APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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Sherri Vaughn vs. Nathan Vaughn

E2000-02281-COA-R3-CV
In this divorce case, the husband has appealed the award of alimony, child visitation and support, and the Court's division of marital property. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Originating Judge:L. Marie Williams
Hamilton County Court of Appeals 07/12/01
E2000-02221-COA-R9-CV

E2000-02221-COA-R9-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Houston M. Goddard
Originating Judge:W. Neil Thomas, III
Hamilton County Court of Appeals 07/12/01
Darra Mcmillin v. Mckenzie Special School District,

W2000-02165-WC-R3-CV
In this appeal, the Second Injury Fund (the Fund) insists the trial court erred in (1) awarding permanent total disability benefits and (2) apportioning the award between the Fund and the employer. The employer insists (1) the employee's injury is not compensable, (2) the trial court erred in commuting one-half of the award to a lump sum, and (3) the trial court erred in awarding the employee a scooter and special bed. As discussed below, the panel has concluded judgment should be modified by reducing the lump sum, because it exceeds the statutorily allowed maximum, but otherwise affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Joe C. Loser, Jr., Sp. J.
Originating Judge:Julian Guinn, Judge
Carroll County Workers Compensation Panel 07/12/01
Provident Life & Accident Ins. vs.Tina Shankles, et al

E2000-02073-COA-R3-CV
This is an interpleader bill filed by Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company against four named Beneficiaries in a policy of insurance issued to their father, Arnold Joe Johnson. Two of the Beneficiaries were children by a former marriage of Mr. Johnson, who were added as such shortly before his death. The two Beneficiaries by a subsequent marriage insisted that the provisions of a divorce decree precluded Mr. Johnson from adding his other two children as Beneficiaries. The Trial Court found that all four should share in the proceeds of the policy equally and entered a summary judgment to that effect. We vacate and remand.
Authoring Judge: Judge Houston M. Goddard
Originating Judge:W. Neil Thomas, III
Hamilton County Court of Appeals 07/12/01
Thomas White v. Kathy White

M2000-02674-COA-R3-CV
This appeal arises from the Appellant's filing of a Petition to Modify the Final Decree of Divorce in the Circuit Court of Sumner County. The Appellant requested a downward deviation in child support and a reduction in alimony. The Appellant also requested that he no longer be required to reimburse the Appellee for health insurance coverage. The Appellee filed a Counter-Petition requesting an upward deviation in child support. Following a trial on the Petition and Counter-Petition, the trial court entered an order reducing the Appellant's child support obligation to $1,000.00 per month. The trial court declined to modify the award of rehabilitative alimony and health insurance coverage. The Appellant appeals the decision of the Circuit Court of Sumner County setting child support at $1,000.00 per month and refusing to modify the award of rehabilitative alimony and health insurance coverage. For the reasons stated herein, we affirm in part and reverse in part the trial court's decision.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:Arthur E. Mcclellan
Sumner County Court of Appeals 07/12/01
Kelly Stillwell vs. Thomas Stillwell

E2001-00245-COA-R3-CV
Thomas Stillwell ("Father") appeals the Trial Court's order which he claims improperly modified the original decree establishing child visitation. Father claims this was in error because there was no showing of a material change in circumstances. Father also appeals the Trial Court's order which prohibited him from possessing a firearm when he is exercising visitation with his son. We affirm the Trial Court's determination on visitation, as modified, and vacate the prohibition on Father's possessing a firearm in the presence of his child.
Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Originating Judge:John B. Hagler, Jr.
Bradley County Court of Appeals 07/12/01
Catherine Jackson vs. Bruce Jackson

