APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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Tim Taylor v. Robert L. Morris and Terry Muncey - Concurring

01A01-9804-CH-00211

Defendant Terry Muncey appeals, and Plaintiff Tim Taylor cross-appeals, the trial court’s judgment awarding Muncey $1000 in damages on his counterclaim for wrongful injunction against Taylor. We reverse the trial court’s judgment based upon our conclusion that Muncey failed to meet his burden of proving the elements of his claim for wrongful injunction.

Authoring Judge: Judge Farmer
Warren County Court of Appeals 09/01/99
James R. Tully, Jr. v. USA Wireless, Inc., PMT Investments, Inc. and Patrick M. Thompson et. al.

01A01-9707-CH-00332

The Chancellor granted summary judgment to the defendant on the plaintiff’s fraud claim. Because we believe the plaintiff has alleged sufficient facts to make out a claim of fraud, and the defendant has been unable to negate those allegations, we find the fraud claim inappropriate for summary judgment, and we reverse. We also find that the plaintiff has not waived his contract claim, and we remand this case to the trial court for the resolution of both claims.

Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Chancellor Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 09/01/99
Grei S. Hinsen, v. Mark E. Meadors, Individually and D/B/A MEM Contractors, and Hailey Brown

01A01-9811-CH-00583

This is an action by a homeowner against a remodeling contractor and a painter for the failure of the paint inside the house. The Chancery Court of Davidson County dismissed the homeowner’s claims. We affirm.

Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Chancellor Carol L. McCoy
Davidson County Court of Appeals 09/01/99
Linda Layne, individually and as the surviving spouse of James T. Lane, v. Pioneer Life Insurance Company of Illinois

01A01-9809-CH-00457

This is a suit in chancery for declaratory judgment relative to a policy of insurance. The primary question presented is whether or not participation by the insured in a motorbike event known as an "enduro" constitutes "racing" within the meaning of an exclusion in the policy. After the insured died from injuries he received while participatingin an "enduro," the defendant insurance company denied coverage. The lower court found that the particular loss in this case was excluded from coverage. We affirm the decision of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Originating Judge:Chancellor James L. Weatherford
Rutherford County Court of Appeals 09/01/99
Michael King v. TFE, Inc.

01A01-9711-CV-00624

In this action filed against TFE, Inc. (hereafter “TFE”), Michael King appeals the trial court’s grant of summary judgment to TFE as related to King’s claims for breach of an alleged employment contract. The trial court granted TFE’s motion for summary judgment based on the court’s conclusion that an employee handbook distributed by TFE did not constitute an employment contract. For the reasons hereafter stated, we affirm the trial court’s grant of summary judgment.

Authoring Judge: Judge Holly Kirby Lillard
Originating Judge:Judge Jim T. Hamilton
Maury County Court of Appeals 09/01/99
William H. Thompson, Jr., v. Department of Codes Administration, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County

01A01-9808-CH-00438

This case involves the refusal of the Metropolitan Department of Codes Administration ("the Department") to issue building permits to the petitioner/appellant landowner. Planning to divide and sell his land, the petitioner made preparations to subdivide this land pursuant to the Department's advice on how to avoid regulation by the Metropolitan Planning Commission ("MPC"). However, due to a new interpretation of existing statutory law, the petitioner's preparations, once completed, were no longer adequate and the Department deemed that the land must undergo review before the MPC as a subdivision. Consequently, the zoning administrator of the Department denied the petitioner the building permits and the petitioner brought suit claiming first that the division of land was not a "subdivision" as that term is defined by statute. Furthermore, the petitioner contended that the zoning administrator's application of the newly-interpreted law to him violated his constitutional rights to equal protection and due process and effected against him the application of a retrospective law. In addition, the appellant claimed that the Department should be equitably estopped from refusing to issue the building permits. The trial court granted the Department's motion for involuntary dismissal of the petitioner's case. We affirm the decision of the trial court on all issues.

Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Originating Judge:Chancellor Carol L. McCoy
Davidson County Court of Appeals 09/01/99
Terry David Mackie v. Sarah Catheine Mackie

01A01-9810-CV-00536

This case represents an appeal from the grant of divorce upon stipulation of grounds pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 36-4-129. The parties to this action, Terry David Mackie ("Husband"), and Sarah Catherine Campbell Mackie ("Wife") were married on November 6, 1984. Husband filed a complaint in Williamson County Circuit Court on March 6, 1997, seeking divorce on the grounds of inappropriate marital conduct and irreconcilable differences. On March 20, 1997, Wife answered and counterclaimed. In her answer, Wife admitted the ground of irreconcilable differences and alleged inappropriate marital conduct on the part of the Husband. Over the next 14 months the parties participated in successive proceedings regarding pendente lite custody of their severely ill minor child. The case was originally set for trial on June 3, 1997. Both parties agreed to continue the case; each sought a scheduling order for the sequence of discovery. The parties were ordered to attend mediation on February 23, 1998. On May 18, 1998, Husband moved to change pendente lite custody and to compel discovery. This motion was to be heard on June 3, 1998. At the June 3, hearing, in an admittedly unorthodox proceeding, the parties stipulated under oath that each had grounds for divorce. At this point in the hearing, both parties were sent into an antechamber to provide for the division of the marital estate and custody of the child. These negotiations are documented in handwritten notes, signed by the parties and their counsel, and appearing in the record.

Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Originating Judge:Judge Bobby H. Capers
Wilson County Court of Appeals 09/01/99
Southwest Progressive Ent., Inc. v. Shri-Hari Hospitality, LLC and Trans Financial Bank of Tennessee - Concurring

01-A-01-9810-CH-00542

A construction company sued a hotelkeeper for payment of the balance due on their contract. The trial court ordered the hotelkeeper to pay the balance, as well as pre-judgment interest and attorney fees. We affirm the award of pre-judgment interest, but we reverse the award of attorney fees. We also reverse a $500 offset the trial court granted to the defendant for the plaintiff’s alleged failure to complete a punch list.

Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Chancellor Robert E. Corlew, III
Rutherford County Court of Appeals 09/01/99
State vs. Harrison Pearson

03C01-9802-CR-00076

Originating Judge:Stephen M. Bevil
Hamilton County Court of Criminal Appeals 08/31/99
State vs. Terrell Jackson

W2001-00901-CCA-R3-PC
The petitioner, Terrell E. Jackson, appeals the trial court's denial of post-conviction relief. The issues presented for review are whether the petitioner was denied the effective assistance of counsel and whether he entered a knowing and voluntary guilty plea. The judgment is affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Judge Gary R Wade
Originating Judge:Arthur T. Bennett
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 08/31/99
State vs. Jerry Darrell Duncan

03C01-9808-CR-00300
Roane County Court of Criminal Appeals 08/31/99
State vs. Roger Vance

03C01-9808-CC-00317
Blount County Court of Criminal Appeals 08/31/99
Hathaway vs. First Family Financial Svcs.

01S01-9811-FD-00203

Originating Judge:John T. Nixon
Supreme Court 08/30/99
Tire Shredders vs. ERM

02A01-9803-CV-00058

Originating Judge:James F. Russell
Shelby County Court of Appeals 08/30/99
Edwin Elam vs. Martha Elam

02A01-9812-CH-00362

Originating Judge:Dewey C. Whitenton
McNairy County Court of Appeals 08/30/99
Concrete Spaces vs. Sender

01S01-9812-CH-00224

Originating Judge:Cecil Crowson
Davidson County Supreme Court 08/30/99
02A01-9908-CH-00237

02A01-9908-CH-00237
Court of Appeals 08/30/99
Schering Plough Healthcare vs. State Bd. of Equalization

02S01-9810-CH-00096
Shelby County Supreme Court 08/30/99
03C01-9809-CC-00316

03C01-9809-CC-00316
Blount County Court of Criminal Appeals 08/30/99
Abdullah Morrison v. State of Tennessee

W2006-02480-CCA-R3-PC
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Originating Judge:Arthur T. Bennett
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 08/30/99
Imogene Dixon v. State

03S01-9810-BC-00111
Authoring Judge: Howell N. Peoples, Special Judge
Originating Judge:The Honorable
Knox County Workers Compensation Panel 08/30/99
Rita L. England v. Cigna Insurance Co.

01S01-9804-CH-00082
Authoring Judge: Per Curiam
Originating Judge:Hon. Irvin H. Kilcrease
Davidson County Workers Compensation Panel 08/30/99
Hawkins vs. Hart

01S01-9811-CV-00199
Supreme Court 08/30/99
State vs. Johnny Shields

W2001-01554-CCA-R3-CD
Appellant, Johnny Shields, was convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual battery, a class B felony, following a jury trial. The trial court sentenced Shields, as a Range I offender, to concurrent eleven year sentences in the Department of Correction. On appeal, Shields raises the following issues: (1) whether the evidence was sufficient to support the verdicts, and (2) whether his sentences were proper. After a review of the record, we affirm Shields' convictions but modify his sentences due to misapplication of enhancing and mitigating factors.
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Originating Judge:Donald H. Allen
Madison County Court of Criminal Appeals 08/29/99
M. S. Carriers, Inc. v. William Oringe

02S01-9804-CV-00042
This workers' compensation appeal was referred to the Special W orkers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6- 225(e)(3) (Supp. 1998) for a hearing and reporting to the Supreme Court of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The plaintiff/counter-defendant employer in this case, M.S. Carriers, Inc., originally filed a petition against the defendant/counter-plaintiffemployee, William Oringe, requesting a dismissal of Mr. Oringe's workers' compensation claim for an injury that the company alleged was not work-related. Mr. Oringe filed an answer and counter-complaint for benefits against the company. To avoid confusion on appeal, we will refer to Mr. Oringe as "the claimant" and to M.S. Carriers, Inc., as "the employer." The case was tried on March 9, 1998. The trial judge found that the claimant failed to prove that his injury arose out of and in the course of employment with M.S. Carriers, Inc., on January 16, 1997. The claimant presents several issues on appeal that can be summarized as follows: (1) Whether the trial court erred in allowing a computer printout surrounding the date in question to be used in the testimony of David Work, the claimant's supervisor at the time of the accident; and (2) whether the trial court erred in finding that the claimant did not sustain a work-related injury. After a careful review of the record, we find that the judgment of the trial court must be affirmed. At the time of trial, the claimant testified that he was a 33-year-old high school graduate with some vocational training in welding and truck driving, as well as experience as a supply clerk in the National Guard. He worked for the employer, M.S. Carriers, Inc., as an over-the-road truck driver from October of 1991 until January of 1997. In addition to driving a truck, the claimant was responsible for loading and unloading various types of cargo at their destinations. He testified that he had sustained two previous injuries to his back while working for the employer. The first injury occurred in 1993 or 1994 and healed normally. The second injury occurred on October 18, 1996, while the claimant was unloading a refrigerator from a truck with a two-wheeler, and his back "popped." He was treated by his family physician, Dr. James R. Jacobs, who referred him to a neurosurgeon, Dr. Gregory F. Ricca. An MRI revealed a bulging disc, and the claimant was released from 2
Authoring Judge: L. Terry Lafferty, Senior Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. James F. Russell, Judge
Shelby County Workers Compensation Panel 08/27/99