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| Fain v. Fain
M1999-02261-COA-R3-CV
In this post-divorce proceeding, Clifton Dean Fain ("Father") filed a petition seeking sole custody of the parties' minor child. Susan Lorraine Fain ("Mother") counterclaimed for a modification of the joint custody arrangement or, in the alternative, for sole custody of the child. The trial court awarded Mother sole custody. Father appeals the award of sole custody to Mother. He also challenges the award of attorney's fees to Mother and questions the fairness of the quantum of his visitation time with the child. Mother seeks attorney's fees for this appeal. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Originating Judge:Russell Heldman |
Williamson County | Court of Appeals | 10/12/00 | |
| Sweatt vs. Bd. of Paroles
M1999-02265-COA-R3-CV
Appellant Antonio L. Sweatt brings this Petition for a Common Law Writ of Certiorari regarding the Tennessee Board of Paroles' decision to deny him parole based on the seriousness of the offense that he committed. Appellant avers that the Board of Paroles acted illegally or arbitrarily in denying his parole because appellant asserts that his guilty plea agreement included the agreement that he would only serve thirty percent of his twenty-five-year sentence and then he would be released on parole.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:Ellen Hobbs Lyle |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 10/12/00 | |
| Mandrell vs. McBee
M2000-00108-COA-R3-CV
This is a partnership dispute occasioned by the misappropriation of partnership funds by two of the five partners. In an earlier appeal in this case, this Court affirmed the judgment of the Trial Court awarding damages to the innocent partners but increased the amount of that judgment. This Court then remanded the case to the Trial Court, which heard further proof and made findings as to the distribution of partnership assets. In this appeal, a Defendant partner seeks reversal of the Trial Court's valuation and accounting of the partnership assets and computation of prejudgment interest. We find the concurrent findings of fact by the Special Master and the Trial Court are supported by material evidence in the record, and that the Special Master and the Trial Court properly interpreted this Court's earlier Opinion. Accordingly, we affirm the decision of the Trial Court in all respects.
Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Originating Judge:Robert E. Corlew, III |
Rutherford County | Court of Appeals | 10/12/00 | |
| Cumberland Bank vs. Smith
M2000-00052-COA-R3-CV
A creditor filed an action to sell a parcel of the debtor's real estate to satisfy a judgment lien on the property. The Chancery Court of Smith County granted the relief requested. The judgment debtor asserts on appeal that the underlying judgment and a nulla bona sheriff's return are void. For the reasons set forth in our opinion below, we affirm the action of the lower court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:C. K. Smith |
Smith County | Court of Appeals | 10/12/00 | |
| Next Generation, Inc. vs. Wal-Mart
M2000-00114-COA-R3-CV
In this contract dispute, the jury awarded damages to Wal-Mart, Inc., and the Trial Court concurred. Next Generation, Inc., appealed raising issues as to the admissibility of evidence and the Trial Court's instructions to the jury. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Originating Judge:Thomas W. Brothers |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 10/12/00 | |
| Next Generation, Inc. vs. Wal-Mart
M2000-00114-COA-R3-CV
In this contract dispute, the jury awarded damages to Wal-Mart, Inc., and the Trial Court concurred. Next Generation, Inc., appealed raising issues as to the admissibility of evidence and the Trial Court's instructions to the jury. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Originating Judge:Thomas W. Brothers |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 10/12/00 | |
| Harold W. Ferrell, Sr. v. Cigna Property & Casualty Ins. Co., et al
M1999-02587-WC-R3-CV
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. Section 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting to the Supreme Court of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The appellants, APAC-Tennessee, Inc. and Cigna Property & Casualty Insurance Co., contend that the trial court erred in finding that the plaintiff was twenty percent (2%) vocationally disabled and awarding him permanent partial disability benefits totaling $39,36.. They argue that the plaintiff could not be vocationally disabled because prior to his injury he had already planned to retire as a result of a preexisting arthritic condition. In other words, since the plaintiff had decided to stop working, he should not recover benefits which relate to future employability and earning capacity. We reject this argument for the reasons stated below, and affirm the judgment of the trial court in its entirety.
