APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

Tim Walton v. Sharon (Walton) Camp

W2001-01409-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Originating Judge:George H. Brown
Shelby County Court of Appeals 11/28/01
Robert Davidson vs. Charles Lindsey

W2000-02891-COA-R3-CV
This appeal arises from an automobile accident involving the Appellants and the Appellees in which the Appellee's wife was killed and the Appellee was seriously injured. The Appellee, individually and as administrator of the estate of his wife, and the Appellee's children filed a complaint in the Circuit Court of Henry County against the Appellants and three of the Appellees. Following a jury trial, the jury found that the Appellants were 100% liable for the accident and dismissed the claims against the three Appellees. The jury awarded the Appellee $1,250,000.00 and awarded the estate of the Appellee's wife $500,000.00. The trial court entered a judgment on the jury's verdict. The Appellants filed a motion for a new trial. The trial court denied the motion for a new trial.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:Julian P. Guinn
Henry County Court of Appeals 11/28/01
State of Tennessee v. Daniel Thomason - Order

M2000-01164-CCA-R3-CD

This matter is before us on the court’s own motion to correct errors associated with entries of an order on rehearing, opinion and judgment on October 15, 2001. A brief procedural history is in order to understand the basis for the court’s action in the instant order. On July 11, 2001, this court entered an opinion and judgment in this case. The defendant thereafter moved for rehearing, and we granted his motion on August 14, 2001. On October 15, 2001, we entered an order which addressed the merits of the defendant’s rehearing issue. That order also contained the following language, “The judgment previously entered is WITHDRAWN and is RE-ENTERED as of the entry of this order.” (Emphasis in original.) Although that order directed the withdrawal and reentry of the judgment, both the opinion and the judgment of July 11 were withdrawn and reentered on that date. The withdrawal and reentry of the opinion was in error. Moreover, that erroneous action prompted the accrual of additional costs.

Authoring Judge: Per Curiam
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/27/01
State of Tennessee v. Deadrick M. Pigg

M2000-03056-CCA-MR3-CD

The Defendant, Deadrick Pigg, was convicted in the Criminal Court of Davidson County of the sale of less than .5 grams of cocaine.1 After a sentencing hearing, the Defendant was sentenced to serve eight years in the Department of Correction. In his appeal as of right pursuant to Rule 3(b) of the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure, the Defendant argues that (1) the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to support the jury’s guilty verdict because the verdict was based solely on uncorroborated accomplice testimony and (2) the trial court erred in allowing the State to impeach the Defendant with evidence of past convictions. After a thorough review of the record, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Originating Judge:Judge Cheryl A. Blackburn
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/27/01
Harry Kradel. v. Piper Industries

M2001-00338-SC-R23-CQ
Pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 23, this Court accepted certification of five questions of law from the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit concerning Tennessee's law of corporations. For the reasons given herein, we answer that the corporate statutes in effect before January 1, 1988, apply to determine the rights and remedies available against a corporation dissolved before that date and that section 48-1-1013(a) (repealed) applies to limit Piper's liability for post-dissolution claims. We further answer that Piper Industries, Inc. did comply with the dissolution statutes in effect before January 1, 1988, which require provisions to ensure the final distribution of corporate assets, but which do not require a corporation to establish a reserve fund for contingent claims arising more than two years after the dissolution. Finally, we answer that while the trust fund doctrine has been previously applied in Tennessee to solvent corporations, its application in this case is necessarily limited by Tennessee Code Annotated section 48-1-1013(a) (repealed).
Authoring Judge: Justice William M. Barker
Supreme Court 11/27/01
State of Tennessee v. Dean Byard

M2000-01410-CCA-R3-CD

Defendant appeals from a bench trial where he was found guilty of one count of assault and one count of aggravated assault. Sufficient evidence exists to support the conviction of aggravated assault. The ineffective assistance of counsel claim is wholly unsubstantiated. We affirm the judgments from the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Originating Judge:Judge Seth W. Norman
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/27/01
Troy Allen Thompson v. Elisa Connell Hulbert

W2000-02675-COA-R3-JV
Authoring Judge: Judge Holly M. Kirby
Originating Judge:A. V. Mcdowell
Shelby County Court of Appeals 11/27/01
CH-00-1898-2

CH-00-1898-2

Originating Judge:Floyd Peete, Jr.
Shelby County Court of Appeals 11/27/01
Andrew Mays vs. Deborah Mays

