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Mcmahan v. City of Newport
03S01-9607-CV-00080
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting to the Supreme Court of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The trial judge found that the plaintiff had sustained a ten percent permanent partial disability as a result of a work-related accident, although he did not have any additional assigned medical impairment. Plaintiff appeals, challenging the trial court's findings that plaintiff was not assigned an additional medical impairment rating and that plaintiff had a ten percent permanent partial disability. He also argues that the trial court should have reconsidered plaintiff's permanent partial disability award from his first injury. We affirm the trial court's judgment. Plaintiff, 45, has an eighth-grade education. He served with the Marines in Vietnam, has worked as a welder and has worked in maintenance. In 1983, he began working for the city of Newport, performing mostly maintenance tasks. He injured his back on October 8, 1992, for which surgery was performed; he returned to work after this surgery. He was awarded 4% permanent partial disability benefits for this injury. The trial court in that case found that plaintiff had a 15% medical impairment rating based on the testimony of Dr. Alan Whiton, plaintiff's treating orthopedic surgeon, that plaintiff's impairment could be as high as 15%. Plaintiff re-injured his back on July 12, 1994, when a power saw jerked while he was trimming trees. A surgical fusion was performed on plaintiff in October 1994. He did not return to work, although he was offered a position which would involve supervising prison inmates who were picking up litter. His supervisor, Tim Dockery, testified that this position was still available for plaintiff, although he admitted it had not yet been funded by the city council. Plaintiff testified that he experiences continuous pain in his back and down his right leg and that he does not believe that he can work. He also testified that Mr. Dockery told him he would be moved back into full duty after a few months; however, Mr. Dockery testified that he did not say this and that the position was intended to be permanent. 2
Authoring Judge: John K. Byers, Senior Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. William R. Holt, Jr., |
Knox County | Workers Compensation Panel | 07/14/97 | |
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Pemberton v. Campbell
03S01-9604-CH-00044
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting to the Supreme Court of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The plaintiff was awarded lifetime benefits based on a finding of total, permanent vocational disability, with the employer and Second Injury Fund ordered de novo concurrent, pro rata payments for permanent disability until the plaintiff reaches age 65. Because we find that the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding of total and permanent disability, but supports a finding of 75% permanent partial disability to her whole body, the judgment is modified to award the plaintiff weekly benefits for 3 weeks. Our review is de novo on the record, accompanied by the presumption that the trial court's findings of fact are correct unless the evidence preponderates otherwise. T.C.A. _ 5-6-225(e)(2). Seiber v. Greenbrier Ind., 96 S.W.2d 444, 446 (Tenn. 1995). The plaintiff injured her neck and shoulders on September 15, 1992, rupturing a cervical disc. Dr. Bernhard Kliefoth performed surgery and released the plaintiff to return to work with no restrictions on October 7, 1992. She was employed as a teacher's aide and suffered the injury while lifting a child. She was then 37 years old. On April 1, 1991, she had injured her neck but had not pursued a claim; in this connection, the orthopedic surgeon, Dr. William Kennedy, testified that about one- half of the plaintiff's impairment was attributable to the former injury. Because of ongoing shoulder pain, the plaintiff saw Dr. David Hauge, who performed surgery on July 7, 1994 for suprascapular nerve entrapment and testified that the plaintiff had a 9% impairment for the cervical injury and a 15% impairment for the nerve entrapment, for a total of 17% impairment to her whole body. Dr. Kennedy evaluated the plaintiff on May 5, 1993 and testified that she had a 2% impairment due to neck problems. As noted, he attributed one-half of the impairment to the 1991 injury. 2
Authoring Judge: William H. Inman, Senior Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. Billy Joe White, |
Knox County | Workers Compensation Panel | 07/14/97 | |
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Taft Douglas vs. State
01C01-9605-CR-00182
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Davidson County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/11/97 | |
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Thomas E. Montooth vs. State
01C01-9604-CC-00126
Originating Judge:Charles D. Haston, Sr. |
White County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/11/97 | |
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State vs. John P. Pelfrey
01C01-9606-CR-00251
Originating Judge:J. O. Bond |
Wilson County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/11/97 | |
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State vs. Randall Lunsford
01C01-9603-CC-00098
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Wilson County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/11/97 | |
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Henry B. Waggoner vs. David Mills Warden
01C01-9604-CC-00142
Originating Judge:Donald P. Harris |
Hickman County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/11/97 | |
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Douglas Trammell vs. State
01C01-9602-CC-00083
Originating Judge:James E. Walton |
Montgomery County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/11/97 | |
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State vs. Gray
M1998-00256-COA-R3-CV
The sole remaining question in this appeal is whether in October of 1998 the General Sessions Court of Davidson County had jurisdiction over a contempt warrant issued for violating the Davidson County Circuit Court's order of protection. We affirm the General Sessions Court's exercise of jurisdiction.
