court granted the Appellees' motion for discretionary costs. The Appellant appeals from the grant of the Appellees' motion for discretionary costs by the Circuit Court of Shelby County. For the reasons stated herein, we affirm the trial court's decision.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:James F. Russell |
Shelby County | Court of Appeals | 06/18/01 | |
| Alfred Bowling vs. Dobbs Bros.
W2000-01476-COA-R3-CV
This appeal arises from the trial court's denial of a motion in limine. Employee was fired from his position at Company. At a pre-trial deposition, Manager testified on behalf of Company that Employee was terminated due to Manager's observation of Employee's lack of sales skills. Employee filed a motion seeking to bar testimony of other Company employees during the trial. These employees were to testify on Employee's lack of sales skills. Employee argued that this testimony would be inconsistent with Company's pre-trial deposition that Employee was terminated due to Manager's observation of his lack of sales skills. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Originating Judge:Floyd Peete, Jr. |
Shelby County | Court of Appeals | 06/18/01 | |
| Billy George vs. Misty George Mullican
M2000-01106-COA-R3-CV
This appeal arises from a child custody action. After divorce, Mother was awarded custody of Child. Father later filed a petition for contempt charging that Mother was denying him visitation. Mother denied these charges and counter-filed claiming that Father had failed to meet his support obligations. While these matters were pending, Mother filed a report with the Department of Children's Services that Father had sexually molested Child. Mother later admitted these charges to be false, and as a result, Father gained temporary custody of Child. Mother later filed this petition requesting the return of Child to her custody. The trial court refused, instead finding that Father was the more fit parent and awarding him permanent custody. Mother appealed this decision. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Originating Judge:Robert E. Corlew, III |
Cannon County | Court of Appeals | 06/18/01 | |
| State of Tennessee v. Christopher Lamont Kelso
E2000-01602-CCA-R3-CD
The grand jury for Monroe County charged the defendant with one count of possession of cocaine with intent to resell and one count of felony evading arrest. The defendant went to trial, and the jury acquitted him of the narcotics offense but found him guilty of Class D evading arrest. The trial court sentenced the defendant as a Range II, multiple offender, to five years incarceration in the Department of Correction. In this direct appeal, the defendant challenges the sufficiency of the convicting evidence, the state's misuse of his post-arrest silence, the flight instruction given to the jury, and his classification as a Range II offender. Unpersuaded by the defendant's contentions, we affirm the trial court's judgment and sentence.
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Carroll L. Ross |
Monroe County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 06/18/01 | |
| Virnie Fulks vs. J. Hulan Watson, et al
M1999-02800-COA-R3-CV
This declaratory judgment action was filed by a dissatisfied school system employee who was transferred from his position as Manager of Property, Plant, and Maintenance to the position of maintenance worker and ultimately was informed that he would not be rehired. The employee claimed these employment actions were improper because he was tenured and certified. He also sought additional compensation or compensatory time for extra hours he worked. The trial court determined that the employee was not tenured, could be transferred, and was entitled to only a limited amount of compensatory time. The court also found that the superintendent had authority not to renew the employment with proper notice, but that sufficient notice of nonrenewal had not been provided. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Originating Judge:Don R. Ash |
Rutherford County | Court of Appeals | 06/18/01 | |
| Brooks Varner v. David M. Marrs And Latitia M. Marrs
2000-01029-COA-R3-CV
Originating Judge:Floyd Peete, Jr. |
Shelby County | Court of Appeals | 06/18/01 | |
| Estate of Nan Francis vs. Karl Francis
M2000-01110-COA-R3-CV
This appeal involves a dispute between a widow and her stepson regarding the disposition of a jointly owned certificate of deposit. After her stepson liquidated the certificate of deposit and used the proceeds to obtain another certificate of deposit in his own name, the widow filed suit in the Chancery Court for Cheatham County seeking her share of the funds. The stepson filed a counterclaim, alleging that the widow had contributed to his father's death by failing to provide needed medical care and seeking reimbursement for his father's funeral expenses. The widow died while the suit was pending, and her estate was substituted as a party. After dismissing the stepson's wrongful death claim, the trial court determined that the widow's estate and her stepson should receive equal shares of the proceeds of the account remaining after the payment of a joint debt of the widow's husband and her stepson and that the widow's estate should reimburse the stepson for the expenses he incurred in connection with his father's funeral. On this appeal, the widow's estate asserts that the trial court erred by ordering that the funds in the account be used to repay the joint debt and by ordering it to reimburse the stepson for his father's funeral expenses. We have determined that the trial court properly distributed the proceeds of the deposit account. However, we have also determined that the trial court erred by directing the widow's estate to reimburse the stepson for his father's funeral expenses.