Authoring Judge: Frank F. Drowota, III, J.
Originating Judge:Richard Mcgregor, Judge |
Warren County | Workers Compensation Panel | 10/11/00 | |
| Associates Home Equity Svcs. v. Franklin National Bank
M2000-00516-COA-R3-CV
In this appeal Associates, a mortgage company, appeals the trial court's holding that it was not entitled to equitable subrogation to the rights and priority of earlier mortgagees whose loans it paid off. Franklin, another mortgage company, made a loan to the same property owners one day before Associates made its loan and recorded its deed of trust three days before Associates recorded its deed of trust to the same real property. Associates claims that, although Franklin recorded first, Associates is entitled to priority pursuant to the doctrine of equitable subrogation. Franklin filed a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, which the trial court granted. We find that because the remedy of equitable subrogation is an equitable one dependent upon the facts and circumstances of the situation and the equities between the parties, judgment on the pleadings was inappropriate.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Originating Judge:Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr. |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 10/11/00 | |
| State vs. Jason Weiskopf
W2000-02308-CCA-RM-CD
This case is before the court upon remand from the Supreme Court of Tennessee for reconsideration in light of State vs. Nichols, ___ S.W.3d ___ (Tenn. 2000). Previously, this court found the "weigh and consider" jury instruction to be in violation of due process. Nichols reached a contrary conclusion; therefore, we now affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Originating Judge:Arthur T. Bennett |
Shelby County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 10/11/00 | |
| Mayhew vs. Wilder
M2000-01948-COA-R10-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Hamilton V. Gayden, Jr. |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 10/11/00 | |
| State vs. Samuel Pegues
W1999-01865-CCA-R3-CD
The Defendant, Samuel Pegues, was convicted of second degree murder after a jury trial. In this appeal as of right, the Defendant asserts that the evidence presented at trial is insufficient to sustain his conviction, that the trial court erred by denying proposed testimony regarding statements made by the victim on the night of the incident, and that the trial court erred by excluding the Defendant's testimony regarding statements made by the victim that she had stabbed or cut someone. We conclude that the evidence is sufficient to sustain the conviction, that the trial court did err by denying the proposed testimony of statements made by the victim but that such error was harmless, and that the Defendant has waived his issue regarding the statements of the victim that she had stabbed or cut someone. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Originating Judge:John Franklin Murchison |
Madison County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 10/11/00 | |
| Mayhew vs. Wilder
M2000-01948-COA-R10-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Hamilton V. Gayden, Jr. |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 10/11/00 | |
| Stephen Stamps vs. Victoria Dibonaventura
W1999-00534-COA-R3-CV
This case arises from the Appellee's legal representation of the Appellant in a Petition for Post Conviction Relief. The Appellant's Petition was denied by the Criminal Court of Henry County and the Court of Criminal Appeals. After denial of his Application for Permission to Appeal by the Tennessee Supreme Court, the Appellant filed a Complaint of Legal Malpractice with the Circuit Court of Henry County. The trial court dismissed the Appellant's Complaint following a Motion to Dismiss filed by the Appellee. The Appellant appeals from the dismissal of his Complaint filed in the Circuit Court of Henry County. For the reasons stated herein, we affirm the trial court's decision.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:Julian P. Guinn |
Henry County | Court of Appeals | 10/11/00 | |
| Brenda Sandusky vs. Danny Sandusky
M2000-00288-COA-R3-CV
This appeal marks the third time that disputes over the child support provisions in the Sanduskys' 1988 marital dissolution agreement have reached this court. After we remanded the second appeal to calculate Mr. Sandusky's child support arrearage and to award Ms. Sandusky her legal expenses, Mr. Sandusky asserted new and different grounds to evade paying child support and also asserted that he should receive a credit against his arrearage because he had paid for a portion of his daughter's wedding. Following a bench trial, the Chancery Court for Wayne County terminated Mr. Sandusky's child support obligations regarding both of his children and reduced his arrearage by the amount of his financial contribution to his daughter's wedding. The trial court also awarded Ms. Sandusky only a portion of her legal expenses and declined to award her any discretionary costs. Ms. Sandusky asserts on this appeal that the trial court erred by relieving Mr. Sandusky of his child support obligations, by reducing Mr. Sandusky's arrearage by the amount of his contribution to his daughter for her wedding, by miscalculating the interest on Mr. Sandusky's arrearage, and by refusing to order Mr. Sandusky to pay all her legal expenses and discretionary costs. We agree with each of Ms. Sandusky's arguments. Therefore, we reverse the trial court's February 4, 2000 order and remand the case to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Jim T. Hamilton |
