In Re James Preston Hess, IV
M2011-01561-COA-R3-CV
This is an appeal from an order appointing a conservator for the adult son of divorced parents. The father contends that the evidence does not support the determinations that the son lacks the capacity to fully attend to his needs without assistance and that the appointment of a conservator is warranted; Mother contends that the father does not have standing to appeal. We affirm the court in all respects.
Authoring Judge: Judge Richard H. Dinkins
Originating Judge:Chancellor Jeffrey S. Bivins |
Williamson County | Court of Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
Diane S. Hand v. Golden E. Hand, Sr.
M2010-02404-COA-R3-CV
The parties married twice and divorced twice. Under the terms of their second divorce decree, the wife was awarded the marital home, the husband and wife were made jointly responsible for the mortgage on the home, and the husband was ordered to pay the wife alimony in futuro of $1,200 per month. About five years after their second divorce became final, the husband filed a petition to terminate or to modify his alimony obligation. He alleged among other things that his income had declined and that his wife no longer needed his support, as demonstrated by her conveyance of the marital home without consideration to the party’s son, and her relationship with her new boyfriend. For her part, the wife petitioned the trial court to increase the husband’s alimony obligation, alleging that her need had actually increased because her physical ailments had worsened and that the monthly cost of medications to treat them had soared. The trial court denied both petitions. We affirm
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Originating Judge:Judge Phillip E. Smith |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
State of Tennessee v. Glenda Nash Clemmons
M2011-02398-CCA-R3-CD
The appellant, Glenda Nash Clemmons, pled guilty in the Marion County Circuit Court to failure to appear in case numbers 8109 and 8721. In case number 8109, the trial court sentenced her to two years to be served as sixty days in jail and one year, ten months in community corrections. In case number 8271, the trial court sentenced her to three years to be served in community corrections and consecutively to the two-year sentence in case number 8109. Subsequently, the trial court revoked her community corrections sentences and ordered her to serve her effective five-year sentence in confinement. The appellant contends that the trial court erred by revoking her community corrections sentences and ordering her to serve her original sentences in confinement. She also contends that she did not receive all the jail credits to which she was entitled. Based upon the record and the parties’ briefs, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Originating Judge:Judge Thomas W. Graham |
Marion County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
State of Tennessee v. Travis Davison
W2011-02167-CCA-R3-CO
The Appellant filed a motion to correct a judgment pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36 in the Shelby County Criminal Court. The trial court subsequently entered an order denying the Appellant’s motion. In this appeal, the Appellant contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion. Because there is no appeal as of right from the denial of a Rule 36 motion to correct a judgment, the appeal is dismissed.
Authoring Judge: Judge D. Kelly Thomas
Originating Judge:Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. |
Shelby County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
Cheyenne Duffer v. Keystops, LLC
M2011-01484-COA-R3-CV
This appeal arises out of a personal injury suit, wherein the plaintiff and Dewayne Duffer filed suit against a trucking company for injuries suffered in an accident and for loss of consortium as a result of the accident. Plaintiff’s employer intervened to recover worker’s compensation benefits paid to plaintiff. Soon thereafter, the trucking company discovered that plaintiff was male, had filed the action using an assumed female identity, and had lied throughout the discovery process. The trucking company filed a motion for summary judgment. The court granted the motion and dismissed plaintiff’s and employer’s complaints,finding that plaintiff had committed a fraud upon the courtand thatemployerhad failed to file suitwithin the applicable statute of limitations because plaintiff’scomplaintwas rendered void ab initio. Plaintiff and employer appeal. We affirm the dismissal of plaintiff’s complaint but reverse the dismissal of employer’s complaint.
Authoring Judge: Judge John W. McClarty
Originating Judge:Judge Hamilton V. Gayden, Jr. |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
In the Matter of: Jonathan S. C-B
M2010-02536-COA-R3-JV
The mother of a five year old boy alleged that the boy’s father had sexually abused him, and she petitioned the juvenile court to have the father’s visitation privileges revoked. After a long course of proceedings that included an investigation by the Department of Children’s Services, testimony by a number of mental health professionals, and a report by the guardian ad litem, the court concluded that the Mother’s allegations were unfounded, that her hostility against the father was having a detrimental effect on the child, and that it was in the child’s best interest that the father be named as the child’s primary residential parent in place of the mother. The mother raises numerous procedural issues on appeal, and she also contends that her allegations of abuse against the father were true, or at the very least that she had a good faith belief in their truth. Having carefully considered the mother’s allegations and her arguments, we affirm the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Originating Judge:Judge Betty K. Adams Green |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
In Re Estate of Willie Juanell Campbell
E2011-02765-COA-R3-CV
In this appeal, numerous beneficiaries under a will challenge the trial court’s order awarding attorney’s fees of $9,024.75 out of the funds of the estate to another beneficiary who is their adversary. At an earlier time, the court had entered an order setting the attorney’s fees of that beneficiary at $34,669.25 without specifying who was responsible for the payment of those fees. On the motion of that beneficiary, the court granted a new trial on the subject of attorney’s fees. When the matter came on for the “new trial,” the court announced that it would listen to argument but would not receive substantive evidence on the subject. Following that “hearing,” the court awarded the fees now before us. The court’s order does not articulate any findings with respect to whether the attorney’s services were reasonable, necessary or benefited the estate. The “challenging” beneficiaries filed a notice of appeal. We vacate the order awarding attorney’s fees and remand to the trial court with instructions to conduct an evidentiary hearing and enter an order on attorney’s fees complying with Tenn. R. Civ. P. 52.01.
