FILED

October 4, 1996

Cecil Crowson, Jr.

Appellate Court Clerk

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS

TERRY YATES, ) HAMI LTON CHANCERY

 ) C. A. NO. 03A01- 9602- CH- 00069

 )

 Pl a i ntif f - Appe lla nt )

 )

 )

 )

 )

 )

vs . ) HON. HOWELL N. PEOPLES

 ) CHANCELLOR

 )

 )

 )

 )

 )

THE CHATTANOOGA POLI CE ) AFFI RMED AND REMANDED

DEPARTMENT, ERVI N DI NSMORE, )

Public Sa f e t y Admi ni s t r a t or f or )

THE CI TY COUNCI L FOR THE CI TY )

CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE a nd THE )

CI TY OF CHATTANOOGA, )

 )

 De f e nda nt s - Appe l l ees )

LEONARD CAPUTO, Phi l l i ps & Ca put o, Cha t t a nooga , f or Appe l l a nt .

KENNETH O. FRI TZ, a nd MI CHAEL A. Mc MAHAN, Cha t t a nooga , f or

Appe l l ee.
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MEMORANDUM OPI NI ON

Mc Mur r a y, J .

Thi s i s a n a ppe a l f r om t he j udgme nt of t he c ha nc e r y c our t f or

Ha milton Count y, whe r e by t he c our t a f f i r me d t he de c i s i on of t he

City Counc i l of t he Ci t y of Cha t t a nooga f i ndi ng t he a ppe l l a nt , a

pol i c e offi c e r , gui l t y of vi ol a t i ng Cha t t a nooga Pol i c e Ma nua l

Or de r s a nd i mpos i ng di s c i pl i na r y s a nc t i ons . We a f f i r m t he j udgme nt

of the tr i a l c our t .

The i s s ue pr e s e nt e d f or our r e vi e w i s whe t he r t he t r i a l c our t

e rre d in uphol di ng t he de c i s i on of t he Ci t y Counc i l . The a ppe l l a nt

c ha r ge s in thi s c our t tha t the City Counc il' s de c i s i on wa s

a r bi t r a r y, capr i c i ous , and cha r act e r i zed by an abus e of di s c r e t i on,

a nd wa s uns uppor t e d by e vi de nc e whi c h i s bot h s ubs t a nt i a l and

ma t e r i a l i n vi e w of t he e nt i r e r e c or d, i n vi ol a t i on of T. C. A. § 4-

5- 322( g- h) .

T. C. A. § 4- 5- 322( g- h) pr ovi de s i n pe r t i ne nt pa r t a s f ol l ows :

( g) The r e vi e w s ha l l be c onduc t e d by t he c our t

wi t hout a j ur y a nd s ha l l be c onf i ne d t o t he r e c or d. I n

cas e s of al l e ge d i r r e gul a r i t i e s i n pr ocedur e be f or e t he
3

a ge nc y, not s hown i n t he r e c or d, pr oof t he r e on ma y be

t a ke n i n t he c our t .

( h) The c our t ma y a f f i r m t he de c i s i on of t he a ge nc y

or r e ma nd t he case f or f ur t he r pr oc e e di ngs . The c our t ma y

r e ve r s e or modi f y the de c i s i on i f t he r i ght s of t he

pe t i t i one r ha ve be e n pr e j udi c e d be c a us e t he a dmi ni s t r a -

tive f i ndi ngs , i nf e r e nc e s , c onc l us i ons or de c i s i ons a r e :

( 1) I n vi ol a t i on of c ons t i t ut i ona l or s t a t ut or y

pr ovi s i ons ;

( 2) I n e xc e s s of t he s t a t ut or y a ut hor ity of the

a ge nc y;

( 3) Ma de upon unl a wf ul pr oc e dur e ;

( 4) Ar bi t r a r y or capr i c i ous or cha r act e r i zed by

a bus e of di s c r e t i on or c l e a r l y unwa r r a nt e d e xe r c i s e

of di s c r e t i on; or

( 5) Uns uppor t e d by e vi de nc e whi c h i s bot h s ubs t a ntia l a nd ma t e r i a l in the light of the e ntir e re -

c or d.

I n de t e r mi ni ng t he s ubs t a nt i a l i t y of e vi de nc e , t he

c our t s ha ll ta ke int o account wha t e ve r i n t he r ecor d

f a i r l y de t r act s f r om it s we i ght, but t he c our t s ha l l not

s ubs titut e i t s j udgme nt f or t ha t of t he a ge nc y a s t o t he

we i ght of t he e vi de nc e on que s t i ons of f a c t .