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Gale B. Robinson |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 07/11/97 | |
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Jimmy Lee Heard vs. State
01C01-9704-CR-00120
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Davidson County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/11/97 | |
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State vs. Lutcher O. Miles & Amber Dawn Miles
01C01-9604-CC-00169
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Cheatham County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/11/97 | |
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State vs. Terry Wayne Farrar
01C01-9605-CC-00198
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Bedford County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/11/97 | |
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State vs, Albert Lewis
02C01-9512-CR-00394
Originating Judge:Bernie Weinman |
Shelby County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/10/97 | |
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State vs. Ricky Tucker
02C01-9606-CR-00196
Originating Judge:W. Fred Axley |
Shelby County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/10/97 | |
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State vs. Milton Spears, Jr.
02C01-9606-CR-00197
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Shelby County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/10/97 | |
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State vs. John Earnest
02C01-9604-CR-00114
Originating Judge:Carolyn Wade Blackett |
Shelby County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/10/97 | |
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Tom Milligan and wife Louise Millgan v. Curtis George and wife Wilma George
01A01-9609-CH-00406
This interlocutory appeal involves a boundary line dispute between neighbors who live along Wilmouth Creek in Cannon County. Following inconclusive litigation between two of their neighbors, the owners of one of the tracts filed a boundary line action in the Chancery Court for Cannon County against the owners of one of the adjoining tracts that had been involved in the earlier litigation. The defending landowners moved to dismiss the complaint on the ground that the decision in the earlier litigation was res judicata as to the plaintiff landowners’ claims. The trial court denied the motion but grante permission to seek an interlocutory appeal. We granted the application for permission to appeal and now affirm the denial of the motion to dismiss because the parties in this case and the former case are not the same.
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Chancellor Robert E. Corlew, III |
Cannon County | Court of Appeals | 07/09/97 | |
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Diana Sue Long, v. Michael George Long
01A01-9701-CV-00003
This is an appeal by the defendant, Michael George Long, from that portion of the trial court’s judgment which awarded alimony in futuro to his former wife, Diana Sue Long, who was the plaintiff below.
Authoring Judge: Judge Samuel L. Lewis
Originating Judge:Judge Muriel Robinson |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 07/09/97 | |
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State of Tennessee vs. Joseph L. Fletcher
03C01-9606-CC-00229
Defendant, Joseph L. Fletcher, appeals as of right a jury conviction for driving under the influence (DUI), second offense. He was sentenced to eleven months and twenty-nine days and fined $610. Fletcher presents four issues for our review: 1) whether the evidence was sufficient to sustain the conviction; 2) whether the state is required to prove a culpable mental state for a DUI conviction; 3) whether the trial court abused its discretion in allowing testimony about certain drugs; and 4) whether the sentence is excessive. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Originating Judge:Judge James E. Beckner |
Greene County | Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/09/97 | |
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Mary Jane Bohlen Duggan v. Frederick Louis Bohlen, III
01A01-9611-CV-00535
This is an appeal by petitioner/appellant, Mary Jane Bohlen Duggan, from the decision of the trial court modifying the child support obligation of respondent/appellee, Frederick Louis Bohlen, III, and interpreting the parties’ marital dissolution agreement (“MDA”) and a later amendment to the MDA. The court concluded Mr. Bohlen was not in contempt and required him to pay $860.00 per month for the parties’ youngest child, $250.00 per month for each child over eighteen and under twenty-two provided the child is receiving a postgraduate education, andone-half of the children’s postgraduate education expenses. The facts out of which this matter arose are as follows.
