APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

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Beavers vs. The Lebanon Democrat Newspaper

M1999-02401-COA-R3-CV
This appeal arises from an action initiated by Plaintiffs, Mae and Jerry Beavers, against the Defendant newspaper, the Lebanon Democrat, for libel and slander. The Beavers' claim arises out of two separate articles published by the newspaper. The trial court granted the newspaper's motion for summary judgment, holding that the first article was substantially true and the second article was a non-actionable opinion. The Beavers appeal.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:Tom E. Gray
Wilson County Court of Appeals 07/11/00
State vs. Jeffrey Wayne Adkisson

E1999-01316-CCA-R3-CD
The defendant, convicted of one count of D.U.I., argues that the evidence was insufficient and that a police report submitted as evidence was unfairly redacted. After review, we find no reversible error and therefore affirm the judgment from the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge John Everett Williams
Originating Judge:E. Eugene Eblen
Morgan County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/10/00
State vs. Henderson

W1998-00342-SC-DDT-DD
Authoring Judge: Justice William M. Barker
Originating Judge:Jon Kerry Blackwood
Fayette County Supreme Court 07/10/00
James Powell vs. M.P. Gurkin

W1999-00827-COA-R3-CV
This is a personal injury action arising out of a slip-and-fall accident which occurred at a laundromat owned by the Gurkin Defendants. The fall was allegedly caused by a hole in the floor of the laundromat which was created by the Defendant Hardin in attempting to locate and repair a water leak in the laundromat. The Plaintiff fell while walking into the laundromat carrying his laundry basket. He brought the present suit claiming that the Defendants were negligent in failing to repair the hole or providing adequate warning of the dangerous condition. The Defendants filed a Motion for Summary Judgment claiming that the Plaintiff failed to use reasonable care in confronting a known risk. After arguments of counsel, the trial court granted both Defendants' Motions for Summary Judgment.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:Jon Kerry Blackwood
Fayette County Court of Appeals 07/10/00
John Watson vs. Mike Young

W1999-00683-COA-R3-CV
This appeal arises from a lawsuit filed by an inmate at the Northwest Correctional Complex. The complaint sought damages for personal injuries sustained as a result of an electrical shock allegedly caused by the Defendant's inactions. The Lake County Circuit Court dismissed the complaint finding that the plaintiff's claim sounded in negligence and the defendants, as state employees, enjoyed absolute immunity from negligence claims.
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Alan E. Highers
Originating Judge:R. Lee Moore Jr.
Lake County Court of Appeals 07/10/00
In Re: S.D., M.D., Sh.D., & Ma.S.

M2003-02672-COA-R3-PT
This case comes before the Court on appeal from the Sumner County Juvenile Court's termination of Appellant's parental rights as to four children. Each parent raises separate issues on appeal. We affirm the action of the trial court in all respects.
Authoring Judge: Judge William B. Cain
Originating Judge:Barry R. Brown
Sumner County Court of Appeals 07/10/00
State vs. Morris

W1998-00679-SC-DDT-DD
Authoring Judge: Justice E. Riley Anderson
Originating Judge:John Franklin Murchison
Madison County Supreme Court 07/10/00
State vs. Henderson

W1998-00342-SC-DDT-DD
Authoring Judge: Justice William M. Barker
Originating Judge:Jon Kerry Blackwood
Fayette County Supreme Court 07/10/00
Frank Holiday v. State of Tennessee

M1999-01010-CCA-R3-PC

The appellant/petitioner, Frank Holiday, appeals as of right from a dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief by the Davidson County Criminal Court on the basis that the petition was barred by the statute of limitations. The petitioner, pro se, presents one appellate issue: Did the trial court err in failing to appoint counsel and conduct an evidentiary hearing in this matter, in view of the egregious failure of counsel to protect the petitioner's right to an appeal, and if not, is the petitioner entitled to a delayed appeal?

Authoring Judge: Judge L. Terry Lafferty
Originating Judge:Judge Seth W. Norman
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/07/00
State of Tennessee v. John H. Childress

M1999-00843-CCA-R3-CD

The Defendant was found guilty by a Davidson County jury of driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .10 percent or more (D.U.I. per se) and driving on a revoked license. In this appeal as of right, he argues that the trial court erred by admitting the results of his breathalyzer test because the admission of this evidence in a D.U.I per se case violates a defendant's confrontation rights. We hold that the trial court did not err by admitting the Defendant's breath test results. Accordingly, we affirm the Defendant's conviction.

Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Originating Judge:Judge Frank G. Clement, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/07/00
Glenda Click, as next of kin to Curtis Hugh Click, Deceased, v. Nelson J. Mangione, et al.

M1999-00129-COA-R3-CV-

This is a medical malpractice case. The paintiff’s husband died of a cardiac rupture while in the care of the defendant physicians. The plaintiff filed a wrongful death suit, asserting medical malpractice in the care of her husband. The trial court granted summary judgment to the defendant doctors, finding that the plaintiff’s expert’s testimony failed to show that a breach of the standard of care by the defendants caused the death of the plaintiff’s husband. The plaintiff appeals. We affirm, finding that the plaintiff did not present evidence that, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, a breach of the standard of care by the defendants caused the death of the decedent. Tenn. R. App. P. 3; Judgment of the trial court is affirmed
 

Authoring Judge: Judge Holly Kirby Lillard
Originating Judge:Judge Walter C. Kurtz
Davidson County Court of Appeals 07/07/00
State of Tennessee vs. Douglas Bowers

M1999-00778-CCA-R3-CD

A Lincoln County jury convicted the appellant, Douglas Bowers, of one (1) count of the delivery of 0.2 grams of cocaine, a Class C felony. The trial court sentenced the appellant as a Range II offender to nine (9) years and six (6) months incarceration. On appeal, the appellant contends that: (1) the evidence is insufficient to sustain his conviction; (2) the trial court erred in denying the appellant's request to instruct the jury on the "procuring agent defense"; and (3) the sentence imposed by the trial court was excessive. After thoroughly reviewing the record before this Court, we conclude that the state presented sufficient evidence to sustain the appellant's conviction for delivery of a Schedule II controlled substance. Furthermore, because the "procuring agent defense" has been abolished by statute, the trial court did not err in failing to so instruct the jury. Finally, we conclude that the sentence imposed by the trial court was appropriate. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry Smith
Originating Judge:Judge W. Charles Lee
Lincoln County Court of Criminal Appeals 07/07/00
Brent Brown v. Continental Baking Company

W1999-02700-SC-WCM-CV
This case involves a work-related injury to the plaintiff's left shoulder on August 17, 1992. The trial court heard the evidence on July 2, 1998, and found that the plaintiff sustained a compensable 12.5 percent permanent partial disability to the left shoulder but that the injury he claimed to the right shoulder was not work-related. The trial court also rejected the plaintiff's argument that he did not have a meaningful return to work and found that the two and one-half (2.5) times cap in Tennessee Code Annotated _ 5-6-241(a) applied. The plaintiff appealed pro se and raised the following issues for our review: (1) whether the plaintiff's right shoulder injury was work-related; (2) whether the plaintiff should be compensated for a second surgery on the right shoulder and both feet; (3) whether the original complaint was not re-filed properly; (4) whether there should have been a court reporter present at the hearing; and (5) whether evidence was improperly withheld from the court in his case. After careful review, we find that we must affirm the trial court's judgment.
Authoring Judge: F. Lloyd Tatum, Senior Judge
Originating Judge:Karen R. Williams, Judge
Shelby County Workers Compensation Panel 07/07/00
State of Tennessee v. Franklin Howard

W1997-00047-SC-R11-CD

This is an appeal from the Criminal Court for Shelby County which convicted the defendant of premeditated first degree murder, especially aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery. The defendant filed a motion for a new trial and argued that the evidence was insufficient to sustain a conviction for premeditated murder. The court overruled the motion, and the defendant appealed. The Court of Criminal Appeals concluded that the evidence was insufficient to sustain a finding that the defendant was the principal actor in causing the death of the victim. Nevertheless, the court found that his conviction could be sustained under a theory of criminal responsibility for premeditated murder because premeditated murder was a natural and probable consequence of aggravated robbery under the facts of the case. We then granted the defendant's application for permission to appeal. We hold that the natural and probable consequences rule can be used to sustain a defendant's conviction for first-degree premeditated murder based upon criminal responsibility for the conduct of a co-defendant. The jury, however, must be instructed on all elements of a charge of criminal responsibility, including the natural and probable consequences rule. Because the jury was not instructed on the natural and probable consequences rule, the defendant's conviction for first degree premeditated murder is reversed, and this case is remanded to the trial court for a new trial.