Wayne County | Court of Appeals | 10/11/00 | |
| Searle vs. Pfister
M2000-00731-COA-R3-CV
The unmarried parents of a young child separated, and the mother subsequently filed a petition to modify the father's visitation so she could move to California with her new boyfriend. The trial court initially denied her petition, but reversed itself after the mother and the boyfriend married. On appeal, the father argues that the trial court erred because it failed to recognize the mother's vindictive motive. We affirm the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Lonnie R. Hoover |
Williamson County | Court of Appeals | 10/11/00 | |
| State of Tennessee v. Trent Stark
W2002-03078-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry Smith
Originating Judge:J. C. Mclin |
Shelby County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 10/11/00 | |
| State vs. Margaret Somerville
W1999-01333-CCA-R3-CD
Defendant Margaret Ree Somerville was convicted by a jury of one count of possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, a Class B felony, and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court imposed a sentence of twelve (12) years on the felony offense and eleven (11) months, twenty-nine (29) days on the misdemeanor offense. The sentences were run concurrent to one another. Defendant challenges her convictions, asserting that (1) she was denied her right to the timely appointment of counsel; (2) the indictments against her were defective and should be quashed; and (3) the search warrant executed in this case was defective. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Judge Cornelia A. Clark
Originating Judge:Julian P. Guinn |
Henry County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 10/11/00 | |
| State vs. David Wayne Salley
E1999-00203-CCA-R3-CD
David Wayne Salley appeals from his conviction of aggravated rape. He raises issues related to sufficiency of the evidence, jury instructions on lesser-included offenses, admission of evidence obtained pursuant to search warrants, impeachment of the defendant with prior violent felony convictions, exclusion of evidence of consensual sexual relations with the then-minor victim 21 years before the crime, deficient notice that the state was seeking Range III classification for sentencing, and an excessive sentence. Because there is no error requiring reversal, we affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:Phyllis H. Miller |
Sullivan County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 10/11/00 | |
| State vs. Michael Smith
W1999-02413-CCA-R3-PC
The Defendant, Michael W. Smith, appeals as of right from the trial court's denial of post-conviction relief. On appeal, he asserts that his conviction for escape, which was entered pursuant to his guilty plea, should be set aside because the plea was entered involuntarily due to his trial counsel's ineffectiveness. We conclude that the trial court properly denied relief based on its findings that the Defendant received effective assistance of counsel and that he entered the plea knowingly and voluntarily. Accordingly, we affirm the denial of post-conviction relief.
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Originating Judge:Jon Kerry Blackwood |
Hardeman County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 10/11/00 | |
| Bobby Rains v. Bend of the River
M2000-00439-COA-R9-CV
This appeal involves an eighteen year old who committed suicide with his parents' .25 caliber handgun. The parents filed suit in the Circuit Court for Putnam County against the retailer who sold their son ammunition for the handgun shortly before his death. They later amended the complaint to seek loss of consortium damages for themselves and their son's surviving siblings. The trial court denied the retailer's motion for summary judgment regarding the wrongful death claims, as well as the retailer's motion to dismiss the loss of consortium claims. Thereafter, the trial court granted the retailer permission to seek a Tenn. R. App. P. 9 interlocutory appeal from its refusal to dismiss the wrongful death and loss of consortium claims. We granted permission to appeal and have now determined that the trial court erred by denying the retailer's Tenn. R. Civ. P. 56 and 12.02(6) motions because, based on the undisputed facts, the suicide was not reasonably foreseeable and was the independent, intervening cause of the young man's death.
