State of Tennessee v. Johnny Summers Cavin (Concur)

Case Number
E2020-01333-SC-R11-CD

I concur in the Court’s judgment reversing the Court of Criminal Appeals, and I agree with much of the majority opinion’s analysis, including its determination that the trial court did not err in ordering Johnny Cavin to pay restitution. I also agree with the majority’s conclusion that the restitution order here was final and appealable, but I reach that conclusion by way of a slightly different analysis. I write separately to explain how my reasoning differs from that of the majority. While the majority asks whether the trial court’s judgment satisfied the statutory requirements for restitution orders, I would focus instead on whether the record shows that the trial court thought it was finished with the case. In my view, the restitution order here was final because nothing in the record or on the face of the order suggests that the trial court believed there was more to be done, not because it did everything it was supposed to do.

Authoring Judge
Justice Sarah K. Campbell
Originating Judge
Judge James F. Goodwin, Jr.
Date Filed
Dissent or Concur
This is a concurring opinion
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