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Leonard W. Martin |
Cheatham County | Court of Appeals | 06/18/01 | |
| Gwendolyn Henderson vs. Dept. Children Serv .
W1999-01940-COA-R3-CV
This is a suit for the termination of parental rights. The Appellee filed a petition to terminate the Appellant's parental rights to two of her children. Following a hearing, the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County entered an order terminating the Appellant's parental rights. The Appellant appeals the trial court's order terminating her parental rights. For the reasons stated herein, we affirm the trial court's decision.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:Kenneth A. Turner |
Shelby County | Court of Appeals | 06/18/01 | |
| Jacqueline Patterson vs. Richard French
W2000-02668-COA-R3-CV
This is an attempt to collect child support arrearages. In a 1993 order, the father was ordered to pay current support as well as a lesser amount for an existing arrearage. The father failed to comply with this order. In 1999, the child reached majority. The State filed an action on the mother's behalf to set arrearage payments and hold the father in contempt. The trial court set the arrearage payments at an amount less than the total support the father had previously been ordered to pay. In addition, the trial court refused to consider the contempt petition because the child had reached majority. Finally, the court ordered the father to make payments through the clerk of the court rather than through the State disbursement unit. The State appeals all three decisions. We reverse, finding that the trial court was required to set the arrearage payments at the total amount of support previously ordered, that the child reaching majority is not a basis for refusing to consider the contempt petition, and that the father is required to make the payments through the State disbursement unit.
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Originating Judge:George R. Ellis |
Gibson County | Court of Appeals | 06/18/01 | |
| In re: Estate of Fannie Mae Johnson
W2000-01510-COA-R3-CV
This appeal arises from the trial court's finding that a bank account was part of Decedent's estate and not the property of Executrix. In 1987, Decedent added Executrix to a bank account. Decedent failed to mark the portion of the card signifying that the account was to have rights of survivorship. After Decedent died, Executrix conducted an accounting in which she did not include the account. Beneficiary contested the accounting arguing that account should be part of the estate. Executrix argued that the addition of her name to the account created a presumption that the account's right of survivorship was a gift inter vivos. The trial court found that no presumption existed and that the account was part of the estate. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Originating Judge:Robert S. Benham |
Shelby County | Court of Appeals | 06/18/01 | |
| Gary L. Holt, Sr. v. Ozburn-Hessey Moving Company and American Alternative Insurance Corporation
M1999-02563-WC-R3-CV
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tennessee Code Annotated Section 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The Appellant appeals from the amount of the award of permanent partial disability benefits. After a complete review of the entire record, the briefs of the parties, and the applicable law, we affirm the award made by the trial court. Tenn. Code Ann. ' 5-6-225(e) (1999) Appeal as of Right; Judgment of the Chancery Court Affirmed LEE RUSSELL, SP. J., in which ADOLPHO A. BIRCH, J. and JAMES L. WEATHERFORD, SR.J., joined Jeffrey P. Boyd, Jackson Tennessee, for the appellant, Ozburn-Hessey Moving Company James R. Tomkins, Nashville, Tennessee, for the appellee, Gary L. Holt, Sr. MEMORANDUM OPINION This is an appeal by Defendant Ozburn-Hessey Moving Company (hereinafter referred to as "Ozburn-Hessey" or "the company") from an award of benefits made in favor of Gary L. Holt 1 ("Claimant") on a claim filed pursuant to the Tennessee Workers Compensation Act. The trial court held that the Claimant was an employee of Ozburn-Hessey and awarded the Claimant a forty percent permanent partial disability to the body as a whole as a result of an injury to the back which allegedly occurred on July 23, 1998. The sole issue on appeal is whether the trial judge erred in her holding that the Claimant was an employee of Ozburn-Hessey and not a mere independent contractor. We conclude that the evidence does not preponderate against the trial judge's finding that the Claimant was an employee.
Authoring Judge: Lee Russell, Sp. J.
Originating Judge:Ellen Hobbs Lyle, Chancellor |
Davidson County | Workers Compensation Panel | 06/14/01 | |
| Cora Cantrell, et al vs. Knox County Bd of Ed. et al
E1999-01557-SC-R11-CV
The issue in this appeal is whether non-certified, non-tenured teacher aides have under state law a reasonable expectation of continued employment beyond the term of their written contracts such that they are entitled to back pay and benefits beyond the expiration of their contract period. We conclude that teacher aides do not have a reasonable expectation of continued employment. Accordingly, the judgment of the Court of Appeals is reversed, and the judgment of the trial court is reinstated.