E2001-00287-COA-R3-CV
Catherine Dean Jackson ("Plaintiff") filed a Complaint for divorce against her husband, Bruce Lane Jackson ("Defendant"). The parties entered a stipulation, which was approved by the Trial Court, in which they agreed both parties were entitled to a divorce and agreed that Plaintiff be granted custody of their minor child. The parties, however, did not agree on the remaining issues of alimony and the division of marital property and liabilities. Over approximately four years, the Trial Court referred these issues to a Special Master on three occasions. Upon each referral by the Trial Court, the Special Master held a hearing in which he heard arguments and, during the first two hearings, heard testimony from the parties and witnesses. After each hearing, the Special Master filed his report, but did not file a transcript of the hearing with the report as required by Tenn. R. Civ. P. 53.04(1). Among other findings, the Special Master recommended that Plaintiff receive "rehabilitative alimony for life . . . " in the amount of $1,000 per month and that Defendant pay the parties' entire 1994 tax liability. With the exception of modifying the Special Master's alimony recommendation to alimony in futuro, the Trial Court adopted the Special Master's recommendations which precipitated Defendant's appeal. Due to the Special Master's failure to comply with Tenn. R. Civ. P. 53.04(1), we vacate the portion of the the Trial Court's judgment relative to alimony and the 1994 tax liability, affirm the remainder of the judgment, and remand.
Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Originating Judge:Samuel H. Payne
Hamilton County Court of Appeals 07/12/01
Humphreys County Utility Dist. vs. Schatz Underground Cable, Inc.

M2000-02650-COA-R3-CV
In this negligence action, Plaintiff sued Defendant for damages in connection with the rupture of a gas line. Following a bench trial, the trial court entered judgment for Plaintiff. Defendant appeals. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Originating Judge:Allen W. Wallace
Humphreys County Court of Appeals 07/12/01
Kenneth Warren v. Columbia/HCA Healthcare, Nashville Memorial Hospital

M2000-02579-COA-R3-CV
This is a malicious prosecution case. The defendants obtained a warrant against the plaintiff after observing a man matching the plaintiff's description attempting to break into a car on the defendants' property. After a jury trial, the plaintiff was found not guilty. Subsequently, the plaintiff instituted a lawsuit against the defendants for malicious prosecution. The trial court granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment and the plaintiff now appeals. We affirm, finding that the defendants acted with probable cause and without malice in obtaining the warrant.
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Originating Judge:Barbara N. Haynes
Davidson County Court of Appeals 07/12/01
Jerome Felix Havely vs. Almeda Matthews Havely

E2000-02275-COA-R3-CV
In 1983, Jerome Felix Havely and Almeda Matthews Havely were divorced. They had entered into a Property Settlement Agreement which was incorporated into the Judgment of Divorce ("Divorce Judgment"). Neither the Divorce Judgment nor the Property Settlement Agreement mentioned the military pension of Jerome Felix Havely ("Plaintiff"). Approximately one month after the entry of the Divorce Judgment, Almeda Matthews Havely ("Defendant") filed a motion essentially seeking relief under Tenn. R. Civ. P. 60.02 in which she alleged that the Divorce Judgment should be set aside because she had not been aware of her entitlement to Plaintiff's military pension. This motion was dismissed in 1984 by the trial court for failure to prosecute. This matter lay dormant for fourteen plus years until Defendant filed two more Rule 60.02 motions. Defendant's third and final Rule 60.02 motion, filed in 1999, is the subject of this appeal. After three notices of hearing were filed, the trial court dismissed Defendant's motion without providing its reasons for the dismissal. Defendant appeals. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Originating Judge:Joyce M. Ward
Hamblen County Court of Appeals 07/12/01
Susan Green v. Leon Moore, et al.

M2000-03035-COA-R3-CV
This appeal arises from the breach of a settlement agreement entered into by the Appellants and the Appellee. The Appellee filed a complaint against the Appellants in the Circuit Court for Williamson County, seeking damages for loss of reputation, embarrassment, humiliation, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, and loss of the ability to advance. The Appellants filed a motion to dismiss on the basis that the action was barred by the statute of limitations. The trial court granted in part and denied in part the motion to dismiss.