Authoring Judge: Justice William M. Barker
Originating Judge:Judge Joseph B. Dailey
Shelby County Supreme Court 07/06/00
Richard Norman Redman. v. Donna Kay Redman

E1999-02588-COA-R3-CV

A divorce decree was filed in 1993 with the marital assets being divided by agreement of these parties. The decree awarded Husband’s military retirement benefits to Wife “as a division of marital property.” The decree also provided that inasmuch as Wife was to receive that pension, she should be responsible for the support of the parties’ two minor children. In 1999, after the children reached majority, Husband filed this “Petition to Discontinue Child Support and Modify Final Judgment by Restoring Retirement Benefits.” The Trial Court held that the divorce decree ordered Husband to pay Wife his military pension as a division of marital property, not child support, and therefore declined to modify the original decree. We affirm the judgment of the Trial Court.
 

Authoring Judge: Judge David Michael Swiney
Originating Judge:Judge D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Blount County Court of Appeals 07/06/00
Richard Norman Redman v. Donna Kay Redman - Concurring

E1999-02588-COA-R3-CV

I agree with the majority’s conclusion that there is no basis for invalidating the 1993 award to Wife of Husband’s Air Force retirement -- an award made by the trial court “as a division of marital property.” As a part of an unappealed-from final judgment, the trial court’s division-ofproperty award is not subject to challenge in this proceeding, see Vanatta v. Vanatta, 701 S.W.2d 824, 827 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1985), in the absence of a Tenn. R. Civ. P. 60.02 basis for relief, and I find no such basis in the meager record before us.

Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Originating Judge:Judge D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Blount County Court of Appeals 07/06/00
Ingram Industries, Inc. v. Carless Dyke Keller

E1999-00703-WC-R3-CV
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 court awarded the plaintiff 24 percent vocational disability to the body as a whole. The defendant contends that the preponderance of the evidence does not support thetrial court's award. We affirm.
Authoring Judge: Lafferty, Sr. J.
Originating Judge:Telford E. Forgety, Jr., Chancellor
Knox County Workers Compensation Panel 07/05/00
Graves vs. Cocke

E1999-01387-SC-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Justice Frank F. Drowota, III
Originating Judge:Richard R. Vance
Cocke County Supreme Court 06/30/00
Morris Slutsky, et ux vs. City of Chattanooga, et al

E1999-00196-COA-R3-CV
Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.
Originating Judge:W. Neil Thomas, III
Hamilton County Court of Appeals 06/30/00
State vs. John Farner

E1999-00491-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton
Originating Judge:R. Jerry Beck
Sullivan County Court of Criminal Appeals 06/30/00
State vs. Mark Steven Marlowe

E1998-00873-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Gary R Wade
Originating Judge:W. Lee Asbury
Union County Court of Criminal Appeals 06/30/00
State of Tennessee v. Sonny Yarbro

W1999-00770-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Originating Judge:C. Creed Mcginley
Hardin County Court of Criminal Appeals 06/30/00
State vs. Sonny Yarbro

W1999-01469-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Originating Judge:Carolyn Wade Blackett
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 06/30/00
State vs. Smith

W1998-00156-SC-R11-CD

In this appeal, we address whether prior inconsistent statements can be used substantively to corroborate a confession when the prior statements are admitted into evidence without objection. We also consider whether the failure of the trial court to instruct the jury as to the limited use of the prior statements constitutes plain error. The Court of Criminal Appeals held that prior inconsistent statements could not be used as substantive evidence and that the failure of the trial court in this case to give a limiting instruction amounted to plain error. For the reasons stated herein, we hold that by not objecting to the admission of the statements, the appellee waived any objection to their use by the jury as substantive evidence to corroborate the appellee’s two confessions. Consequently, we hold that the evidence in this case is sufficient to support a finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Finally, because the decision to forgo any objection to the hearsay testimony was a deliberate, tactical decision by trial counsel, we are precluded from considering admission of the evidence under a plain error analysis. We reverse the judgment of the Court of Criminal Appeals and reinstate the appellee’s conviction and sentence for aggravated sexual battery.

Authoring Judge: Justice William M. Barker
Originating Judge:Julian P. Guinn
Henry County Supreme Court 06/30/00
State vs. Lawrence White

W1999-00735-CCA-R3-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Joe G. Riley
Originating Judge:C. Creed Mcginley
Hardin County Court of Criminal Appeals 06/30/00