APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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City of Springfield vs. Hobson Cleaning, Inc., et al

M2000-01114-COA-R3-CV
This case involves a contract between the City of Springfield and defendant, United Services Unlimited, formerly Hobson Cleaning, to clean the floors of the police department. Defendant appeals whether the evidence preponderated against the judgment of the trial court. We affirm the judgment.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Originating Judge:James E. Walton
Robertson County Court of Appeals 10/13/00
State vs. Coley

M1997-00116-SC-R11-CD
Authoring Judge: Justice Adolpho A. Birch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Donald P. Harris
Williamson County Supreme Court 10/13/00
Thomas Gammons v. Peterbilt Motors Company,

M1999-02575-WC-R3-CV
The trial court found the plaintiff had sustained a permanent partial disability to his right arm of sixty percent, which would entitle him to one-hundred twenty weeks of partial permanent disability. The defendant argues the trial judge erred in setting the amount of the award because the treating physician fixed the medical impairment rating at six percent, and the independent medical examiner fixed the rate at thirty-four percent; the trial judge used neither of these ratings to reach the amount awarded. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: John K. Byers, Sr. J.
Originating Judge:J. O. Bond, Judge
Macon County Workers Compensation Panel 10/13/00
Donna Marcom v. Pca Apparel Industries, Inc. and WaUSAu

M2000-00377-WC-R3-CV
The trial court found the plaintiff had suffered an injury arising out of her employment with the defendant and awarded her a vocational disability of sixty (6%) percent to the left leg. The defendant argues that the evidence does not support the award of sixty (6%) percent to the left leg based on an anatomical rating of twelve (12%) percent. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Tom E. Gray, Sp.J.
Originating Judge:John Rollins, Chancellor
Coffee County Workers Compensation Panel 10/13/00
William Henderson vs. Donal Campbell

M2000-00411-COA-R3-CV
This is an appeal by a prison inmate from a dismissal of his suit for declaratory judgment in the Chancery Court of Davidson County. The trial court dismissed the claim pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 41-21-804 for failure to state a claim on which relief could be granted. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Originating Judge:Carol L. Mccoy
Davidson County Court of Appeals 10/13/00
Cumberland Bank vs. Smith

M2000-00052-COA-R3-CV
A creditor filed an action to sell a parcel of the debtor's real estate to satisfy a judgment lien on the property. The Chancery Court of Smith County granted the relief requested. The judgment debtor asserts on appeal that the underlying judgment and a nulla bona sheriff's return are void. For the reasons set forth in our opinion below, we affirm the action of the lower court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:C. K. Smith
Smith County Court of Appeals 10/12/00
Next Generation, Inc. vs. Wal-Mart

M2000-00114-COA-R3-CV
In this contract dispute, the jury awarded damages to Wal-Mart, Inc., and the Trial Court concurred. Next Generation, Inc., appealed raising issues as to the admissibility of evidence and the Trial Court's instructions to the jury. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Originating Judge:Thomas W. Brothers
Davidson County Court of Appeals 10/12/00
Next Generation, Inc. vs. Wal-Mart

M2000-00114-COA-R3-CV
In this contract dispute, the jury awarded damages to Wal-Mart, Inc., and the Trial Court concurred. Next Generation, Inc., appealed raising issues as to the admissibility of evidence and the Trial Court's instructions to the jury. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Originating Judge:Thomas W. Brothers
Davidson County Court of Appeals 10/12/00
Burgess vs. Tie Co. 1, LLC

M1999-02232-COA-R3-CV
In this slip and fall action the Trial Court granted defendant summary judgment. We vacate and remand.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Herschel P. Franks
Originating Judge:L. Craig Johnson
Coffee County Court of Appeals 10/12/00
General Bancshares vs. Volunteer Bank & Trust

M2000-00231-COA-R3-CV
The Plaintiff, General Bancshares, Inc., filed a declaratory judgment action asking the Trial Court to declare a restrictive covenant in its warranty deed unenforceable. Defendant Volunteer Bank & Trust's predecessor in title of the property at issue originally placed the restriction on the property several years ago. Plaintiff contends, among other arguments, that the restrictive covenant does not bind it as a remote grantee because the restrictive clause does not contain specific "successors and assigns" language. Both parties filed Motions for Summary Judgment, and the Trial Court granted Defendant's Motion. Plaintiff appeals. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Originating Judge:John W. Rollins
Marion County Court of Appeals 10/12/00
Arms vs. Stanton

