APPELLATE COURT OPINIONS

Kevin Ryan Mosley v. Tennessee Board of Paroles, et al.

01A01-9604-CH-00162

Kevin Mosley, a prisoner in the custody of the Department of Correction, was twice considered for parole. On each occasion the Parole Board declined to release him, citing as its reason the seriousness of his offense. Mr. Mosley filed a Petition for Certiorari with the Chancery Court of Davidson County, contending that he was entitled to a more definite statement of the Parole Board’s reasons. The prisoner also argued that the Board erred in failing to consider the results of a psychological study it had ordered. The Chancery Court dismissed the petition. We affirm the trial court.

Authoring Judge: Judge Ben H. Cantrell
Originating Judge:Chancellor Irvin H. Kilcrease, Jr.
Davidson County Court of Appeals 11/01/96
Hazel Maness Flatt v. The Insurance Mart, Inc.,

02S01-9601-CH-00007
This workers' compensation appeal was heard by the Special Workers' Compensation Panel in accordance with provisions of T.C.A. _ 5-6-225(e)(3). We have by this opinion reported our findings of fact and conclusions of law to the Supreme Court. Hazel Maness Flatt ("plaintiff") was employed by Gary Wright and his sister Nita Middleton to care for their mother, Lorene F. Wright, at her residence in Chester County. As part of her employment, plaintiff lived in Ms. Wright's home from Monday through Friday. Other sitters provided care for Ms. Wright on weekends. Plaintiff's job duties included fixing meals, cleaning the house, sweeping, vacuuming, washing clothes, taking Ms. Wright on errands, and generally just watching after her. On about October 5, 199, plaintiff injured her back while assisting Ms. Wright into plaintiff's car. The record reflects that Gary Wright served as president of The Insurance Mart, Inc. ("defendant"), a company engaged in the sale of automobile insurance in Nashville. Wright and his wife were the sole shareholders of the defendant company. His sister, Nita Middleton, was an employee of defendant. Plaintiff was paid her weekly checks from defendant's payroll for her services to Ms. Wright. Her W-2 Wage and Tax Statement for 199 listed defendant as her employer. However, defendant listed plaintiff regularly on its Non-Employee Compensation Report. For these apparent reasons, plaintiff filed suit against defendant in the Chancery Court of Chester County. Following a bench trial, the chancell or denied plaintiff's claim for workers' compensation benefits on the grounds that (1) plaintiff was a domestic servant and not an employee of defendant, and (2) that she was also an independent contractor. This appeal followed. 2
Authoring Judge: Hewitt P. Tomlin, Jr., Senior Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. Joe C. Morris,
Chester County Workers Compensation Panel 11/01/96
Allen v. Jones

02S01-9512-CV-00127
This worker's compensation appeal has been referred to the special worker's compensation appeals panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. _50-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting to the Supreme Court of findings of fact and conclusions of law.
Authoring Judge: Cornelia A. Clark, Special Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. James M. Tharpe
Shelby County Workers Compensation Panel 11/01/96
State of Tennessee v. Charles Thompson And Verico

W1998-00351-CCA-R10-CD
Authoring Judge: Judge Jerry Smith
Originating Judge:Chris B. Craft
Shelby County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/31/96
Mario Harris v. State

M2004-01782-CCA-R3-PC
The Defendant, Mario Harris, appeals from the order of the trial court dismissing his petition for post-conviction relief as time-barred. The State has filed a motion requesting that this Court affirm the judgment of the trial court pursuant to Rule 20 of the Rules of the Court of Criminal Appeals. We grant the State's motion and affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Authoring Judge: Judge David H. Welles
Originating Judge:Seth W. Norman
Davidson County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/31/96
02C01-9512-CC-00381

02C01-9512-CC-00381
Dyer County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/31/96
01A01-9606-CH-00259

01A01-9606-CH-00259
Supreme Court 10/31/96
Part Upon State v. Roger Dale Hill, No. 01C01-9508-Cc-00267 (Tenn. Crim. App. June

02C01-9610-CC-00340
Lake County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/31/96
02C01-9503-CC-00095

02C01-9503-CC-00095

Originating Judge:John Franklin Murchison
Madison County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/31/96
02C01-9503-CC-0095

02C01-9503-CC-0095
Madison County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/31/96
02C01-9601-CC-00030

02C01-9601-CC-00030
Fayette County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/31/96
02A01-9508-CV-00168

02A01-9508-CV-00168
Shelby County Court of Appeals 10/30/96
Present Appeal, The Petitioner, Relying In Part Upon State v. Roger Dale Hill, No. 01C01-

02C01-9610-CC-00344
Lake County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/30/96
Charles Leroy Stafford v. Mid-America Corporation and Larry Brinton, Jr.

