APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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Charles Bobo v. Dept. of Corrections

M2000-00517-COA-R3-CV
Appellant, a prison inmate, filed, in the Chancery Court of Davidson County, a Petition for Writ of Certiorari questioning disciplinary actions against him by the Department of Corrections. The petition was dismissed by the Chancellor with costs assessed against Appellant. Appellant then sought exemption of his inmate trust account from execution for costs asserting that Tennessee Code Annotated Section 26-2-103 rendered his trust account and personal property to a value of $4,000 exempt from execution for court costs. The Chancellor held Tennessee Code Annotated Section 26-2-103 to be inapplicable, and we affirm the Chancellor.
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Originating Judge:Ellen Hobbs Lyle
Davidson County Court of Appeals 12/14/00
Rita M. Russell v. Modine Manufacturing Company, Inc.

E2000-00176-WC-R3-CV
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tennessee Code Annotated _ 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting to the Supreme Court of findings of fact and conclusions of law. Review of the findings of fact made by the trial court is de novo upon the record of the trial court, accompanied by a presumption of the correctness of the finding, unless the preponderance of the evidence is otherwise. TENN. CODE ANN. _ 5-6-225(e)(2). Stone v. City of McMinnville, 896 S.W.2d 548, 55 (Tenn. 1995).
Authoring Judge: John K. Byers, Sr. J.
Originating Judge:James B. Scott, Jr., Judge
Knox County Workers Compensation Panel 12/14/00
Peggy Boles vs. Dept. of Correction

M2000-00893-COA-R3-CV
The wife of an incarcerated person brought an action seeking to have a policy of the Department of Correction declared invalid. The policy involved a visitor's responsibility to control children while visiting an inmate in a state prison. The trial court dismissed the petition. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Patricia J. Cottrell
Originating Judge:Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 12/14/00
Mitchell Tarver vs. Dept. of Correction

M2000-01622-COA-R3-CV
A prison inmate filed a petition seeking a declaratory judgment that he was entitled to parole consideration in accordance with his plea bargain. The trial court dismissed the petition on summary judgment. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Ellen Hobbs Lyle
Davidson County Court of Appeals 12/14/00
Peter Greer v. Dept of Correction

M2000-00222-COA-R3-CV
This appeal involves a dispute between a prisoner and the Tennessee Department of Correction regarding a change in the way the Department reports pre-trial sentence credits. Believing that the change increased the length of his sentence, the prisoner filed suit in the Chancery Court for Davidson County to rescind the change. The trial court concluded that the change had not altered the prisoner's sentence expiration date and dismissed the petition. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 12/14/00
Frances Wolfe vs. Kroger Co.

W2000-00281-COA-R3-CV
Plaintiff sued Defendant to recover for injures she received from a fall inside Defendant's store. The trial court granted Defendant's motion for summary judgment. We affirm based on Plaintiff's failure to counter Defendant's evidence that it neither caused the condition which caused the fall nor did it have notice of that condition.
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Originating Judge:James F. Russell
Shelby County Court of Appeals 12/14/00
Emanuel Johnson vs. Doctor Crans, et al

W2000-01587-COA-R3-CV
Inmate, a State of Wisconsin prisoner in custody at a private correctional facility in Tennessee pursuant to a contract between the State of Wisconsin and the facility, filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus against respondent, the chief executive officer of the private correctional facility and the warden of the private facility. The petition alleges, in substance, that the act of the State of Wisconsin in sending the prisoner to a private correctional facility out of the state waived its jurisdiction over the inmate, voided his sentence, and released him from custody. The trial court dismissed the petition for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, and inmate has appealed. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Originating Judge:Jon Kerry Blackwood
Hardeman County Court of Appeals 12/14/00
State vs. Michael Colvin

E2000-00701-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Originating Judge:Lynn W. Brown
Johnson County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
Sneed vs. Bd. of Professional Responsibility

M1999-01588-SC-R3-CV
This case is before the Court on an appeal of right from the judgment of the Chancery Court of Davidson County suspending Michael H. Sneed, the appellant, from the practice of law for six months together with other sanctions. Sneed contends that the trial court erred in imposing discipline and that the six-month suspension is too harsh a sanction. Because we conclude that the trial court had the authority to impose sanctions and that the sanctions imposed are fair and proportionate in light of the entire record, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Justice Adolpho A. Birch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Tom E. Gray
Davidson County Supreme Court 12/13/00
State vs. Martin Charles Jones