M2000-00811-COA-R3-CV
In what started out as an order of protection proceeding but later turned into a "divorce" action, the original plaintiff, James Vertner Arms, who was the counter-defendant in the "divorce" case, filed a third-party action against Richard D. Stanton, individually and doing business as Shiloh Family, Ltd. ("Stanton"). Stanton had purchased a tract of real property from the counter-plaintiff, Tammy Lou Arms, subsequent to the institution of her "divorce" action against Mr. Arms. The trial court determined that Mr. Arms and Tammy Lou Arms were not validly married; it proceeded to set aside the transfer as a fraudulent conveyance and awarded Stanton a judgment against Tammy Lou Arms for $50,000. Stanton appeals, arguing that the trial court erred in setting aside the conveyance. We reverse.
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Originating Judge:Carol A. Catalano
Montgomery County Court of Appeals 10/12/00
Fain v. Fain

M1999-02261-COA-R3-CV
In this post-divorce proceeding, Clifton Dean Fain ("Father") filed a petition seeking sole custody of the parties' minor child. Susan Lorraine Fain ("Mother") counterclaimed for a modification of the joint custody arrangement or, in the alternative, for sole custody of the child. The trial court awarded Mother sole custody. Father appeals the award of sole custody to Mother. He also challenges the award of attorney's fees to Mother and questions the fairness of the quantum of his visitation time with the child. Mother seeks attorney's fees for this appeal. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Originating Judge:Russell Heldman
Williamson County Court of Appeals 10/12/00
Sweatt vs. Bd. of Paroles

M1999-02265-COA-R3-CV
Appellant Antonio L. Sweatt brings this Petition for a Common Law Writ of Certiorari regarding the Tennessee Board of Paroles' decision to deny him parole based on the seriousness of the offense that he committed. Appellant avers that the Board of Paroles acted illegally or arbitrarily in denying his parole because appellant asserts that his guilty plea agreement included the agreement that he would only serve thirty percent of his twenty-five-year sentence and then he would be released on parole.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:Ellen Hobbs Lyle
Davidson County Court of Appeals 10/12/00
Mandrell vs. McBee

M2000-00108-COA-R3-CV
This is a partnership dispute occasioned by the misappropriation of partnership funds by two of the five partners. In an earlier appeal in this case, this Court affirmed the judgment of the Trial Court awarding damages to the innocent partners but increased the amount of that judgment. This Court then remanded the case to the Trial Court, which heard further proof and made findings as to the distribution of partnership assets. In this appeal, a Defendant partner seeks reversal of the Trial Court's valuation and accounting of the partnership assets and computation of prejudgment interest. We find the concurrent findings of fact by the Special Master and the Trial Court are supported by material evidence in the record, and that the Special Master and the Trial Court properly interpreted this Court's earlier Opinion. Accordingly, we affirm the decision of the Trial Court in all respects.
Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Originating Judge:Robert E. Corlew, III
Rutherford County Court of Appeals 10/12/00
State vs. Margaret Somerville

W1999-01333-CCA-R3-CD
Defendant Margaret Ree Somerville was convicted by a jury of one count of possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, a Class B felony, and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor. Following a sentencing hearing, the trial court imposed a sentence of twelve (12) years on the felony offense and eleven (11) months, twenty-nine (29) days on the misdemeanor offense. The sentences were run concurrent to one another. Defendant challenges her convictions, asserting that (1) she was denied her right to the timely appointment of counsel; (2) the indictments against her were defective and should be quashed; and (3) the search warrant executed in this case was defective. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Judge Cornelia A. Clark
Originating Judge:Julian P. Guinn
Henry County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/11/00
Bobby Rains v. Bend of the River

M2000-00439-COA-R9-CV
This appeal involves an eighteen year old who committed suicide with his parents' .25 caliber handgun. The parents filed suit in the Circuit Court for Putnam County against the retailer who sold their son ammunition for the handgun shortly before his death. They later amended the complaint to seek loss of consortium damages for themselves and their son's surviving siblings. The trial court denied the retailer's motion for summary judgment regarding the wrongful death claims, as well as the retailer's motion to dismiss the loss of consortium claims. Thereafter, the trial court granted the retailer permission to seek a Tenn. R. App. P. 9 interlocutory appeal from its refusal to dismiss the wrongful death and loss of consortium claims. We granted permission to appeal and have now determined that the trial court erred by denying the retailer's Tenn. R. Civ. P. 56 and 12.02(6) motions because, based on the undisputed facts, the suicide was not reasonably foreseeable and was the independent, intervening cause of the young man's death.
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Originating Judge:John A. Turnbull
Putnam County Court of Appeals 10/11/00
State vs. Michael Smith

