APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

Please enter some keywords to search.
State vs. Richard Walker

02C01-9901-CR-00006

Originating Judge:Bernie Weinman
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/25/99
State vs. Christopher Love

02C01-9809-CR-00281

Originating Judge:James C. Beasley, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/25/99
State vs. Fowler

01S01-9810-CC-00185
Coffee County Supreme Court 10/25/99
State vs. John Melson

03C01-9712-CC-00531

Originating Judge:D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Blount County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/25/99
State vs. Ben Ray

02C01-9901-CC-00021

Originating Judge:Julian P. Guinn
Henry County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/25/99
State vs. David Eaton

02C01-9802-CR-00043

Originating Judge:Chris B. Craft
Court of Criminal Appeals 10/25/99
State vs. Fowler

01S01-9810-CC-00185

Originating Judge:John W. Rollins
Coffee County Supreme Court 10/25/99
Overnite Transportation Co. v. Teamsters Local Union No. 480, et al.

M2002-02116-SC-R11-CV
We granted this appeal to determine 1) whether a trial court's order declining to hold an alleged contemnor in civil contempt may be appealed; 2) whether compensatory damages for civil contempt are available pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 29-9-105 (1980 & 2000) from a contemnor who commits an act forbidden by a trial court's order; and, if so, 3) whether those damages may be recovered if the violation is not ongoing at the time of the hearing. We answer these questions in the affirmative. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals and remand this case to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Authoring Judge: Justice Janice M. Holder
Originating Judge:Ellen H. Lyle
Davidson County Supreme Court 10/24/99
01C01-9705-CC-00200

01C01-9705-CC-00200

Originating Judge:James L. Weatherford
Maury County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/22/99
State vs.John Thomas Heflin

01C01-9809-CC-00380

Originating Judge:Thomas T. Woodall
Coffee County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/22/99
Geraldine Garrett v. Town of Livingston, Tn & Aetna Casualty and Surety Co.

01S01-9805-CV-00098
Authoring Judge: Per Curiam
Originating Judge:Hon. John J. Maddux, Jr.
Overton County Workers Compensation Panel 10/22/99
01C01-9711-CC-

01C01-9711-CC-
Court of Criminal Appeals 10/22/99
State vs. Bruce Holder

01C01-9902-CR-00054
Sumner County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/22/99
01C01-9903-CC-00105

01C01-9903-CC-00105
Maury County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/22/99
01C01-9807-CC-00292

01C01-9807-CC-00292

Originating Judge:Donald P. Harris
Williamson County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/22/99
State vs. Johnny Moffitt

02C01-9904-CC-00142

Originating Judge:Julian P. Guinn
Henderson County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/21/99
Curtis Watkins v. State of Tennessee

02C01-9808-CR-00236

The Petitioner, Curtis W atkins, appeals the order of the Shelby County Criminal Court denying his petition for post-conviction relief. The Petitioner pled guilty to aggravated rape in 1981 and received a sentence of twenty (20) years. In 1992, he filed the present petition alleging that, (1) his guilty plea was involuntary because he was not ad vised of his right again st self-incrimination, and (2) that he received ine ffective assistance of counsel.1 The trial court denied the petition after an evidentiary hearing. After a thorough re view of the record before this Court, we affirm the trial court’s judgment pursuant to Rule 20 of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals.

Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry L. Smith
Originating Judge:Judge Carolyn Wade Blackett
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/21/99
In the Matter of: Matthew L. Powell

03A01-9908-CR-00272
Knox County Court of Appeals 10/21/99
State vs. Maurice Shaw

02C01-9811-CC-00363

Originating Judge:Joseph H. Walker, III
Tipton County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/21/99
State vs. Bufford Barrett

02C01-9901-CC-00023

Originating Judge:Thomas T. Woodall
McNairy County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/21/99
State vs. William R. Begley, III

03C01-9810-CR-00359

Originating Judge:Phyllis H. Miller
Sullivan County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/20/99
Kenneth Kerr v. Municipal Corp.