E1999-01296-CCA-R3-CD
The Appellant, Martin Charles Jones, pled guilty to nine counts of criminal exposure to HIV, class C felonies, and to three counts of statutory rape, class E felonies. Following a sentencing hearing, the Knox County Criminal Court imposed an effective sentence of seventeen years incarceration. On appeal, the Appellant asserts that the trial court erred by denying his request for alternative sentencing. After review, we find no error and affirm the judgment.
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Originating Judge:Ray L. Jenkins
Knox County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
Ray Charles Gasaway vs. State

M2000-00991-CCA-R3-PC
Petitioner, Ray Charles Gasaway, filed a Petition for Post-Conviction Relief in the Davidson County Criminal Court, which the post-conviction court subsequently denied. Petitioner challenges the denial of his petition, raising the following issue: whether the trial court erred in ruling that the Petitioner was provided effective assistance of counsel. Specifically, Petitioner argues that his trial counsel failed to investigate, failed to raise the fatal variance between the indictment and the proof at trial and failed to raise as an issue the violation of Petitioner's right to due process because of the delay between the commission of the crimes and commencement of adversarial proceedings. After a thorough review of the record, we affirm the trial court's denial of the Petitioner's post-conviction petition.
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Originating Judge:Steve R. Dozier
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
State vs. Teresa R. Hodge

E2000-00040-CCA-R3-CD
The defendant appeals the Blount County Circuit Court's determination that her plea-bargained, eleven-month and 29-day effective sentence for theft and possession of cocaine shall be served in confinement, subject to 75 percent of service before the defendant is eligible for rehabilitative programs. The record supports the trial court's determination, and we affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Blount County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
Owen vs. Martin

M1999-02305-COA-R3-CV
The trial court found that a mother and her adult son had both breached an oral contract whereby the son agreed to pay off the mortgage on his mother's home and to permit her to remain there for the rest of her life, and the mother agreed to give the son her equity in the home upon her death, and to allow him to use a garage apartment in the home until that time. We reverse the trial court's finding that there was an enforceable contract between the parties, but we impress a resulting trust on the son's interest in the home, which inures to his mother's benefit.
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Ellen Hobbs Lyle
Davidson County Court of Appeals 12/13/00
State vs. Gary Russell

E1999-01511-CCA-R3-CD
The appellant pled guilty in the Anderson County Criminal Court to three counts of selling over .5 grams of cocaine. Pursuant to a plea agreement, the trial court imposed concurrent sentences of eight years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction for each conviction. The trial court denied the appellant any form of non-incarcerative alternative sentencing, including probation. On appeal, the appellant challenges the trial court's denial of alternative sentencing. Upon review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Originating Judge:James B. Scott, Jr.
Anderson County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
State of Tennessee v. Oneal Sanford

E1999-02089-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Originating Judge:Carroll L. Ross
Bradley County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
State vs. Kenneth England

E2000-00535-CCA-R3-CD
The defendant appeals the revocation of his community corrections sentence. Finding a lack of justiciable, substantial evidence to support the revocation, we reverse.
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:E. Shayne Sexton
Campbell County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
State vs. Patty Pace Purkey

E2000-00308-CCA-R3-CD
The appellant, Patty Pace Purkey, pled guilty in the Grainger County Criminal Court to one count of vehicular assault, a class D felony, one count of reckless endangerment, a class E felony, three counts of simple possession of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor, and one count of driving on a revoked license, a class B misdemeanor. The trial court sentenced the appellant to the following terms of incarceration: three years in the Tennessee Department of Correction for vehicular assault; two years in the Tennessee Department of Correction for reckless endangerment; eleven months and twenty-nine days in the county jail for each of the simple possession convictions; and six months in the county jail for driving on a revoked license. The trial court further ordered that all of the appellant's sentences be served concurrently and assessed a total of $750 in fines. The trial court denied the appellant any form of alternative sentencing. On appeal, the appellant raises the following issue for our review: whether the trial court erred in failing to order probation or another alternative sentence. Upon review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Originating Judge:O. Duane Slone
Grainger County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
Luther Brown, III vs. State

E1999-02290-CCA-R3-CD
The petitioner, Luther Robert Brown, III, appeals from the Sullivan County Criminal Court's summary dismissal of his petition for the writ of habeas corpus. Brown seeks relief from a "parole hold" that Tennessee officials have caused to be placed upon him within the Virginia prison system. According to the allegations of his petition, the parole hold has resulted in the Virginia prison system denying him inmate privileges to which he would otherwise be entitled. Additionally, he complains that he has not been granted a Tennessee parole hearing even though he has served his Tennessee sentence past the release eligibility date. Because we agree with the lower court that these complaints are not cognizable in a habeas corpus proceeding, we affirm the lower court's dismissal of the petition.
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:R. Jerry Beck
Sullivan County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
State vs. Howard W. Weaver