W1999-02413-CCA-R3-PC
The Defendant, Michael W. Smith, appeals as of right from the trial court's denial of post-conviction relief. On appeal, he asserts that his conviction for escape, which was entered pursuant to his guilty plea, should be set aside because the plea was entered involuntarily due to his trial counsel's ineffectiveness. We conclude that the trial court properly denied relief based on its findings that the Defendant received effective assistance of counsel and that he entered the plea knowingly and voluntarily. Accordingly, we affirm the denial of post-conviction relief.
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Originating Judge:Jon Kerry Blackwood
Hardeman County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/11/00
State of Tennessee v. Trent Stark

W2002-03078-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry Smith
Originating Judge:J. C. Mclin
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/11/00
Associates Home Equity Svcs. v. Franklin National Bank

M2000-00516-COA-R3-CV
In this appeal Associates, a mortgage company, appeals the trial court's holding that it was not entitled to equitable subrogation to the rights and priority of earlier mortgagees whose loans it paid off. Franklin, another mortgage company, made a loan to the same property owners one day before Associates made its loan and recorded its deed of trust three days before Associates recorded its deed of trust to the same real property. Associates claims that, although Franklin recorded first, Associates is entitled to priority pursuant to the doctrine of equitable subrogation. Franklin filed a Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, which the trial court granted. We find that because the remedy of equitable subrogation is an equitable one dependent upon the facts and circumstances of the situation and the equities between the parties, judgment on the pleadings was inappropriate.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Originating Judge:Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 10/11/00
Mayhew vs. Wilder

M2000-01948-COA-R10-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Hamilton V. Gayden, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 10/11/00
State vs. David Wayne Salley

E1999-00203-CCA-R3-CD
David Wayne Salley appeals from his conviction of aggravated rape. He raises issues related to sufficiency of the evidence, jury instructions on lesser-included offenses, admission of evidence obtained pursuant to search warrants, impeachment of the defendant with prior violent felony convictions, exclusion of evidence of consensual sexual relations with the then-minor victim 21 years before the crime, deficient notice that the state was seeking Range III classification for sentencing, and an excessive sentence. Because there is no error requiring reversal, we affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:Phyllis H. Miller
Sullivan County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/11/00
Mayhew vs. Wilder

M2000-01948-COA-R10-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Hamilton V. Gayden, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 10/11/00
State vs. Samuel Pegues

W1999-01865-CCA-R3-CD
The Defendant, Samuel Pegues, was convicted of second degree murder after a jury trial. In this appeal as of right, the Defendant asserts that the evidence presented at trial is insufficient to sustain his conviction, that the trial court erred by denying proposed testimony regarding statements made by the victim on the night of the incident, and that the trial court erred by excluding the Defendant's testimony regarding statements made by the victim that she had stabbed or cut someone. We conclude that the evidence is sufficient to sustain the conviction, that the trial court did err by denying the proposed testimony of statements made by the victim but that such error was harmless, and that the Defendant has waived his issue regarding the statements of the victim that she had stabbed or cut someone. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Originating Judge:John Franklin Murchison
Madison County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/11/00
State vs. Jason Weiskopf

W2000-02308-CCA-RM-CD
This case is before the court upon remand from the Supreme Court of Tennessee for reconsideration in light of State vs. Nichols, ___ S.W.3d ___ (Tenn. 2000). Previously, this court found the "weigh and consider" jury instruction to be in violation of due process. Nichols reached a contrary conclusion; therefore, we now affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Originating Judge:Arthur T. Bennett
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/11/00
Scott Lewis Phillips v. Tennessee Home Improvements, Inc.

M1999-01477-WC-R3-CV
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel in accordance with the Tenn. Code Ann. _5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting findings of fact and conclusions of law. The appellant, a vinyl siding company, contends the trial court erred in finding a siding installer to be an employee rather than an independent contractor. The panel has concluded that the judgment of the trial court finding the installer to be an employee should be affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Frank G. Clement, Jr., Sp.J.
Originating Judge:Clara Willis Byrd, Judge
Scott County Workers Compensation Panel 10/11/00