Originating Judge:Robert E. Lee Davies
Williamson County Court of Appeals 07/12/01
State of Tennessee v. Corwyn E. Winfield

W2000-00660-CCA-R3-CD

The defendant was convicted of second degree murder by a Shelby County jury in the shooting death of his girlfriend. He was sentenced to twenty years as a standard offender, with his sentence to be served without parole eligibility in the Tennessee Department of Correction. In this appeal as of right, the defendant raises one issue: whether the trial court erred in admitting the testimony of the mother of the victim concerning a prior alleged assault on the victim by the defendant. We conclude that the evidence was admissible, having satisfied all three conditions for admissibility of evidence of prior bad acts pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Evidence 404(b)(1)-(3). The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

Authoring Judge: Judge Alan E. Glenn
Originating Judge:Judge Bernie Weinman
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/11/01
Dee Woolman v. Earl Woolman

M2000-02346-COA-R3-CV
The Appellant and the Appellee are the parents of three minor children. Following the Appellant and the Appellee's divorce, they shared joint legal and physical custody of the children. The Appellant filed a Petition for Modification of Custody in the Circuit Court of Williamson County seeking to relocate with the children to Illinois. Following the close of the Appellant's proof at the hearing on the Petition, the Appellee made a Motion to Dismiss. The trial court granted the Motion to Dismiss and awarded attorney's fees to the Appellee. The Appellant appeals the order entered by the Circuit Court of Williamson County granting the Motion to Dismiss and awarding attorney's fees to the Appellee. For the reasons stated herein, we affirm in part and reverse in part the trial court's decision. We remand the case to the trial court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:Russell Heldman
Williamson County Court of Appeals 07/11/01
State of Tennessee v. Daniel Thomason

M2000-01164-CCA-R3-CD

Daniel Thomason appeals from the aggravated robbery conviction he received at a jury trial in the Davidson County Criminal Court. Thomason is serving an eight-year sentence in the Department of Correction for his crime. In this appeal, he challenges the sufficiency of the convicting evidence that he accomplished the robbery “by display of any article used or fashioned to lead the victim to reasonably believe it to be a deadly weapon.” Because the record before us is does not contain all of the relevant evidence presented at trial, we are precluded from reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence and therefore affirm.

Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Steve R. Dozier
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/11/01
Patricia Sadler vs. Lawrence Sadler

E2000-02110-COA-R3-CV
This is a post-divorce child support dispute with a series of hearings and orders stretching over a 29-month period. Lawrence David Sadler ("Father"), the obligor parent, appeals the last order entered below, in which the trial court found him in arrears and awarded Patricia Jane Sadler ("Mother") her attorney's fees of $6,262.50. Because we find that the referee's action, as approved by the trial court in the subject order, retroactively modified Father's child support obligation and erroneously found Father to be in arrears in his child support obligation, we reverse.
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Originating Judge:Bill Swann
Knox County Court of Appeals 07/11/01
Martin Herrick, et ux vs. Mike Ford Custom Builders, LLC

M2000-02569-COA-R3-CV
The Herricks entered into a sales agreement with Mike Ford for the construction of a home. The sales agreement provided that the deposit paid by the Herricks became non-refundable upon the presentation of a loan commitment letter. The Herricks presented Mike Ford with a loan commitment letter from Southeastern Mortgage Company which was conditioned upon proof of employment. Mr. Herrick was terminated from his employment, and, as a result, Southeastern denied the Herricks' loan application. The Herricks demanded Mike Ford return their deposit. Mike Ford refused, contending that the deposit became non-refundable at the time the Southeastern loan commitment letter was presented. Both parties filed motions for summary judgment. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the Herricks. We reverse and remand.
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Originating Judge:Russell Heldman
Williamson County Court of Appeals 07/11/01
Pamela Wright (Quillen) vs. Dale M. Quillen