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Originating Judge:Chancellor Jerri S. Bryant |
McMinn County | Court of Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
State of Tennessee v. Sanders Lee Madewell
M2011-02150-CCA-R3-CD
A Putnam County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Defendant, Matthew Kinnard, charging him with one count of aggravated child abuse. Following a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of the lesser-included offense of reckless aggravated assault. He received a sentence of three years in the Department of Correction. On appeal, Defendant argues that the trial court erred in denying his request for probation or some other form of alternative sentence. After a thorough review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Originating Judge:Judge J. Randall Wyatt, Jr. |
Davidson County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
State of Tennessee v. Michael Anthony Jeffries
W2011-02653-CCA-R3-CD
A grand jury indicted appellant for possession of a substance containing .5 grams or more of cocaine with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a school, in violation of Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-17-417 (a)(4), a Class A felony. Following an unsuccessful motion to suppress the evidence, appellant entered a guilty plea to possession of .5 grams or more of cocaine with intent to sell, a Class B felony. Pursuant to the plea agreement, the trial court sentenced appellant to eight years and 270 days and placed him on probation. As a condition of the plea agreement, appellant reserved the right to certify several questions of law challenging the validity of the search that yielded the evidence against him. Following our review, we affirm the trial court’s judgment.
Authoring Judge: Judge Roger A. Page
Originating Judge:Judge William B. Acree Jr. |
Obion County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
Tony Williams et al. v. Tennessee Farmers Life Reassurance Company et al.
M2011-01946-COA-R3-CV
This action was filed after the defendant, a life insurance company, denied payment of benefits on the grounds that the decedent/insured made material misrepresentations in her application for life insurance. The specific basis for the denial was that the insured allegedly failed to disclose “methadone treatment for a narcotic addiction.” The trial court found there was no proof that the insured was taking methadone at the time of the application or that she was ever treated for “drug related problems.” On this basis, the trial court concluded the insured did not make anymisrepresentations in her application for life insurance and ordered the defendant to pay the death benefit plus pre-judgment interest. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge Frank G. Clement, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Jim T. Hamilton |
Hamilton County | Court of Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
In Re: K. B. Ronald Lynn Brewer, Jr., et al. v. Ronald Lynn Brewer, Sr., et al.
M2011-01396-COA-R3-PT
This is a termination of parental rights case. The trial court concluded that it was in the best interests of the child to terminate Mother’s parental rights on the ground of severe child abuse. On appeal, the sole issue presented by Mother is whether the trial court erred in determining that termination of her parental rights was in the best interests of the child. After thoroughly reviewing the record, we affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Originating Judge:Chancellor Robert E. Corlew, Jr. |
Rutherford County | Court of Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
Robert Jason Burgess v. State of Tennessee
M2011-01324-CCA-R3-PC
The Petitioner, Robert Jason Burgess, appeals from the Marshall County Circuit Court’s denial of post-conviction relief from his convictions for two counts of rape and two counts of possession with intent to sell a controlled substance, for which he is serving an effective twenty-six-year sentence. On appeal, the Petitioner contends that he did not receive the effective assistance of counsel. He also contends that the trial court erred in treating his letters as a petition for post-conviction relief. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Originating Judge:Judge Robert G. Crigler |
Marshall County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
In the Matter of: Justin K. C. et al.
M2012-00679-COA-R3-PT
The parental rights of the parents of three children were terminated on two statutory grounds, persistence of conditions pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-1-113(g)(3), and substantial noncompliance with the permanency plan pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-1-113(g)(2), and the finding that termination of their parental rights was in the children’s best interests. Both parents appeal contending the trial court erred in finding any ground existed for termination and that termination of their parental rights was in the children’s best interests. Finding no error, we affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge Frank G. Clement, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Betty Adams Green |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
Edward G. rochelle v. Grange Mutual Casualty Company, et al.