Authoring Judge: Justice Frank F. Drowota, III
Originating Judge:Harold Wimberly |
Knox County | Supreme Court | 06/14/01 | |
| Robert Richardson vs. Deborah Richardson
W2000-02374-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Originating Judge:Robert A. Lanier |
Shelby County | Court of Appeals | 06/14/01 | |
| Travis Watt v. Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Ins. Co., et al.
W2000-00104-SC-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Justice Adolpho A. Birch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Joe C. Morris |
Madison County | Supreme Court | 06/14/01 | |
| State vs. Miles Mateyko
M1998-00275-SC-R11-CD
The defendant was charged and convicted of child abuse through neglect in violation of Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-15-401(a). The Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the conviction, finding that the State did not establish that the defendant's children suffered any actual, deleterious effect or harm from the neglect. However, the intermediate court found that the defendant was guilty of attempted child abuse through neglect, and it remanded the case for resentencing. The State requested permission to appeal to this Court, and we hold that section 39-15-401(a) does require proof of an actual, deleterious effect or harm to the child's health and welfare and that the mere risk of harm is insufficient to support a conviction. We also hold that in those cases in which no such actual, deleterious effect or harm is shown, a defendant may be convicted of attempted child abuse through neglect under Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-12-101, provided that the State is successful in making the required showing. Because the record in this case contains conflicting evidence as to the required intent necessary for the attempted crime, we remand this case to the Lincoln County Circuit Court for a new trial on the lesser-included offense of attempted child abuse through neglect. The judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals is affirmed in part and reversed in part.
Authoring Judge: Justice William M. Barker
Originating Judge:W. Charles Lee |
Lincoln County | Supreme Court | 06/14/01 | |
| Robert Richardson vs. Deborah Richardson
W2000-02374-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Originating Judge:Robert A. Lanier |
Shelby County | Court of Appeals | 06/14/01 | |
| In matter of Hannah Parlow
W2000-01462-COA-R3-CV
After paternity was established and Mother was granted custody of minor daughter, Father filed petition to change custody on the ground of material change of circumstances consisting of Mother's remarriage to an allegedly violent man, and Mother's intention to move with the child out of the state. The juvenile referee denied the petition and, upon a de novo trial before a special juvenile judge of the juvenile court, Father's petition was denied. Father has appealed. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Originating Judge:George E. Blancett |
Shelby County | Court of Appeals | 06/14/01 | |
| Travis Watt v. Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Ins. Co., et al.
W2000-00104-SC-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Justice Adolpho A. Birch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Joe C. Morris |
Madison County | Supreme Court | 06/14/01 | |
| Eddie Limbaugh, Executor vs. Coffee Med. Center
M1999-01181-SC-R11-CV
Authoring Judge: Justice William M. Barker
Originating Judge:John W. Rollins |
Coffee County | Supreme Court | 06/13/01 | |
| Arthur Ray White v. Maytag Cleveland Cooking
E2000-01451-WC-R3-CV
The Second Injury Fund has appealed an award of total disability where the employer was ordered to pay 2 percent of the award and the Second Injury Fund was to pay the remaining 8 percent. Judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Thayer, Sp. J.
Originating Judge:Jerri S. Bryant, Chancellor |
White County | Workers Compensation Panel | 06/13/01 | |
| Charmaine West, et al vs. Media General Convergence, Inc., et al
M2001-00141-SC-R23-CQ
Pursuant to Rule 23 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Tennessee, this Court accepted certification of the following question from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee:
Authoring Judge: Justice Frank F. Drowota, III
|
Supreme Court | 06/13/01 | ||
| Estate of Julie Amos, et al. v. Vanderbilt University, et al.
M1999-00998-SC-R11-CV
We granted appeal in this case to determine whether the special proof requirements of Camper v. Minor, 915 S.W.2d 437, 446 (Tenn. 1996), extend to all negligence claims in which damages for emotional distress are sought as an item of compensatory damages. We hold that the special proof requirements of Camper apply only to "stand-alone" claims of negligent infliction of emotional distress. We further hold that Vanderbilt University Medical Center owed a duty to warn Julie Amos of her potential exposure to HIV so that she might take appropriate measures to protect third parties. We therefore reverse the judgment of the Court of Appeals and reinstate the trial court's judgment in this case.
Authoring Judge: Justice Janice M. Holder
Originating Judge:Hamilton V. Gayden, Jr. |
Davidson County | Supreme Court | 06/13/01 |