M2000-01852-COA-R9-CV
This appeal arises from the trial court granting a Rule 60 motion to suspend the judgment in a divorce action and allow a new trial. Husband and Wife were divorced in 1994. At that time, Wife was awarded the entirety of Company upon the condition she pay Husband $500,000 for the portion of Company awarded to him in the property division. Shortly after Wife paid Husband the money, Company sold an asset previously believed to be worthless for $1.7 million. Husband filed a Rule 60 motion in 1998 to set aside the trial court's 1994 property division on the basis that Wife had fraudulently valued the asset at $0 during the divorce hearing. The trial court granted the Rule 60 motion, setting a new trial to redetermine the value of Company at the time of the divorce. We reverse.
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Originating Judge:Robert E. Corlew, III
Davidson County Court of Appeals 07/11/01
Michael Thomas v. State of Tennessee

W2000-01886-CCA-R3-PC

The Defendant, Michael Thomas, appeals as of right from the denial of post-conviction relief after an evidentiary hearing. On appeal, he asserts that his guilty plea was not knowing and voluntary and that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel. We find no merit to the Defendant's assertions; thus, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Originating Judge:Judge James C. Beasley, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/11/01
Dee Ann Gallaher vs. Curtis J. Elam

E2000-02719-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Houston M. Goddard
Originating Judge:Carey E. Garrett
Knox County Court of Appeals 07/11/01
Patricia Gore v. George Gore

M2000-02412-COA-R3-CV
This appeal arises from a complaint for divorce filed by the Appellee in the Circuit Court of Williamson County. The trial court awarded the Appellee a divorce on the grounds of inappropriate marital conduct and adultery. The trial court divided the marital property and ordered the Appellant to pay the Appellee alimony in futuro and child support for the parties' two minor children. The trial court ordered the Appellant to maintain life insurance to secure the alimony and child support obligations. Additionally, the trial court entered a permanent injunction restraining the Appellant from taking the children in the presence of the Appellant's girlfriend.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:Russell Heldman
Williamson County Court of Appeals 07/11/01
Lindsay Taylor vs. Al Beard, et al

W2001-00347-COA-R3-CV
This appeal involves a grant of summary judgment, which dismissed loss of parental consortium claims brought by the children of a parent injured in an automobile accident. The children seek review of existing Tennessee precedent that fails to recognize loss of parental consortium causes of action resulting from the personal injury of a parent. For the following reasons, we affirm the decision of the trial court and decline to create a new cause of action.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:Robert L. Childers
Shelby County Court of Appeals 07/11/01
State ex rel Elizabeth Durrant vs. Brittain Howard

E2000-02072-COA-R3-CV
In this custody dispute, the Trial Court gave custody to the father. The mother appealed. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Originating Judge:Carey E. Garrett
Knox County Court of Appeals 07/11/01
Roger Ritchie, et al vs. Tommy Pitner, et al

E2000-02689-COA-R3-CV
This lawsuit arises out of a Letter of Intent entered into between two of the various parties to this action. The trial court entered judgment on the issue of which party was entitled to possession of the property, but did not rule on any of the remaining claims. Because the judgment appealed from is not a final judgment for purposes of Rule 3 of the Tenn. R. App. P., we dismiss the appeal.
Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Originating Judge:Dale C. Workman
Knox County Court of Appeals 07/11/01
Dee Ann Gallaher vs. Curtis J. Elam

E2000-02719-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Houston M. Goddard
Originating Judge:Carey E. Garrett
Knox County Court of Appeals 07/11/01
Loue Manning vs. K-Trans Mgt , Inc.

E2000-02462-COA-R3-CV
Loue G. Manning appeals a summary judgment granted in favor of K-Trans Management, Inc., as to his suit seeking damages for violation of the Tennessee Human Rights Act and intentional infliction of emotional distress as a result of his termination by K-Trans. We find there is no material evidence to support his insistence that he was terminated because of his race and affirm the judgment below.
Authoring Judge: Judge Houston M. Goddard
Originating Judge:Daryl R. Fansler
Knox County Court of Appeals 07/11/01