W2000-03067-COA-R3-CV
This is a divorce and child custody case. Husband sued for divorce, and Wife countersued. Husband dismissed his complaint on the day of trial. Wife was granted the divorce and custody of the parties' minor child. On appeal, Husband argues that the trial court erred in its division of marital property, its decision to deny Husband rehabilitative alimony, its award of attorney's fees to Wife, and its decision not to hear evidence on the issue of child custody. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand the case to the trial court for a hearing on child custody.
Authoring Judge: Judge David R. Farmer
Originating Judge:Kay S. Robilio
Shelby County Court of Appeals 11/27/01
In re: Guardianship of Ashley Tatum

W2001-00859-COA-R3-CV
This case involves liability for misappropriation of funds in a guardianship estate. After a guardian was appointed by the probate court, Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland executed a guardianship bond as surety. The order appointing the guardian provided for the guardian's attorney to have joint control of the guardianship estate with the guardian. BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc. owed certain sums to the ward and was notified by the guardian's attorney of the joint control provision. The guardian's attorney also requested that the funds be sent to him to be deposited in the guardianship accounts. BellSouth ignored the request and sent the check payable to the guardian. Subsequently, the guardian misappropriated the funds, and the substitute guardian was awarded judgment against F & D. F & D filed a third party complaint against BellSouth for the sums so paid, and after a nonjury trial, the probate court entered judgment for F & D against BellSouth. BellSouth has appealed. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Judge W. Frank Crawford
Originating Judge:Robert S. Benham
Shelby County Court of Appeals 11/27/01
Ashad R. A. Muhammed Ali v. Board of Probation and Parole, et al.

M2001-01194-COA-R3-CV
Petitioner seeks a writ of certiorari from the decision of the board of paroles declining to grant him parole. The Chancery Court of Davidson County, Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr., Chancellor, dismissed the petition. We affirm the chancellor.
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Originating Judge:Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 11/26/01
Thomas Anderson, Jr. v. State of Tennessee

M2000-01737-CCA-R3-PC

The petitioner appeals the denial of post-conviction relief from his conviction for theft of property valued less than $1000 but greater than $500, a Class E felony, arguing that the post-conviction court erred in finding that he received effective assistance of trial counsel. After a careful review of the record, we conclude that the petitioner failed to meet his burden of demonstrating ineffective assistance of counsel. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry L. Smith
Originating Judge:Judge Timothy L. Easter
Williamson County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/21/01
State of Tennessee v. Benjamin Hernandez, III

M2000-00225-CCA-R3-CD

The defendant was indicted for premeditated first degree murder, convicted of the lesser-included offense of second degree murder, and sentenced to 25 years in the Department of Correction. In this appeal, the defendant alleges: (1) the evidence was insufficient to sustain his conviction; (2) the state failed to provide him with exculpatory evidence; (3) the state destroyed evidence, thereby depriving him of due process; and (4) the trial court erroneously failed to grant a continuance or mistrial when a witness became ill and was unavailable to testify. After a thorough review of the record, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Originating Judge:Judge Leon C. Burns, Jr.
Putnam County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/21/01
State vs. Florence Harrell

E2001-01710-COA-R3-CV
In this appeal from the Chancery Court for Union County the Petitioner/Appellant, the State of Tennessee ex rel. Thomas J. Harrell, contends that the Chancery Court erred in denying the State a judgment against the Respondent/Appellee, Florence E. Harrell, for retroactive child support and for reimbursement of AFDC benefits paid by the State on behalf of Mr. Harrell and his and Ms. Harrell's two minor children. We affirm the judgment of the Chancery Court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Houston M. Goddard
Union County Court of Appeals 11/21/01
Jon Hall v. Bill McLesky, et al.

M2000-01857-COA-R3-CV
A death row inmate filed a Petition for Declaratory Judgment, claiming that employees of the Department of Correction had caused his attorney's phone number to be removed from an approved calling list, and had refused to restore the number to the list in a timely way. The inmate named seven employees of the Department and a private telephone company as defendants, and demanded monetary damages. The trial court dismissed the action, because the petitioner failed to comply with the mandatory requirements of the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act. Because we do not believe the petitioner was entitled to relief under any of the theories he advanced, we affirm the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Carol L. Mccoy
Davidson County Court of Appeals 11/21/01
State of Tennessee v. Tony Williams

W2001-00788-CCA-R9-CD

The defendant, Tony Williams, appeals the trial court's denial of pretrial diversion after a petition for certiorari from the decision of the district attorney. In this discretionary appeal under Rule 9 of the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure, the single issue presented for review is whether the denial of pretrial diversion qualified as an abuse of prosecutorial discretion. The judgment denying relief is affirmed.

Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Gary R Wade
Originating Judge:Judge Bernie Weinman
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/21/01
State of Tennessee v. Lonnie Jones

W2001-00741-CCA-R3-PC

Petitioner appeals from the denial of his petition for post-conviction relief following his guilty plea to second degree murder for which he received a sentence of 15 years. He contends his guilty plea was not knowingly and voluntarily entered, and he received ineffective assistance of trial counsel. The state contends the petition was barred by the statute of limitations. We conclude the petition was barred by the statute of limitations and is otherwise without merit. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Originating Judge:Judge Bernie Weinman
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/21/01
Johnetta Nelson v. Innovative Recovery Svcs. Inc.

M2000-03109-COA-R3-CV
This is a declaratory judgment action by Ruby Nelson against Innovative Recovery Services, Inc. ("IRSI"), subrogation recovery agent for Tennessee Coordinated Care Network, d/b/a Access ..MedPLUS ("TCCN"), a health maintenance organization under TennCare. TCCN paid $6,266.75 in medical expenses for Ruby Nelson and, under TennCare statutes, had a subrogation interest in this amount as to any third party recovery by Ms. Nelson. The Complaint asserts that TCCN is liable to attorneys for Ruby Nelson for attorney's fees in the amount of one-third of the subrogation interest. The Chancellor held TCCN not liable for attorney's fees to the attorneys representing Ruby Nelson, and we affirm the judgment of the Chancellor.
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Originating Judge:Ellen Hobbs Lyle
Davidson County Court of Appeals 11/21/01
Jimmy Wilson v. State

M2000-02934-COA-R3-CV
By opinion of this Court dated August 27, 1999, dismissal by the trial court of Plaintiff's Petition for Declaratory Judgment or Common Law Writ of Certiorari complaining about computation of his sentence reduction credits was affirmed with costs assessed against Petitioner. He then attempted to have his inmate trust account shielded from collection of court costs by claiming exceptions under Tennessee Code Annotated section 26-2-101, et seq. The trial court denied his application and he filed timely appeal. We affirm the trial judge.
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Originating Judge:Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 11/21/01
State of Tennessee v. Jimmy Joe Rittenberry

E2000-02722-CCA-R3-CD

The defendant was convicted by a jury on one count of sale of marijuana, a Class E felony, and one count of possession of cocaine, a Class A misdemeanor. In this appeal, the defendant contends (1) the evidence is insufficient to sustain the sale of marijuana conviction; (2) the trial court erroneously admitted rebuttal testimony regarding an undisclosed, out-of-court statement made by the defendant; and (3) the trial court failed to instruct the jury on simple possession of marijuana as a lesser-included offense. After a thorough review of the record, we conclude (1) the evidence is sufficient to sustain the convictions; (2) the failure of the state to disclose the out-of-court statement made during the defendant's interrogation violated Tenn. R. Crim. P. 16(a)(1)(A); and (3) the trial court erroneously failed to instruct the jury on simple possession of marijuana as a lesser-included offense. The conviction for sale of marijuana is reversed; the conviction for possession of cocaine is affirmed; and this matter is remanded for a new trial on the sale of marijuana.

Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Originating Judge:Judge James B. Scott, Jr.
Anderson County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/20/01
Charles Mitchell v. State of Tennessee

E2000-03153-CCA-R3-PC

The petitioner, Charles Mitchell, appeals the trial court's denial of his petition for post-conviction relief from his conviction for first degree murder and resulting sentence of life without parole. First, he contends that his mental condition prevented him from knowingly and intelligently entering his guilty plea. Second, he contends that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel because his defense attorneys (1) did not seek to suppress statements that the petitioner gave to police soon after he murdered his wife; (2) did not use diminished mental capacity in his defense; (3) induced him to plead guilty by telling him that the state had filed a notice to seek the death penalty when no such notice had been filed; and (4) failed to request a more detailed mental evaluation of him. We affirm the trial court's denial of the petition.

Authoring Judge: Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Originating Judge:Judge James E. Beckner
Hamblen County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/20/01
State of Tennessee v. Scott Bradley Price

E2000-00441-CCA-R3-CD

The Appellant, Scott Bradley Price, was convicted of child rape, a class A felony, following a Knox County jury trial. The trial court sentenced Price, as a range I offender, to twenty-one (21) years in the Department of Correction. In his sole issue on appeal, Price argues that the trial court erred in the length of sentence because the mitigating factors outweighed the enhancement factors and, therefore, his sentence should have been reduced below the midpoint range of twenty (20) years. After a review of the record, we affirm the sentence of the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Originating Judge:Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz
Knox County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/19/01
Diane Crawford v. Crotty-Tenn, Inc