The t r i a l c our t de t e r mi ne d t ha t t he r e wa s no s howi ng of a

vi ol a tion of a ppe lla nt ' s c ons titutiona l r i ght s ; tha t the a c tion wa s

not i n e xc e s s of t he Counc i l ' s s t a t ut or y a ut hor i t y nor ma de upon

unl a wf ul pr oc e dur e . The c our t f ur t he r de t e r mi ne d t ha t t he r e wa s

s ubs t a nt i a l a nd ma t e r i a l e vi de nc e t o s uppor t t he a c t i ons of t he

Ci t y Counc i l .
1

Ru l e 10. Af f i r ma n c e wi t hout opi n i on - Me mo r a ndum opi n i on.

( a ) Af f i r ma n ce Wi t h o u t Op i n i o n . Th e Co u r t , wi t h t h e co n c u r r e n ce o f a ll j u d g e s

p a r tic i p a tin g in t h e ca s e , ma y af f i r m t h e ac t i o n of t h e t r i a l cour t by or d e r wi t hout

r e nde r i n g a f o r ma l opi n i on wh e n an opi n i on woul d have no pr e c e d e n t i a l val u e and one

o r mo r e o f t h e f o l l owi n g ci r c ums t a n ces exi s t an d ar e d i spo s i t i v e o f t h e ap p eal :

( 1 ) th e Co u r t co n c u r s i n t h e f act s as f ound or as f ound by nec e s s a r y i mp l i c a t i on by

t h e tr i a l c o u r t .

( 2 ) t h e r e i s ma t e r i a l evi d e n c e t o s uppor t t h e ver d i c t of t h e j u r y .

( 3 ) n o r e v e r s i b l e er r o r o f l a w ap p ear s .

Su c h cases ma y b e af f i r me d a s f o llows : "Af f i r me d i n accor d a n ce wi t h Co u r t o f Ap p eal s

Ru l e 1 0 ( a ) . "

4

Our r e vi e w of t he r e c or d pe r s ua de s us t ha t t he t r i a l c our t ' s

j udgme nt wa s cor r ect i n al l r e s pect s . Accor di ngl y, we f eel t ha t

t hi s i s a c a s e whe r e pr ope r di s pos i t i on c a n be ma de i n a c c or da nc e

wi t h Rul e 10( a ) , Rul e s of t he Cour t of Appe a l s .

1

 

Ac c or di ngl y, t hi s c a s e i s " Af f i r me d i n a c c or da nc e wi t h Cour t

of Appe a l s Rul e 10( a ) . "

Cos t s ar e t a xe d t o t he appe l l a nt . Thi s caus e i s r e ma nde d t o

t he tr i a l c our t f or the c olle c tion the r e of .

______________________________

 Don T. Mc Mur r a y, J .

CONCUR:

___________________________________
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Hous t on M. Godda r d, Pr e s i di ng J udge

___________________________________

Cha r l e s D. Sus a no, J r . , J udge
I N THE COURT OF APPEALS

TERRY YATES, ) HAMI LTON CHANCERY

 ) C. A. NO. 03A01- 9602- CH- 00069

 )

 Pl a i ntif f - Appe lla nt )

 )

 )

 )

 )

 )

vs . ) HON. HOWELL N. PEOPLES

 ) CHANCELLOR

 )

 )

 )

 )

 )

THE CHATTANOOGA POLI CE ) AFFI RMED AND REMANDED

DEPARTMENT, ERVI N DI NSMORE, )

Public Sa f e t y Admi ni s t r a t or f or )

THE CI TY COUNCI L FOR THE CI TY )

CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE a nd THE )

CI TY OF CHATTANOOGA, )

 )

 De f e nda nt s - Appe l l ees )

ORDER

Thi s appeal c a me on t o be he a r d upon t he r e c or d f r om t he

Cha ncer y Cour t of Ha mi l t on Count y, br i e f s a nd a r gume nt of c ouns e l .

Upon c ons i de r a t i on t he r e of , t hi s Cour t i s of opi ni on t ha t t he r e wa s

no r e ve r s i bl e e r r or i n t he t r i a l c our t .
7

Thi s cas e i s af f i r me d i n al l r e s pect s . Cos t s ar e t a xe d t o t he

a ppe l l a nt . Thi s caus e i s r e ma nde d t o t he t r i a l c our t f or t he

c olle c tion the r e of .

 PER CURI AM