E2000-00066-CCA-R3-CD
The defendant appeals his convictions of two counts of aggravated sexual battery. He claims that the trial court erred (1) in denying his motion to suppress his statement given to investigators from the Department of Children's Services and sheriff's department, and (2) in failing to require the state to elect the particular offenses upon which it sought convictions. He also claims that the evidence presented at trial is insufficient to support his convictions. Upon review, we accept the state's concession of error in the failure to elect, but we are unpersuaded of merit in the defendant's suppression and sufficiency issues. We reverse the defendant's convictions and remand for a new trial.
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:E. Eugene Eblen
Roane County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
State vs. Josh Moon

E2000-00690-CCA-R3-CD
The defendant appeals from his Sevier County Circuit Court sentence for simple assault, a Class A misdemeanor. The trial court sentenced the defendant to eleven months and 29 days, with six months of the sentence to be served incarcerated in jail and the balance on supervised probation. The trial court ordered restitution to the victim in the amount of $18,700 for medical expenses. In this direct appeal, the defendant complains that he should have received full probation. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge J. Curwood Witt, Jr.
Originating Judge:Rex Henry Ogle
Sevier County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
State vs. Donald Lynn Miller

E1999-00148-CCA-R3-CD
Donald Lynn Miller was convicted by a jury of felony murder and especially aggravated robbery and received respective sentences of life imprisonment and twenty-three years. On appeal, Miller raises the following issues: (1) whether the trial court committed reversible error by allowing the victim's skull to be admitted into evidence; (2) whether the trial court erred by admitting Miller's statement to police into evidence and (3) whether the evidence is insufficient to support the verdict. After review, we find no error and affirm the judgment of the Knox County Criminal Court.
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Originating Judge:Ray L. Jenkins
Knox County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
State vs. William Washington a/k/a "Freddie"

E2000-00695-CCA-R3-CD
William Washington was found guilty by a Washington County jury of one count of possession of less than one-half gram of cocaine with intent to sell. Washington, a range III offender, was sentenced to twelve years in the Department of Correction. The following issues are presented on appeal: (1) the sufficiency of the convicting evidence and (2) whether the trial court impermissibly limited the scope of his voir dire examination of prospective jurors with regard to racial bias. Finding no error, the judgment is affirmed.
Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Originating Judge:Robert E. Cupp
Washington County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
Sheucraft vs. Roberts

M1999-01645-COA-R3-CV
This is a custody dispute between the maternal grandparents, Petitioners, and the biological father, Respondent. The child, Lexie, was born to Dewey and Lisa Roberts in October of 1991 and was seven years of age at the June 1999 trial. In 1995, Dewey Roberts and Lisa Sheucraft Roberts separated, and Lisa Roberts and Lexie moved in with the Petitioners. Ms. Roberts and the child continued to reside with the Petitioners until her unexpected death in 1998 from a brain aneurysm related to a cocaine overdose. The Respondent has a history of drug and alcohol abuse and, at the time of trial, was involved in an abusive relationship with a female companion. The trial court, applying the "substantial harm" test of Bond v. McKenzie, 896 S.W.2d 546 (Tenn. 1995), found that to change the residential arrangements from the grandparents' home to the father's home would be devastating to the child and would result in substantial harm to her. The trial court further found that it is in the child's best interests to spend the majority of her time with the maternal grandparents. Respondent appeals and we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Originating Judge:Marietta M. Shipley
Davidson County Court of Appeals 12/13/00
State vs. Michael Nevens

M2000-00815-CCA-R3-CD
The defendant appeals from his conviction for theft of a bottle of tea, contesting the jury instructions, the effectiveness of his trial counsel, the state's cross-examination of defense witnesses, the state's closing argument and the trial court's failure to rule upon a subsequent objection, and his sentence. Because the trial court erred in instructing the jury, we reverse the defendant's conviction and remand the case to the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Originating Judge:Timothy L. Easter
Williamson County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00
State vs. Danielle Walker

E2000-00578-CCA-R3-CD
The appellant, Danielle L. Walker, pled guilty in the Blount County Circuit Court to one count of theft of property over $1000, a class D felony. The trial court sentenced the appellant as a standard Range I offender to two years incarceration in the Tennessee Department of Correction. The trial court ordered the appellant to serve twenty days of her sentence in periodic confinement and to serve the balance of her sentence on supervised probation. The trial court also ordered the appellant to make restitution to the victim in the amount of $2,928.56. On appeal, the appellant raises the following issues for our review: (1) whether the trial court erred by refusing to grant the appellant judicial diversion; and (2) whether the trial court erred by refusing to grant the appellant full probation. Upon review of the record and the parties' briefs, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Norma McGee Ogle
Originating Judge:D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Blount County Court of Criminal Appeals 12/13/00