APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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Rozbeh Zaire v. Amir Roshan-Far

M2011-00012-COA-R3-CV

This appeal arises out of a lawsuit in which plaintiff sought recovery on claims of fraudulent inducement, breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and intentional misrepresentation with respect to the purchase of real property; the trial court awarded judgment to plaintiff only on the claim for negligent misrepresentation only. Both parties appeal. We affirm the judgement in all respects
 

Authoring Judge: Judge Richard H. Dinkins
Originating Judge:Judge Amanda Jane McClendon
Davidson County Court of Appeals 05/31/12
State of Tennessee v. Vincent D. Steele

M2011-02330-CCA-R3-CD

Following his guilty pleas to reckless aggravated assault, assault, and possession with intent to sell .5 grams or more of cocaine, the Montgomery County Circuit Court sentenced the defendant, Vincent D. Steele, as a Range I, standard offender to concurrent terms of four years, 11 month and 29 days, and 11 years’ imprisonment, respectively, to be served consecutively to a previously-imposed sentence. On appeal, the defendant argues that the sentence imposed was excessive both in length and manner of service. Discerning no error, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.
 

Authoring Judge: Judge James Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Michael R. Jones
Montgomery County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/31/12
Edward Jerome Harbison v. State of Tennessee

E2011-01711-CCA-R3-PC

Petitioner, Edward Jerome Harbison, appeals the Hamilton County Criminal Court’s summary dismissal of his petition for writ of error coram nobis seeking relief from his 1983 convictions for first degree murder, second degree burglary, and grand larceny. Petitioner claims that an order of a previous coram nobis court establishes a new predicate for review. Petitioner also claims that a statement of a prosecutor during a previous hearing constitutes “new evidence.” Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the error coram nobis court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Roger A. Page
Originating Judge:Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood
Hamilton County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/31/12
Caroline Tippens-Florea v. Johnathan Matthew Florea

M2011-00408-COA-R3-CV

Following a short marriage, the parties were divorced. The issues raised in this appeal by the husband pertain to the marital classification and valuation of the husband’s gun collection, the award of one year of transitional alimony to the wife, and the award of $15,000 for the wife’s attorney’s fees. For her part, the wife contends the husband has not paid the judgment for her portion of the marital estate, $8,065.94, and that she is entitled to post-judgment interest. We find no error with the valuation of the marital estate or the award of transitional alimony and attorney’s fees and, thus, affirm the trial court. As for the wife’s claim for postjudgment interest on any portion of the marital estate which the husband has not paid, it is an issue for the trial court to determine whether the husband has failed to timely pay any portion of the judgment and, if so, to award post-judgment interest pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 47-14-121 & -122. The wife also seeks to recover attorney’s fees she incurred on appeal. We find she is entitled to recover her reasonable and necessary attorney’s fees and remand for the trial court to make the appropriate award.
 

Authoring Judge: Judge Frank G. Clement, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Carol Soloman
Davidson County Court of Appeals 05/31/12
State of Tennessee v. Tracy Direll Woodard

M2011-01570-CCA-R3-CD

The defendant, Tracy Direll Woodard, entered open guilty pleas to three counts of the sale of less than .5 grams of cocaine, see T.C.A. § 39-17-417(c)(2)(A); three counts of the delivery of less than .5 grams of cocaine, see id.; sale of a counterfeit controlled substance, see id. § 39-17-423(a)(1); and delivery of a counterfeit controlled substance, see id. § 39-17-423(a)(2). At sentencing, the trial court merged each delivery conviction into the corresponding sale conviction and imposed an effective sentence of 16 years’ incarceration. On appeal, the defendant argues that the sentences are excessive. We affirm the sentencing decision of the trial court. On remand, however, we direct the trial court to correct the judgments to properly effectuate merger of the alternative counts of sale and delivery.
 

Authoring Judge: Judge James Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Lee Russell
Bedford County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/31/12
Janice Riddle v. Keith Carlton

W2011-02145-COA-R3-CV

Former client filed a pro se complaint for legal malpractice against her former attorney. She had previously filed a complaint against the attorney with the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, and that matter had been resolved in the attorney’s favor nearly two years before she filed the malpractice complaint. The trial court dismissed the complaint for malpractice, finding it barred by the one-year statute of limitations for such claims. The former client appealed. We affirm.

Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:Judge Kay Spalding Robilio
Shelby County Court of Appeals 05/31/12
Ted A. Puckett v. Ray Lyons

M2012-00696-COA-R3-CV

This is an appeal from an order entered by the Circuit Court for Bedford County denying the appellant leave to proceed in that court on a pauper’s oath. Because the order appealed does not resolve all the claims between the parties, we dismiss the appeal for lack of a final judgment.