M2011-02697-COA-R3-CV
This appeal results from the grant of summary judgment in favor of Appellee insurance company. Appellee denied Appellant’s claim for fire loss on the ground that Appellant made material misrepresentations in the application for insurance. The trial court determined that Appellant took contradictory positions in his examination under oath and in his discovery deposition on the question of whether his application for insurance was completed when he signed it, or whether he signed it in blank before it was completed by the insurance agent. The trial court determined that Appellant’s inconsistent statements were not effective to create a dispute of material fact for purposes of summary judgment. We conclude that the motion for summary judgment was improperly granted. Reversed and remanded.
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Steven Stafford
Originating Judge:Judge George C. Sexton |
Humphreys County | Court of Appeals | 07/31/12 | |
State of Tennessee v. Keisha M. Howard
E2011-00598-CCA-R3-CD
The Defendant-Appellant, Keisha M. Howard, was indicted for theft of property valued at $60,000 or more and for violating the Tennessee Computer Act, both Class B felonies. She entered guilty pleas to the offenses as charged in the Bradley County Criminal Court, with the trial court to determine the length and manner of her sentence as well as the amount of restitution, if any. See T.C.A. §§ 39-14-103, -105(5), -602(a)(1) (2006). The trial court sentenced Howard as a Range I, standard offender and imposed concurrent sentences of eight years. Under the special conditions in the theft judgment, the court ordered that Howard “may apply to Community Corrections” and that she “owes $215,000 [and] cannot pay that amount but must pay no less than $200 a month.” Howard filed a motion to clarify the total amount of restitution owed, and the trial court, in determining that its previous judgment regarding restitution violated Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-35-304(c), ordered Howard to pay $1,000 per month for eight years, for a total of $96,000 in restitution. On appeal, Howard argues that the trial court’s order requiring her to pay $96,000 in restitution was unreasonable, given her financial resources and ability to pay. Upon review, we reverse the trial court’s order that Howard pay $1,000 per month for eight years for a total of $96,000 in restitution, and we amend the judgments to show that the victim’s loss in this case is $156,951.30 and that the restitution, based on the proof established of Howard’s present ability to pay, is reduced to $48,000, which shall be paid at the rate of $500 per month for eight years. In all other respects, the trial court’s judgments are affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Judge Camille R. McMullen
Originating Judge:Judge Amy Reedy |
Bradley County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/30/12 | |
In Re: Mariah K. D.
M2011-02655-COA-R3-PT
The great aunt and the great-grandmother of a little girl obtained an emergency order giving them temporary custody of the child when she was less than eight months old. The child’s mother was informed that she was entitled to appear at a preliminary hearing and an adjudicative hearing on a more permanent custody order, but she failed to appear for those hearings. The trial court found that the child was dependent and neglected, and awarded custody of the child to her two older relatives. They subsequently filed a petition to terminate the parental rights of the mother on the grounds of abandonment and of persistence of conditions. The trial court found that both grounds were proved and granted the petition. We affirm the termination on the ground of persistence of conditions.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Originating Judge:Chancellor James B. Cox |
Lincoln County | Court of Appeals | 07/30/12 | |
Robert Keenan, Sr., et al. v. Barry C. Fodor, et al.
M2011-01475-COA-R3-CV
This case arose from a dispute between neighbors over the ownership of an elaborate stone and metal gate used for entry into both their residential properties. The predecessors-ininterest of the defendants installed the gate at their own expense, placing it on an easement over the plaintiffs’ adjoining lot. The plaintiffs decided to sell their house, and included a picture and a description of the gate in their real estate listing and advertisements. The defendants asserted that they owned the gate and compelled the plaintiffs’ realtor to remove all mention of the gate from sales materials. The plaintiffs then filed a complaint to quiet title. After a bench trial, the court found that the gate belonged to the defendants and dismissed the plaintiffs’ complaint. The plaintiffs argue on appeal that the trial court erred because the gate is a fixture and, thus, that it has become part of the plaintiffs’ property by operation of law. We affirm the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Originating Judge:Judge Robert E. Burch |
Cheatham County | Court of Appeals | 07/30/12 | |
State of Tennessee v. Bert Durand Hatmaker
E2011-01553-CCA-R3-CD
A Campbell County jury convicted the Defendant, Bert Durand Hatmaker, of one count of reckless endangerment, one count of assault, and one count of leaving the scene of an accident. The trial court sentenced the Defendant to concurrent sentences of two years for the reckless endangerment conviction, eleven months and twenty-nine days for the assault conviction, and thirty days for the leaving the scene of an accident conviction, with sixty days to be served in jail and the remainder to be served on probation. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the evidence is insufficient to sustain his conviction for reckless endangerment. After a thorough review of the record and relevant authorities, we affirm the trial court’s judgments.