Authoring Judge: Judge Samuel L. Lewis
Originating Judge:Judge Marietta M. Shipley |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 07/09/97 | |
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Susanna Gillespie, A/K/A Susanna Grezegorcyk, A/K/A Susanna Kantack A/K/A Susanna Gregg, v. Stephen D. Graham and Lori G. Graham
01A01-9702-CH-00083
This is an appeal from the decision of the Williamson County Chancery Court. Plaintiff/appellant, Susanna Gregg, claims the chancery court erred when it denied her claim to attorney’s fees, and defendant/appellee, Steven D. Graham, claims the chancery court erred when it failed to dismiss the claim as outside the statute of limitations. The facts out of which this matter arose are as follows: Defendant and his ex-wife, Lori G. Graham, entered into an agreement with Plaintiff and her husband, Donald Kanatack, for the lease/purchase of a piece of real estate. Defendant executed a note and a deed of trust in favor of Plaintiff and her husband on 15 March 1986. In exchange for the note, Plaintiff and her husband gave Defendant and Ms. Graham $10,477.17, which they used to pay real estate commissions and to set up an escrow account for repairs. The note listed the date of maturity as “on or at closing,” and the lease/purchase agreement listed the date of closing as 17 February 1988. Both the note and the deed contained provisions allowing Plaintiff to recover attorney’s fees if Plaintiff had to file suit to recover under each agreement. At the time of execution, however, the parties modified the note by drawing an “X” over five consecutive paragraphs. One of these paragraphs included the provision allowing the note holder to recover costs and expenses under certain circumstances.1 The parties failed to pay the note on 17 February 1988. The parties extended the original lease/purchase agreement for an additional year by executing an addendum on 27 May 1988. The new closing date passed without incident and both parties continued as they had in the contract for two additional years. A fire occurred on the property in 1990 while Plaintiff still occupied it. After the insurance company paid the settlement to Defendant, he evicted Plaintiff from the property.
Authoring Judge: Judge Samuel L. Lewis
Originating Judge:Chancellor Henry Denmark Bell |
Williamson County | Court of Appeals | 07/09/97 | |
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State of Tennessee vs. Clinton Darrell Turner
03C01-9604-CC-00151
The Defendant, Clinton Darrell Turner, appeals as of right his conviction and sentence for DUI. Following a jury trial, the Defendant was convicted of driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant and driving on a revoked license in the Cocke County Circuit Court. The trial court sentenced the Defendant to eleven (11) months and twenty-nine (29) days on the charge of driving while under the influence and six months for the charge of driving on a revoked license. The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently. The trial court suspended the entire sentence for the conviction of driving on a revoked license. On the DUI, the Defendant was ordered to serve seven days in jail with the balance to be served on probation. In addition to challenging the sufficiency of the evidence, Defendant also argues the trial court erred by allowing an officer to testify as to field sobriety tests when the officer was not trained to administer those tests. The last issue the Defendant raises is that the trial court erred by sentencing him to serve seven days rather than the two (2) day minimum provided by law. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Thomas T. Woodall
Originating Judge:Judge Ben W. Hooper, II |
Court of Criminal Appeals | 07/09/97 | ||
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Shirley Jean McCracken and Alan McCracken, et. al., v. Brentwood United Methodist Church
01A01-9511-CV-00531
This appeal involves a woman who broke both ankles in a fall at church. The woman and her husband filed suit in the Circuit Court for Williamson County against the church and others. The trial court granted the church’s motion for summary judgment based on the statute of limitations and the joint enterprise rule.The woman and her husband perfected this appeal after obtaining post-judgment relief from an inappropriate interlocutory appeal. We have determined that the trial court properly granted the post-judgment relief but erred in summarily dismissing the complaint.
Authoring Judge: Judge William C. Koch, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge Cornelia A. Clark |
Williamson County | Court of Appeals | 07/09/97 | |
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In re: Estate of Ora Sloan Blankenship, Deceased, Katherine Sloan Braden and Steve Sloan, v. Billie Ann Gann
01A01-9607-CV-00290
This matter appears appropriate for consideration pursuant to Rule 10(a) of the Rules of the Court of Appeals of Tennessee.1 In this case, the decedent, Ora Sloan Blankenship (“Blankenship”), 84 years old, died on June 24, 1994. Subsequently, a petition was filed to probate Blankenship’s alleged holographic will. The purported holographic will named one of Blankenship’s sisters, Kathryn Braden (“Braden”) and Blankenship’s nephew, Steve Sloan (“Sloan”) as co-representatives of the estate.
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly Kirby Lillard
Originating Judge:Judge William Harbison |
Davidson County | Court of Appeals | 07/09/97 | |
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Mid-State Trust, IV v. Randall W. Swift
01A01-9703-CV-00145
This is an appeal by defendant/appellant, Randall W. Swift, from the decision of the Cheatham County Circuit Court dismissing his appeal from the general sessions court. The facts out of which this matter arose are as follows
Authoring Judge: Judge Samuel L. Lewis
Originating Judge:Judge Leonard W. Martin |
Cheatham County | Court of Appeals | 07/09/97 |