COURT OF APPEALS OPINIONS

Beale St. Dev. vs. George Miller
W2001-01133-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
This is a disagreement over the exercise of an option contract. The Appellant asserts that he was prevented from exercising his option. For the reasons stated below, we affirm the trial court's ruling that the Appellant never made an unconditional tender of the funds required to exercise the option, and thus did not properly exercise the option during its term.

Shelby Court of Appeals

Roger Clayton Morris v. Lola Jane Morris
W2002-00001-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Trial Court Judge: George R. Ellis

Gibson Court of Appeals

Patsy Mitchell vs. Dr. James Ensor
W2001-01683-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Trial Court Judge: D'Army Bailey
Patient brought medical malpractice action against physician and medical group, including allegations that physician failed to obtain the informed consent of female patient prior to administration of a testosterone injection. The circuit court entered judgment on a jury verdict in favor of physician and medical group. Patient appealed. We affirm and remand.

Shelby Court of Appeals

General Construction vs. Greater St. Thomas Church
W2001-01588-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Trial Court Judge: Floyd Peete, Jr.
This appeal arises from a dispute over the construction of a church. Both parties alleged that the other breached the construction contract. The trial court found the Church to be in breach, awarded damages to the Contractor, and this appeal ensued. We affirm in part and reverse in part.

Shelby Court of Appeals

Cavalier Metal vs. Johnson Controls
W2001-01057-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Trial Court Judge: C. Creed Mcginley
Cavalier Metal Corporation sued Johnson Controls, Inc. for a breach of contract. A jury awarded Cavalier $2,029,294.00 in damages. At its motion for new trial, Johnson Controls, Inc. presented two juror affidavits alleging that another juror who had worked at Johnson Controls, Inc. imparted to the jury her knowledge of the very facts and issues at dispute in the trial. JCI had challenged this juror for cause during voir dire, but its motion had been denied. The trial court held the affidavits inadmissable under Tennessee Rule of Evidence 606(b). For the following reasons, we reverse and remand for a new trial.

Henderson Court of Appeals

Victoria Barnes vs. David Barnes
W2002-00428-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Trial Court Judge: Robert A. Lanier
This appeal arises from a change of custody, from the Mother to the Father, granted by the trial court. We affirm, with the modification that Father be enjoined from smoking when either child is present.

Madison Court of Appeals

Policy of Insurance No. Ltc982015 v. Transcarriers Inc.,
W2001-02556-COA-R9-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Trial Court Judge: Robert A. Lanier

Shelby Court of Appeals

Billy Joe Smith vs. Lisa Ricel
E2001-02436-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Houston M. Goddard
Trial Court Judge: Thomas J. Seeley, Jr.
In this appeal from the Circuit Court for Johnson County the Appellant, Billy Joe Smith, asserts that the Circuit Court erred in denying his motion to alter or amend the Court's prior judgment dismissing his complaint for alleged violations of his civil rights upon grounds that the complaint failed to allege any causes of action other than violations of the United States Constitution. We affirm the judgment of the Circuit Court.

Johnson Court of Appeals

Dept of Children's Srvcs, vs. TLC
E2002-00699-COA-R3-CV
Trial Court Judge: Suzanne Bailey
The Trial Court terminated the mother's parental rights on statutory grounds. On appeal, we affirm the Trial Court's Judgment.

Hamilton Court of Appeals

E2002-00442-COA-R3-JV
E2002-00442-COA-R3-JV
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Thomas J. Wright

Greene Court of Appeals

Terry Hardin v. Teresa Hardin
M2001-01845-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Trial Court Judge: C. L. Rogers
In this divorce action, the Trial Court classified monthly benefits paid to husband as marital property. On appeal, husband contends payments are disability benefits. We affirm.

Sumner Court of Appeals

Renee Griffith v. James Griffith
M2001-02369-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Trial Court Judge: Michael R. Jones
Renee Shelby Griffith ("Mother") and James Alden Griffith ("Father") were divorced in 1995. Mother originally was awarded primary physical custody of the parties' two minor children. Father later sought a change of custody. The Trial Court granted Father's motion to modify custody, finding that a material change in circumstances had occurred and that a change of custody would serve the best interests of the children. Mother appeals. We affirm, in part, and vacate, in part, and remand.

Montgomery Court of Appeals

Joe Burton v. Warren Farmers Cooperative
M1999-00486-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Charles D. Haston, Sr.
This appeal involves a dispute between a farmer and a co-op over a disappointing soybean crop. The farmer filed suit against the co-op in the Circuit Court for Warren County, alleging that his crop had been damaged by the manner in which the co-op had sprayed herbicide on his fields early in the growing season. At the close of the farmer's proof, the trial court granted the co-op's motion for involuntary dismissal under Tenn. R. Civ. P. 41.02(2) after concluding that he had failed to prove his breach of contract and negligence claims. The farmer asserts on this appeal that the trial court erred by dismissing his lawsuit. We have determined that the trial court properly dismissed the farmer's complaint at the close of his proof.