Authoring Judge: Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer
Originating Judge:Judge E. Shayne Sexton |
Campbell County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/30/12 | |
Kenneth Ray Henson v. Jeri Lynn Pilkington Henson
W2011-02504-COA-R3-CV
The issue presented in this divorce case is which parent should be designated as the primary residential parent of the parties’ minor children. The trial court named the Appellee/Mother primary residential parent, and Appellant/Father appeals. Discerning no error, we affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Steven Stafford
Originating Judge:Judge Martha Brasfield |
Lauderdale County | Court of Appeals | 07/30/12 | |
Lisa Smith as Guardian of the Person and Estate of Rodterrius M. Tinnel (Deceased) v. State of Tennessee et al.
M2012-00844-COA-R3-CV
This appeal arises out of a wrongful death action involving numerous defendants. We dismiss the appeal as to two defendants for failure to file a timely notice of appeal. We dismiss the appeal as to the remaining defendants for lack of a final judgment.
Authoring Judge: Per Curiam
Originating Judge:Chancellor Robert E. Corlew, III |
Rutherford County | Court of Appeals | 07/30/12 | |
Joseph A. Hale v. David Osborne, Warden
E2012-00557-CCA-R3-HC
The Petitioner, Joseph A. Hale, appeals the Morgan County Criminal Court’s dismissal of his petition for habeas corpus relief from his 2007 conviction for second degree murder and resulting seventeen-year sentence. He contends that his sentence is void because the trial court improperly sentenced him pursuant to the 2005 Sentencing Amendments when the offense date was 2004. The State has moved this court to affirm the trial court’s denial of relief by memorandum opinion pursuant to Rule 20 of the Court of Criminal Appeals. The State’s motion for a memorandum opinion is granted, and the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Originating Judge:Judge E. Eugene Eblen |
Morgan County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/30/12 | |
Daniel B. Eisenstein v. WTVF-TV, News Channel 5 Network, LLC et al.
M2011-02208-COA-R3-CV
The plaintiff, a public official, sued the defendants for libel and false light invasion of privacy. The defendants filed a motion for summary judgment based on the truth of the statements. The plaintiff sought to complete discovery before the motion was heard. The trial court granted the defendants’ motion and plaintiff appealed. We affirm the grant of summary judgment as to the libel claims, but reverse the grant of summary judgment as to some of the false light claims.
Authoring Judge: Judge Andy D. Bennett
Originating Judge:Retired Chancellor D. J. Alissandratos |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 07/30/12 | |
Jeff King v. Gerdau Ameristeel US, Inc.
W2011-01414-WC-R3-WC
An injured employee returned to work for his pre-injury employer. The employee was moved to a different area and worked fewer overtime hours because of his medical restrictions. The trial court held that the employee did not have a meaningful return to work pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-241(d)(1)(A) (2008) and awarded permanent partial disability benefits in excess of one and one-half times the anatomical impairment. The employer appealed. We hold that the employee had a meaningful return to work and that Tennessee Code Annotated section 50-6-241(d)(1)(A) limits the employee’s recovery to one and one-half times the anatomical impairment. We therefore modify the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Donald P. Harris
Originating Judge:Judge James F. Butler |
Madison County | Workers Compensation Panel | 07/30/12 | |
Donnell T. Porter v. Prestige Auto Sales, Inc.
M2011-00452-COA-R3-CV
Buyer purchased used automobile and signed contract stating the vehicle was being sold “as is” and without any warranties. After the transaction was completed and Buyer complained to Seller that the power steering was not working properly, Seller agreed to credit Buyer’s account with the cost of repairing the power steering. Buyer was unwilling or unable to pay for the repair out of his own pocket, and Seller ultimately repossessed the vehicle. Buyer sued Seller for breach of contract and trial court awarded Buyer damages. Seller appealed and we affirm the trial court’s judgment. Seller modified the parties’ original contract when it agreed to compensate Buyer for the cost of repairing the vehicle.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Originating Judge:Judge Hamilton V. Gayden, Jr. |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 07/30/12 | |
Betty Franklin v. Duro Standard Products Co., Inc.
W2011-01212-WC-R3-WC
In this claim for workers’ compensation benefits, the trial court awarded permanent partial disability benefits to the employee for hearing loss. Her employer has appealed, contending that the trial court erred by admitting the testimony of the employee’s medical expert into evidence and by finding that her hearing loss was caused by her employment. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Donald P. Harris
Originating Judge:Judge James F. Butler |
Chester County | Workers Compensation Panel | 07/30/12 |