03S01-9803-CV-00032
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) for hearing and reporting to the Supreme Court of findings of fact and conclusions of law. Review of the findings of fact made by the trial court is de novo upon the record of the trial court, accompanied by a presumption of the correctness of the findings, unless the preponderance of the evidence is otherwise. Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-225(e)(2); Stone v. City of McMinnville, 896 S.W.2d 548, 55 (Tenn. 1995). The application of this standard requires this Court to weigh in more depth the factual findings and conclusions of the trial court in a workers' compensation case. See Corcoran v. Foster Auto GMC, Inc., 746 S.W.2d 452, 456 (Tenn. 1988). The trial judge entered a judgment in favor of the plaintiff and fixed his recovery at 25 percent permanent partial disability to the body as a whole. The defendant says the evidence preponderates against the judgment. We agree with the defendant and reverse the judgment and dismiss this case. On July 11, 1994, the plaintiff was involved in an automobile accident while in the course of his employment with the defendant. The plaintiff was treated by Dr. Archer W. Bishop, Jr., an orthopedic surgeon, whose report was submitted as medical evidence in the case. Dr. Bishop's report, in essence, shows that the plaintiff had some degenerative disc disease and that he had some temporary symptoms as a result of the accident but no permanent effects therefrom. Dr. Bishop found the plaintiff had a five percent medical impairment as a result of the degenerative disc disease but no impairment as a result of the accident. The plaintiff testified concerning pain and difficulties which he was having. This is called greatly into question by Dr. Bishop's findings concerning pain: He states that he is having severe pain in his back. He even described pain in his hair, in his neck and in his skin. He seems to have complaints that outweigh his findings. Because of the complaints of pain, Dr. Bishop had an MRI done on the plaintiff. This showed no support for the plaintiff's complaints of pain. The plaintiff sought the opinion of Dr. Wade H. Penny, III, an orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Penny's report is not enlightening. It is somewhat vague as to the 2
Authoring Judge: John K. Byers, Senior Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. Rex Henry Ogle,
Knox County Workers Compensation Panel 10/20/99
State vs. Paris A. Weaver

03C01-9902-CR-00052

Originating Judge:Stephen M. Bevil
Hamilton County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/20/99
Carl Loving v. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co.

03S01-9805-CH-00050
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) for hearing and reporting to the Supreme Court of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The plaintiff suffered a back injury in a job-related accident on November 4, 1996. The contested issue was the extent of permanent disability, which the Chancellor found was 65 percent to the whole body. The defendant disagrees, appeals, and presents the issues of excessiveness and the allowance of discretionary costs for review, which is de novo upon the record of the trial court, accompanied by a presumption of the correctness of the findings of fact, unless the preponderance of the evidence is otherwise. Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-225(e)(2); Stone v. City of McMinnville, 896 S.W.2d 548, 55 (Tenn. 1995). The plaintiff, age 48, has been married 26 years, is a high school graduate, and has worked as a car salesman most of his adult life. But on November 4, 1996, he was otherwise employed at a job which required heavy lifting. While lifting a barrel filled with liquid weighing about 6 pounds, he injured his lower back, which eventually required surgery. He was released to return to work and "just sat around answering the telephone" for two weeks before he was terminated as unable to do the required work. He testified that he has looked for work elsewhere, but that "it's hard to get a job when you can't hardly do anything." He was initially seen by Dr. Steven Sanders, a neurological surgeon, on November 11, 1996. An MRI revealed a herniated disc. Conservative treatment proved ineffective, and Dr. Sanders performed a diskectomy on November 3, 1996. Based on the AMA Guidelines, he opined that the plaintiff had a ten percent impairment, and imposed permanent lifting restrictions. 2
Authoring Judge: William H. Inman, Senior Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. Billy J. White,
Knox County Workers Compensation Panel 10/20/99
Diane Watters vs. William Watters

02A01-9810-CH-00306

Originating Judge:Floyd Peete, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Appeals 10/19/99