APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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Cedric Franklin vs. Dept. of Correction

M2001-00279-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 04/20/00
State vs. James M. Smith

M1999-00252-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Originating Judge:Cornelia A. Clark
Williamson County Court of Criminal Appeals 04/20/00
State vs. Cornelius Starks

M1999-00340-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry Smith
Originating Judge:L. Craig Johnson
Coffee County Court of Criminal Appeals 04/20/00
State vs. Lori Ray

W1999-00641-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Sr. Judge L. Terry Lafferty
Originating Judge:Lee Moore
Dyer County Court of Criminal Appeals 04/20/00
Health Controls vs. Ronald Gifford

W1999-02598-COA-R3-CV
This is an insurance case. The defendant sustained injuries in an automobile accident while riding as a passenger in a car owned by his mother. The defendant's insurance policy did not cover expenses for injuries "when a person, other than the person for whom the claim is made, is considered responsible for the sickness or injury." Unaware of any third party responsible for the accident, the insurance company paid part of the defendant's medical bills. The defendant subsequently recovered from his mother's automobile insurance carrier. When the defendant's insurance company learned of the subsequent recovery, it filed suit seeking repayment of the amount it paid for the defendant's medical bills. The trial court granted summary judgment to the insurance company, finding that it was entitled to recovery based on the policy. The defendant appeals. We affirm, finding inter alia that a person need not be at fault in the automobile accident to be "considered responsible" under the policy.
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Originating Judge:W. Michael Maloan
Weakley County Court of Appeals 04/20/00
In Re: Adoption of M.J.S.

W1999-00197-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Originating Judge:Walter L. Evans
Shelby County Court of Appeals 04/20/00
Issac Earl Edgin vs. State

M1999-01620-CCA-R3-PC
The petitioner appeals from a Montgomery County trial court's order dismissing his petition for post-conviction relief. He argues that he is entitled to a new trial because, among other things, his trial counsel provided him ineffective assistance of counsel. Because the judgment fails to contain findings of fact and conclusions of law, the order dismissing this cause is reversed and the case is remanded to the trial court for a new post-conviction proceeding.
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Originating Judge:Robert W. Wedemeyer
Montgomery County Court of Criminal Appeals 04/19/00
State of Tennessee v. Michael Q. Ray

E1999-00208-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Originating Judge:James B. Scott, Jr.
Anderson County Court of Criminal Appeals 04/19/00
State et al vs. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. et al vs. Gregory Bennett Perry and Steve Lloyd Champion, et al

M1999-00455-SC-R11-CV

Originating Judge:Carol L. Mccoy
Davidson County Supreme Court 04/19/00
State of Tennessee v. Joe W. Steward

M2001-2431-CCA-RM-CD

Originating Judge:Cornelia A. Clark
Lewis County Court of Criminal Appeals 04/19/00
Darryl Davis v. Pirelli Armstrong Tire Corporation and

M1999-00008-WC-R3-CV
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. _5-6-225(e)(3) (1999) for hearing and reporting of findings of fact and conclusions of law. Appellate review of factual issues in workers' compensation cases is de novo with a presumption that the trial court's findings are correct, unless the preponderance of the evidence is otherwise. Tenn. Code Ann. _5-6-225(e)(2) (1999); Hill vs. Eagle Bend Mfg., Inc., 942 S.W. 2d 483, 487 (Tenn. 1997). When a trial court has seen and heard witnesses and issues of credibility and weight of testimony are involved, considerable deference is afforded the trial court's findings of fact. See Humphrey vs. David Witherspoon, Inc., 734 S.W. 2d 315, 315-16 (Tenn. 1987).
Authoring Judge: Samuel L. Lewis, Sp. J.
Originating Judge:Carol L. Mccoy, Chancellor
Davidson County Workers Compensation Panel 04/19/00
Ann Marie Rutherford Keck, vs. Richard Len Keck

E1999-00371-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Originating Judge:Jean A. Stanley
Washington County Court of Appeals 04/18/00
Michael Smith vs. Steve Futris vs. Richard Feltus

W1998-00181-COA-R3-CV
This is a contract dispute. The plaintiffs entered into a contract to buy the defendants' office condominium and equipment. The contract provided that the defendants would execute a note for the balance of the purchase price, payable in monthly installments over a twenty year term. The contract had no express provision on the right of prepayment. The promissory note expressly granted the plaintiffs the right of prepayment. Five years later, the plaintiffs attempted to prepay the note. The defendants refused the plaintiffs' offer, saying that the plaintiffs had no right of prepayment. The plaintiffs then ceased making any payments on the note. The plaintiffs later filed a lawsuit seeking, inter alia, a declaratory judgment that they had the right of prepayment. The defendants filed a counterclaim seeking reformation of the note and the deed of trust. The defendants also filed a third party claim for damages against the plaintiffs' attorney, who had prepared the closing documents, including the note. The defendants alleged that the attorney had breached his duty of due care to them by putting a right of prepayment in the note. The trial court found that the plaintiffs had the right to prepay and that the plaintiffs had made an effective tender of payment to the defendants. The trial court dismissed the defendants' third party claim against the attorney, finding that he had not represented the defendants and owed no duty of care to them. The defendants appeal. We affirm in part and reverse in part, finding, inter alia, that the promissory note gave the plaintiffs the right of prepayment, and also finding that the plaintiffs have not made an effective tender of payment.
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Originating Judge:Floyd Peete, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Appeals 04/18/00
B&G Construction vs. Polk, et al