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Originating Judge:John A. Turnbull |
Putnam County | Court of Appeals | 10/11/00 | |
| Scott Lewis Phillips v. Tennessee Home Improvements, Inc.
M1999-01477-WC-R3-CV
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel in accordance with the Tenn. Code Ann. _5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting findings of fact and conclusions of law. The appellant, a vinyl siding company, contends the trial court erred in finding a siding installer to be an employee rather than an independent contractor. The panel has concluded that the judgment of the trial court finding the installer to be an employee should be affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Frank G. Clement, Jr., Sp.J.
Originating Judge:Clara Willis Byrd, Judge |
Scott County | Workers Compensation Panel | 10/11/00 | |
| Arthur/Mary Anderson vs. John Howser
W2000-00937-COA-R3-CV
This is a medical malpractice case. The defendants filed a motion for summary judgment, supported by an affidavit from the defendant physician. The plaintiffs filed the opposing affidavit of an expert physician. When the defendants attempted to depose the plaintiffs' expert, they were informed that he would not be testifying at trial. However, the plaintiffs' expert's affidavit was never withdrawn from the record, nor was his testimony recanted. The trial court gave the plaintiffs additional time to secure an expert for trial. The plaintiffs failed to secure an expert within the time period and filed a notice of voluntary non-suit. The trial court granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment, holding that the plaintiffs' response to the motion for summary judgment must be supported by the affidavit of an expert who is expected to testify at trial. The plaintiffs appealed. We affirm. Where the plaintiff submits the affidavit of an expert in response to a motion for summary judgment, and it is undisputed that the expert will not testify for trial, the plaintiff has not demonstrated that he has a justiciable claim warranting a trial, and the granting of summary judgment is appropriate.
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Originating Judge:James F. Russell |
Shelby County | Court of Appeals | 10/10/00 | |
| Douglas Shanklin vs. UT Medical
W1999-01982-COA-R3-CV
This appeal arises from a trial court's finding that a subsequent action by Doctor was barred under the doctrine of res judicata due to the court's decision in an earlier case. On appeal, Doctor argued that his earlier action for age discrimination and retaliation in violation of the Tennessee Human Rights Act was not the same as the current action, which involves breach of contract and unjust enrichment. We affirm the trial court's ruling.
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Originating Judge:Robert L. Childers |
Shelby County | Court of Appeals | 10/10/00 | |
| Nancy Record vs. Brian Record
W2000-01294-COA-R3-CV
Husband appeals a final decree of divorce as it pertains to an upward deviation of child support, division of marital property and debt, and the award of alimony in solido for attorney fees. We affirm as modified.
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Originating Judge:Robert A. Lanier |
Shelby County | Court of Appeals | 10/10/00 | |
| McBee vs. HCA Health Svcs. of TN
M2000-00271-COA-R3-CV
This appeal involves a hospital patient who was injured in a fall two days following surgery. The patient and her husband filed suit against the hospital in the Circuit Court for Davidson County alleging that her attending nurse had negligently permitted her to ambulate without adequate assistance and support. The hospital filed a motion for summary judgement supported by the attending nurse's affidavit stating that she had complied with the applicable standard of care for the post-operative ambulation of surgical patients. The patient did not submit any countervailing expert affidavits, and the trial court granted the hospital's summary judgment motion. On this appeal, the patient asserts that she should not have been required to file countervailing expert affidavits either because her complaint was based on simple negligence or because the attending nurse's negligence was so plain that no expert testimony was required. We find that the patient's complaint is for medical malpractice and that the attending nurse's conduct is not so plainly negligent that it obviates the necessity of expert proof. Accordingly, we affirm the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Walter C. Kurtz |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 10/10/00 |