Warren Court of Appeals

Insura Property & Casualty Ins. v. Terry Ashe
M2002-00374-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Trial Court Judge: C. K. Smith
This is a declaratory judgment action wherein Plaintiff insurance company seeks a declaration as to coverage under its commercial general liability insurance policy issued to Lineberry Properties, Inc. Defendant, Dewey Lineberry, and his wholly owned corporate entities, Defendants Lineberry Properties, Inc. and Lawdog Communications, LLC, sought defense and indemnity from Plaintiff insurance company relative to a defamation, libel, slander, and outrageous conduct complaint previously filed against them in the Circuit Court for Wilson County, Tennessee by Defendants, Terry and Judy Ashe. The trial court granted summary judgment to the insurance company holding that the general commercial liability policy provided no coverage as to the underlying action. We affirm the trial court.

Wilson Court of Appeals

Vanderbilt University v. Charles Haynes
M2001-02688-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Trial Court Judge: Walter C. Kurtz
The Circuit Court of Davidson County dismissed an appeal from the General Sessions Court because the appeal was not perfected within ten days of the date of the General Sessions judgment. The appellant contends that Rules 6.01 and 6.05 of the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure extended the time for filing the appeal to the date it was actually perfected. Because the Rules of Civil Procedure do not apply to the General Sessions Court, we affirm the Circuit Court's judgment.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Randy Hensley v. Department of Corrections
M2001-02721-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Trial Court Judge: Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.
An inmate who was allowed to commence and proceed in forma pauperis in this litigation, but who was unsuccessful and had costs taxed against him, appeals the trial court's denial of his motion to quash execution on his trust fund account to collect the costs. We affirm.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Russell Wellington v. State
M2002-01090-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Trial Court Judge: Hamilton V. Gayden, Jr.
Inmate appeals the trial court's order dismissing his lawsuit for failure to prosecute. Because the State had been granted a transfer of this case from the Claims Commission for the purpose of consolidating it with another case pending in the trial court, but took the position in this appeal that no consolidation had occurred, we vacate the dismissal and remand.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Dept of Children's Services v. Florence Hoffmeyer
M2002-00076-COA-R3-JV
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Trial Court Judge: Max D. Fagan

Robertson Court of Appeals

Gregory Hedges v. TDOC
M2002-00140-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Barbara N. Haynes

Davidson Court of Appeals

M2002-00076-COA-R3-JV-
M2002-00076-COA-R3-JV-
Trial Court Judge: Max D. Fagan

Robertson Court of Appeals

Gregory Hedges v. TDOC
M2002-00140-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Trial Court Judge: Barbara N. Haynes

Davidson Court of Appeals

Tyrone Sterling v. Lolita Williams
M2002-00352-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Trial Court Judge: Michael R. Jones
The Chancery Court of Montgomery County awarded Tyrone Sterling a divorce from Lolita R. Sterling and custody of the parties' minor child. Ms. Sterling asserts on appeal that the division of the marital property violated the automatic stay issued in her bankruptcy proceeding, and that the court erred in granting Mr. Sterling the divorce and custody of the child. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Montgomery Court of Appeals

H&R Block Eastern Tax Services, Inc., v. Kameron Bates, D/B/A Bates Income Tax Service, et al.
M2001-02589-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge W. Frank Crawford
Trial Court Judge: Chancellor Vernon Neal

Plaintiff, provider of a tax preparation service, sued defendants, a tax preparation service and individual former employees of plaintiff, for damages and injunctive relief resulting from procurement of breach of contract by defendant tax preparation service and for breach of noncompetition contracts by former employees. The trial court found that the plaintiff had no right to relief from the defendants and entered judgment for all defendants. Plaintiff appeals. We affirm.

Overton Court of Appeals

Larry Williams v. TDOC
M2000-02905-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Trial Court Judge: Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.

Davidson Court of Appeals

Eric Woodruff v. TDOC
M2001-00494-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Trial Court Judge: Carol L. Mccoy
Petitioner, an inmate in the custody of the Tennessee Department of Correction, filed the underlying pro se petition for common law writ of certiorari, seeking review of a prison disciplinary board decision and resulting sanctions that he alleges were made in violation of his constitutional rights to due process and equal protection under the laws. Specifically, Petitioner alleges that the disciplinary board violated Department policies by not providing the Petitioner with an adequate statement of reasons prior to his placement in administrative segregation. The trial court dismissed the suit for failure to state a claim. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand the case to the trial court with the direction that the trial court issue the writ.

Davidson Court of Appeals