M1999-00677-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Originating Judge:Barbara N. Haynes
Davidson County Court of Appeals 04/18/00
State vs. Andrew Charles Helton

M1999-01405-CCA-R3-CD
The Defendant, Andrew Charles Helton, was indicted, along with co-defendants Shirley Crowell and Shayne Cochran, for two counts of premeditated murder and two counts of felony murder for the shooting deaths of Robert Cole and Michael Chatman. After the trial court granted a motion for a judgment of acquittal on the felony murder charges, the Defendant was convicted by a jury of first degree murder for the death of Robert Cole and of second degree murder for the death of Michael Chatman. The Defendant was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment for the first degree murder conviction and to twenty-three years imprisonment for the second degree murder conviction. The Defendant now appeals and argues that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to sustain his convictions. The Defendant also contends that the trial court erred in admitting certain crime scene and autopsy photographs into evidence. After a thorough review of the record and applicable law, we find no merit to the Defendant's contentions and thus affirm his convictions.
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Seth W. Norman
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 04/18/00
State vs. Harold Wayne Shaw

M1999-01119-CCA-R3-CD
The defendant, Harold Wayne Shaw, was convicted by a Davidson County jury of second-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping in 1996. The trial court sentenced the defendant as a Range II offender to serve eighteen (18) years for the aggravated kidnapping and thirty-five (35) years for the second-degree murder, both sentences to be served consecutively. Following the defendant's direct appeal, this Court affirmed the defendant's conviction but remanded the case to the trial court for resentencing because the trial court mistakenly sentenced the defendant as a Range II, persistent offender, misapplied two statutory enhancement factors, and failed to make findings of fact and conclusions of law sufficient to support the imposition of consecutive sentences. The trial court then resentenced the defendant as a Range I, standard offender to serve ten (10) years for the aggravated kidnapping and twenty-two (22) years for the second-degree murder. The court again ordered the sentences to be served consecutively. On appeal, this Court finds (1) that the length of the defendant's sentence is appropriate, and (2) that although the record does not support the trial court's finding that the defendant is a professional criminal, the trial court was correct in finding that the defendant has an extensive criminal history; thus consecutive sentences are also appropriate. The judgment of the trial court is therefore affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry Smith
Originating Judge:Seth W. Norman
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 04/18/00
Martha Langschmidt vs. Carl Langschmidt

W1999-00434-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Originating Judge:Russell Lee Moore, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Appeals 04/18/00
Martha Langschmidt vs. Carl Langschmidt

W1999-00434-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Originating Judge:Russell Lee Moore, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Appeals 04/18/00
Ray vs. State

M1999-00237-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Originating Judge:Frank G. Clement, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 04/18/00
Cherry vs. Williams

M1997-00216-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Barbara N. Haynes
Davidson County Court of Appeals 04/17/00
Stephen Comella vs. City of Memphis

W1999-00347-COA-R3-CV
This is a personal injury case involving the on-the-job injury of a police officer working for the City of Memphis. The city admitted liability. After a bench trial on the issue of damages, the trial court awarded the plaintiff a judgment of $25,000. The plaintiff appeals, arguing that the trial court erred by treating this as a worker's compensation case rather than a negligence case. Plaintiff also argues that the trial court erred by not granting his request for discretionary costs to pay for expert witness fees. We affirm, finding that the evidence supports the trial court's award and that there was no abuse of discretion in declining to order the city to pay the plaintiff's expert witness fees.
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Originating Judge:Kay Spalding Robilio
Shelby County Court of Appeals 04/17/00
State vs. Carter

W1997-00248-SC-R11-CD
Authoring Judge: Justice Adolpho A. Birch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Jon Kerry Blackwood
McNairy County Supreme Court 04/17/00
X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX

X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX
Supreme Court 04/17/00
Lusk vs. Englett

M1999-00294-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Originating Judge:Donald P. Harris
Lewis County Court of Appeals 04/17/00
State vs. Darrell Dodson

M1998-00067-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Originating Judge:Leon C. Burns, Jr.
White County Court of Criminal Appeals 04/14/00