M2001-00715-WC-R3-CV
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The employer in this case had two insurance carriers. The employer had one insurer at the time the employee first reported her gradual injury and temporarily left work due to her carpal tunnel syndrome. The employer then changed insurance carriers and the second insurer's coverage extended through the time the employee continued to work and permanently ended her employment. The trial court held the first insurer liable for permanent partial disability benefits due to the fact that the employee's first report of work injury constituted a definite date at which the employee knew the nature and the cause of her injury. The first insurer appeals and argues that the second insurer should be liable because the employee continued to work during the second insurer's coverage. As discussed below, the Panel affirms the result of the trial court, but on different grounds. Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-225(e)(3) Appeal as of Right; Judgment of the Chancery Court Affirmed. GAYDEN, Sp. J., in which Drowota, J., and Loser, Sp. J., joined. Hal W. Wilkins, Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan, Nashville, TN for the defendant- appellant Crotty-Tenn, Inc. (AIG). Robert R. Davies, Davies, Humphreys & Evans, Nashville, TN for the defendant- appellee Crotty-Tenn, Inc. (EBI). William E. Halfacre, III, Madewell, Jared, Halfacre & Williams, Cookeville, TN for the plaintiff-appellee Diane Crawford. 1 MEMORANDUM OPINION On January 2, 1995, the employee/appellee Diane Crawford began to work as a riveter for Crotty-Tenn, Inc.. As a riveter, Ms. Crawford held boards together while forcing metal clips through them to make automotive sun-visors. Her job involved continuous gripping and squeezing with her hands. In the summer of 1996, Ms. Crawford began to feel pain and numbness in her wrists and hands radiating up her arms and into her shoulders and neck. On August 7, 1996, Ms. Crawford's symptoms worsened to the point at which she was forced to seek medical treatment. Ms. Crawford filed a first report of work injury with Crotty-Tenn and saw Dr. Nancy Blevins, who prescribed medication for Ms. Crawford and suspended her from work for six weeks. AIG, the defendant-appellant in this action and Crotty-Tenn's workers' compensation carrier at the time, paid for Ms. Crawford's temporary total disability benefits. After her six weeks of leave, Ms. Crawford returned to work. Ms. Crawford subsequently saw Dr. Anthony Carter and Dr. Sam Barnes in November and December of 1996 and Dr. Jim Talmage in June of 1997. Ms. Crawford was moved to a light-duty job in November of 1996. Ms. Crawford also saw various other doctors regarding her injury including Dr. David Gaw. Ms. Crawford reported feeling increasing pain and was placed on permanent restrictions. Dr. Talmage stated that the most effective treatment would be for Ms. Crawford to change vocations. However, Ms. Crawford did not stop her work due to her injury until she left her employment with Crotty-Tenn two years later in 1998. On April 1, 1997, Crotty-Tenn changed its workers' compensation carrier from AIG to EBI. On August 26, 1998, after Crotty-Tenn lost a major contract, Ms. Crawford volunteered to be laid off due in part to her injury and has not since returned to work at Crotty-Tenn. On May 4, 2, Dr. Gaw testified that the additional squeezing and gripping from her continued work after 1996 could have aggravated Ms. Crawford's injury based on an independent medical evaluation that he performed on Ms. Crawford on April 14, 1998. However, Dr. Gaw could not testify that Ms. Crawford experienced an anatomical change from her continued work. The trial court found the defendant/appellant AIG, the employer's first insurer, liable for benefits to Ms. Crawford because Ms. Crawford had filed her first report of injury during its coverage. The trial court stated that when the employee knew the nature and cause of the injury on a definite date, the liability of an insurance carrier would depend on that date. The trial court awarded Ms. Crawford permanent partial disability benefits in the amount of $22,8.96 based on a vocational disability rating of 36% to the body as a whole. Review on appeal is de novo upon the record of the trial court, accompanied by a presumption of the correctness of the findings of fact, unless the preponderance of the evidence 2
Authoring Judge: Gayden, Sp. J.
Originating Judge:Hon. C. K. Smith, Judge
Smith County Workers Compensation Panel 11/19/01
Billy Joe Henderson v. State of Tennessee

E2001-00438-CCA-R3-PC

The Appellant, Billy Joe Henderson, appeals the dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief without the appointment of counsel and an evidentiary hearing. Henderson is currently serving a life sentence in the Tennessee Department of Correction pursuant to his 1998 conviction for first degree murder. Following a review of the record, we affirm in part and reverse in part the judgment of the post-conviction court dismissing the petition. Because Henderson in part states a "colorable claim," the case is remanded for the appointment of counsel and an evidentiary hearing.

Authoring Judge: Judge David G. Hayes
Originating Judge:Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz
Knox County Court of Criminal Appeals 11/19/01
Ricky W. Mcelhaney v. Howard B. Barnwell

E2000-02748-COA-F3-CV

Originating Judge:Howell N. Peoples
Hamilton County Court of Appeals 11/19/01