Authoring Judge: Per Curiam
Originating Judge:Judge Franklin L. Russell
Bedford County Court of Appeals 05/31/12
Timothy L. Jefferson v. State of Tennessee

M2011-01653-CCA-R3-CO

The petitioner, Timothy L. Jefferson, appeals from the summary dismissal of his petition for writ of error coram nobis which challenged his 2001 guilty-pleaded conviction of second degree murder. Discerning no error, we affirm.
 

Authoring Judge: Judge James Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Cheryl Blackburn
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/31/12
Leslie Raydell Jones v. State of Tennessee

M2011-01128-CCA-R3-PC

The petitioner, Leslie Raydell Jones, appeals the post-conviction court’s denial of his petition for post-conviction relief, arguing he received the ineffective assistance of counsel. After review, we affirm the denial of the petition.

Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Originating Judge:Judge Robert G. Crigler
Bedford County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/30/12
Jamiel D. Williams v. State of Tennessee

M2011-01316-CCA-R3-PC

The petitioner, Jamiel D. Williams, appeals the denial of his petition for post-conviction relief, arguing that the post-conviction court erred in finding that he received effective assistance of counsel. Following our review, we affirm the denial of the petition

Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Originating Judge:Judge Timothy L. Easter
Williamson County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/30/12
State of Tennessee v. Brandi Nichole Miller

M2011-02025-CCA-R3-CD

The defendant, Brandi Nichole Miller, appeals the revocation of her probation and reinstatement of her original twelve-year sentence, arguing: (1) that the trial court abused its discretion by revoking her probation; (2) that her due process rights were violated by the fact that the trial court relied on grounds that had formed the bases for her prior probation revocations and were not alleged in the instant revocation warrant; and (3) that the trial court erred by ordering her to serve sentences that had already expired. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court revoking the defendant’s probation and reinstating her twelve-year sentence in the Department of Correction.

Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Originating Judge:Judge Jim T. Hamilton
Giles County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/30/12
Kenneth E. Diggs v. LaSalle National Bank Association, et al.

W2011-02203-COA-R3-CV

This is an appeal from the grant of a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The trial court found that the Appellant’s claim sounded in fraud. However, the trial court ruled that the Appellant failed to plead fraud with particularity and dismissed. Affirmed.

Authoring Judge: Judge J. Steven Stafford
Originating Judge:Judge Arnold B. Goldin
Shelby County Court of Appeals 05/30/12
State of Tennessee v. Barry D. McCoy

M2011-02121-CCA-R9-CD

In this interlocutory appeal by the State, the State challenges the trial court’s ruling denying the State’s request to admit into evidence at trial the video-recorded interview of the minor victim pursuant to newly-enacted Tennessee Code Annotated section 24-7-123. Because the trial court erred by reaching the constitutional question before it was ripe for review, the ruling of the trial court is vacated, and the case is remanded for further proceedings.
 

Authoring Judge: Judge James Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge John H. Gasaway, III
Montgomery County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/30/12
Donna Clark v. Sputniks, LLC et al.

M2010-02163-SC-R11-CV

In these consolidated cases, the primary issue is whether there is liability insurance coverage for the plaintiffs’ injuries resulting from an altercation on the premises of the insured’s bar and restaurant. The insurer denied coverage and declined to defend the insured based on its determination that there was no coverage under the terms of the policy. We hold that based on the clear terms of the policy agreement, there is no liability coverage because the incident arose from an assault and battery, which was an excluded cause, and because there is no nonexcluded concurrent cause to provide coverage. We further hold that estoppel by judgment does not apply to collaterally estop the insurer from arguing the lack of coverage. The judgment of the trial court is reversed.
 

Authoring Judge: Justice Sharon G. Lee
Originating Judge:Judge C. L. Rogers
Sumner County Supreme Court 05/30/12
Leonard Gamble v. Sputniks, LLC et al.

M2010-02145-SC-R11-CV

In these consolidated cases, the primary issue is whether there is liability insurance coverage for the plaintiffs’ injuries resulting from an altercation on the premises of the insured’s bar and restaurant. The insurer denied coverage and declined to defend the insured based on its determination that there was no coverage under the terms of the policy. We hold that based on the clear terms of the policy agreement, there is no liability coverage because the incident arose from an assault and battery, which was an excluded cause, and because there is no nonexcluded concurrent cause to provide coverage. We further hold that estoppel by judgment does not apply to collaterally estop the insurer from arguing the lack of coverage. The judgment of the trial court is reversed.
 