03S01-9512-CH-00132
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court in accordance with Tenn. Code Ann. section 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The issue presented by this appeal involves the extent of the claimant's permanent disability. The panel concludes thejudgment should be modified as provided below. The employee or claimant, Stafford, is forty-eight with a ninth grade education. On December 23, 1993, he suffered a compensable injury to his neck and arm, for which he received medical treatment and lost time from work. The treating physician assigned a permanent impairment rating of 3% to the whole body and released him to return to work in August of 1994 with no restrictions. From a previous injury, the claimant had received an award based on ninety-five percent to the body as a whole. The chancellor awarded permanent partial disability benefits on the basis of five percent to the body as a whole, reasoning that the claimant had not yet become rehabilitated from his previous injury. Appellate review is de novo upon the record of the trial court, accompanied by a presumption of the correctness of the findings of the trial court, unless the preponderance of the evidence is otherwise. Tenn. Code Ann. section 5-6-225(e)(2). Conclusions of law are subject to de novo review without any presumption of correctness. Presley v. Bennett, 86 S.W.2d 857 (Tenn. 1993). This tribunal is required to conduct an independent examination of the record to determine where the preponderance of the evidence lies.
Authoring Judge: Joe C. Loser, Jr., Special Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. Frederick D.
Knox County Workers Compensation Panel 10/30/96
Barbara Wallace v. Cadillac Curtain Company

02S01-9510-CH-00099
This worker's compensationappeal has been referred to the special worker's 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. Trial in this matter was conducted February 9, 1995. On May 22, 1995, the Chancellor entered a final judgment denying compensation to plaintiff and dismissing her lawsuit.
Authoring Judge: Cornelia A. Clark, Special Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. John Hill Chisholm
Tipton County Workers Compensation Panel 10/30/96
X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX

X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX
Court of Appeals 10/30/96
X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX

X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX
Court of Appeals 10/30/96
Brian Matthew Woosley v. Townsend Electric Company

02S01-9505-CH-00040
This workers' compensation appeal has been referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-225(e)(3) for hearing and reporting of findings of fact and conclusions of law. Our scope of review of findings of fact by the trial court is de novo upon the record of the trial court, accompanied by a presumption of correctness, unless the preponderance of the evidence is otherwise. Tenn. Code Ann. _ 5-6-22 5(e)(2). The sole question raised on appeal is whether the evidence preponderates against the chancellor's holding that the employee's injury arose out of the course and scope of his employment. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm the trial court. The plaintiff, Brian M. Woosley ("Woosley"), was employed as an electrician's he lper for To wnsend Electric. Du ring the sev eral month s of his employment with Townsend, he worked at a series of job sites. The method by which he would arrive at the site varied. For two of the jobs, he met the foreman at the Townsend "shop"on the first day of the job; thereafter he drove his own vehicle to the job site. At a third job location, he met the foreman at the Townsend shop and rode with him to the job site. While at the shop, he sometimes loaded material for use on the job. At a fourth site, the foreman drove to Woos ley's home an d transporte d him to the job. Woo sley was nev er paid until he arrived at the job site and he was never reimbursed for transportation expenses when he drove his own vehicle. On July 13, 1992, Woosley was working at a fifth job in Brownsville when he was injured en route to the job site. For the two weeks prior to his injury, he met Harold Matlock ("Matlock"), the job foreman, at the shop each day and the two went to the Brownsville job together. While working in Brownsville, Woosley was not required to pick up or load materials; he received no instructions 2
Authoring Judge: Janice M. Holder, Special Judge
Originating Judge:Hon. Joe C. Mo Rris
Madison County Workers Compensation Panel 10/30/96
Harley R. Rucker v. Rockwood Electric Utilities

03S01-9511-CH-00127
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. Plaintiff was injured when he fell and hit his arm on a buzz saw while cutting trees along utility lines as an employee of Woodland Tree Service, which had a contract to cut the trees for Rockwood Electric Utilities. The trial judge dismissed plaintiff's complaint, finding that Rockwood Electric Utilities was not plaintiff's statutory employer under TENN. CODE ANN. _ 5-6- 113. However, he found plaintiff to have sustained a 45% permanent partial disability to his right hand. We reverse the judgment and remand the case to the trial court. Plaintiff was hired by Woodland Tree Service to help fulfill Woodland's contract with Rockwood Electric Utilities. The agreement between Woodland Tree Service and Rockwood Electric Utilities was in the form of a written contract which was introduced at trial. Plaintiff reported every morning to Rockwood Electric Utilities where he met with Don White, a supervisor at Rockwood, to learn whether he should continue working on the present job or if he needed to work on some emergency project. He would also pick up a "bucket truck" owned by Rockwood to be used in cutting trees. Woodland provided all of the other equipment used by its employees. Occasionally, Rockwood supervisors would come to the site where Woodland employees were working to check on the progress of the work, occasionally telling the employees to hurry up or moving them elsewhere to a "hot spot." Woodland had absolute authority to hire and fire its own employees. Under the contract between the parties, Rockwood reserved the right to provide equipment and materials at a lower cost if those provided by Woodland were too high. Woodland paid its employees directly but according to a schedule of wages set by Rockwood. Woodland was required to notify Rockwood of changes in wage rates. Under their contract, Rockwood reserved the right to inspect Woodland's work and audit its books. The contract also provided that Woodland employees could not enter the area where power lines were located unless 2
Authoring Judge: Senior Judge John K. Byers
Originating Judge:Hon. Frank V. Williams,
Knox County Workers Compensation Panel 10/30/96
X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX

X2010-0000-XX-X00-XX
Anderson County Court of Appeals 10/30/96
03C01-9510-CC-00325

03C01-9510-CC-00325

Originating Judge:D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Blount County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/30/96
03C01-9510-CC-00320

03C01-9510-CC-00320

Originating Judge:D. Kelly Thomas, Jr.
Blount County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/30/96
03A01-9603-CV-00096

03A01-9603-CV-00096
Anderson County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/30/96
03C01-9509-CR-00291

03C01-9509-CR-00291

Originating Judge:Ray L. Jenkins
Knox County Court of Criminal Appeals 10/30/96
03A01-9605-CV-00170

03A01-9605-CV-00170
Court of Appeals 10/30/96