Authoring Judge: Justice Sharon G. Lee
Originating Judge:Judge C. L. Rogers
Sumner County Supreme Court 05/30/12
Franklyn Nathaniel Morgan v. Kandi Tonyelle Morgan

E2011-00164-COA-R3-CV

Franklyn Nathaniel Morgan (“Father”) filed this divorce action after his spouse, Kandi Tonyelle Morgan (“Mother”), was hospitalized because she had ingested an overdose of medication. Father was given temporary custody of the parties’ daughter who was four years old when the parties separated. Mother then obtained temporary custody based on proof that the Father allowed the marital residence to become filthy and dangerous. After a hearing, the court entered a temporary parenting plan based on “week-about” parenting. After a trial, the court made Mother the primary residential parent during the school year and Father the primary residential parent during the summer. The court also awarded Father parenting time during the spring break and two-thirds of the Christmas break. The court further ordered that Father would pick up the child after school and exercise parenting time from then until he went to work at 6:00 p.m. on his workdays, or until 7:00 p.m., when Mother got off from work on her workdays. Mother had 252 parenting days and Father had 113. The court set Father’s child support according to the Child Support Guidelines (“the Guidelines”), but allowed Father a downward deviation of $30 per month based on the extra parenting time after school, which the court found was not taken into account by the Guidelines. Mother appeals. We modify the judgment to designate Mother the sole primary residential parent. In all other respects, the judgment is affirmed.

Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Thomas J. Wright
Greene County Court of Appeals 05/30/12
Consumer Advocate & Protection Division of the Office of the Attorney General of Tennessee v. Tennessee Regulatory Authority

M2011-00028-COA-R12-CV

This is an appeal from an order of the Tennessee RegulatoryAuthority(“TRA”). The appeal was filed by the Consumer Advocate and Protection Division of the Office of Tennessee’s Attorney General. It challenges the TRA’s authority to allow a gas company to recover attorney fees that were incurred in a proceeding before the TRA that did not involve ratemaking, and the TRA’s authority to order that the attorney fees be recovered from asset management funds. We conclude that the TRA has the authority to order that such litigation fees be recovered as any other reasonable and prudent operating expense of the utility, and that the TRA acted within its authority in ordering that the fees be paid out of asset management funds. The TRA’s decision, therefore, is affirmed.
 

Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Court of Appeals 05/30/12
In Re Estate of Ardell Hamilton Trigg

M2009-02107-SC-R11-CV

In this case, we address the following two matters: (1) the proper procedure for obtaining appellate review of a judgment of a probate court created by private act upholding a claim filed by the Bureau of TennCare against the estate of a TennCare recipient and (2) the right of TennCare to obtain reimbursement for properlypaid TennCare benefits from real property owned by the recipient at the time of her death. After the decedent’s will was admitted to probate in the Putnam County Probate Court, TennCare filed a claim against her estate seeking reimbursement for services provided through theTennCare program. The decedent’s personal representative filed an exception to this claim. After the probate court upheld TennCare’s claim, the estate appealed to the Circuit Court for Putnam County. The circuit court determined that the decedent’s real property was not subject to TennCare’s claim, and TennCare appealed to the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals held that the circuit court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the appeal from the probate court and that the appeal should have been filed with the Court of Appeals. Accordingly, it vacated the circuit court’s judgment and affirmed the judgment of the probate court. In re Estate of Trigg, No. M200902107-COA-R3-CV, 2011 WL 497459, at *3 (Tenn. Ct. App. Feb. 9, 2011). We granted the estate’s application for permission to appeal to determine whether the circuit court had subject matter jurisdiction over the estate’s appeal from the probate court’s order upholding TennCare’s claim and whether real property owned by the recipient at the time of her death is subject to TennCare’s claims. We have determined that the circuit court lacked jurisdiction over the estate’s appeal from the probate court’s judgment regarding TennCare’s disputed claim and that the real property owned by the decedent at the time of her death is subject to TennCare’s claims for reimbursement.
 

Authoring Judge: Justice William C. Koch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge John J. Maddux, Jr.
Putnam County Supreme Court 05/30/12
State of Tennessee v. Brandi Nichole Miller

M2011-02025-CCA-R3-CD

The defendant, Brandi Nichole Miller, appeals the revocation of her probation and reinstatement of her original twelve-year sentence, arguing: (1) that the trial court abused its discretion by revoking her probation; (2) that her due process rights were violated by the fact that the trial court relied on grounds that had formed the bases for her prior probation revocations and were not alleged in the instant revocation warrant; and (3) that the trial court erred by ordering her to serve sentences that had already expired. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court revoking the defendant’s probation and reinstating her twelve-year sentence in the Department of Correction.
 

Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Originating Judge:Judge Jim T. Hamilton
Giles County General Sessions Courts 05/30/12
In Re: Emily N.I., et. al.

E2011-01439-COA-R3-PT

This is a termination of parental rights case in which the Tennessee Department of Children's Services filed a petition to terminate the parental rights of Teresa O. and Harrison O. Teresa O. was the mother of three children, while Harrison O. was the father of two of those children. The trial court terminated Teresa O.'s parental rights to all three children and terminated Harrison O.'s parental rights to his two children. Teresa O. and Harrions O. appeal. We affirm the decision of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge John W. McClarty
Originating Judge:Judge Jayne Johnston Crowley
Jefferson County Court of Appeals 05/30/12
Jonathan Lawrence v. State of Tennessee

M2010-02548-CCA-R3-PC

The Petitioner, Jonathan Lawrence, appeals the Davidson County Criminal Court’s denial of his petition for post-conviction relief from his convictions of two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, one count of aggravated kidnapping, three counts of aggravated robbery, and resulting effective sentence of twenty-five years in confinement. On appeal, the Petitioner contends that he did not plead guilty knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily. Based upon the oral arguments, the record, and the parties’ briefs, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.
 

Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Originating Judge:Judge Steve Dozier
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/30/12
State of Tennessee v. Hubert Glenn Sexton

E2008-00292-SC-DDT-DD

The defendant, tried and convicted of two counts of first degree murder, was sentenced to death for each offense. The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed. In our review, we have found that the trial court erred by admitting detailed evidence of a prior claim of child sex abuse and by allowing references to the defendant’s refusal to submit to a polygraph examination. Further, the record demonstrates several instances of prosecutorial misconduct during the opening statement and during the final arguments of both the guilt and penalty phases of the trial. Because, however, the defendant admitted to at least three witnesses that he committed the murders and the evidence of guilt was otherwise overwhelming, the errors had no effect on the verdicts rendered at the conclusion of the guilt phase of the trial. Each of the convictions is, therefore, affirmed. Nevertheless, because certain of the inadmissible evidence was particularly inflammatory and the prosecution made several inappropriate comments, the sentences of death must be set aside. The Court of Criminal Appeals is, in consequence, affirmed in part and reversed in part. The cause is remanded to the trial court for new sentencing hearings.
 

Authoring Judge: Justice Gary R. Wade
Originating Judge:Judge E. Shayne Sexton
Scott County Supreme Court 05/29/12
State of Tennessee v. Maurice Johnson

W2011-01079-CCA-R3-CD

The defendant, Maurice Johnson, was convicted by a Shelby County jury of rape, a Class B felony. He was subsequently sentenced, as a Range II offender, to twenty years in the Department of Correction, to be served at 100%. On appeal, he raises the single issue of sufficiency of the evidence. Following review of the record before us, we find no error and affirm the conviction.

Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Originating Judge:Judge Chris Craft
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/29/12
Ronnie Summey v. Monroe County Department of Education, et al.

E2011-01400-COA-R3-CV

This appeal arises from an employment dispute between Ronnie Summey (“Summey”) and the Monroe County Board of Education (“the Board”). Summey worked as head football coach and as a teacher at Sequoyah High School (“Sequoyah”) in Monroe County. Summey sued the Board in the Chancery Court for Monroe County (“the Trial Court”), alleging, among other things, breach of contract and violation of various constitutional rights stemming from when Summey was relieved as head coach and offered a new assignment in the school system. The Trial Court ruled in favor of the Board, finding that it was Summey who had breached the contract when he refused to accept the new assignment. Summey appeals. We affirm the judgment of the Trial Court.

Authoring Judge: Judge D. Michael Swiney
Originating Judge:Chancellor Jerri S. Bryant
Monroe County Court of Appeals 05/29/12
State of Tennessee v. Robert Wiggins

W2011-00977-CCA-R3-CD

A Shelby County Criminal Court jury convicted the appellant, Robert Wiggins, of aggravated robbery, and the trial court imposed a sentence of eighteen years and six months in the Tennessee Department of Correction. On appeal, the appellant contends that the evidence is insufficient to sustain his conviction and that the trial court erred by allowing hearsay testimony regarding the perpetrator’s cellular telephone number. Upon review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Originating Judge:Judge Chris Craft
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 05/29/12