# FILED June 5, 1997 Cecil Crowson, Jr. App ellate C ou rt Clerk I N TH E C O U R T O FA PPEA LSO FTEN N ESSEE EA STER N SEC TI O N

J OR GEAR I ELSANJ I NES , M

. D. , ) C

/ A N O . 03A 01- 9702- C

V

- 00060 ) Pl a i ntif f

- A

p p e lla nt , ) HAM I LTON C

I R C UI T ) v. ) HON. DOUGLASA. M EYER , ) J UDGE OR TW EI N AND AS S OC

I ATES , P. C. , ) SI TTI NG BY I NTER C HANGE W I LLI A M H . O R TW EI N , J . C R I S ) HELTON, AND J OHN R. M OR GAN, ) VAC

ATED ) AND D e f e n d a nt s - A

p p e l l ees . ) R

EM ANDED

J . AR I ELSANJ I NES , M

. D. , p r os e . E. BLAKE

M OOR E, SPEAR

S , M OOR E, R EBM AN & W I LLI AM S , C h a t t a n o o g a , f or D e f e nda nt - A

ppe l l e e , J ohn R. M or ga n. SAM UELR. ANDER

S ON a n dSHANE

USAR Y, LUTHER

- ANDER S ON, PLLP, C ha t t a nooga , f or D e f e nda nt s - A

ppe l l e e s , O

r t w e i n & A s s oc i a t e s , P. C. , W

illia m H . O r t w e i n , a n dJ . C

r i s H e lto n .

O PI N I O N

Fr a nks . J . Pl a i nt i f f , i nc a r c e r a t e d i n pr i s on, br ought t hi s act i o nag a i n s t hi s at t o r n e y s f o r al l e g e dm a l p r act i ce i n r e pr e s e nt i ng hi m

i n t he c ha r ge s br ought a ga i ns t hi m f or c r i m i na l c onduc t . D e f e nda nt s f i l e d m ot i ons f or s um

m a r y j udgm

e nt s a nd s um m a r y j udgm

e nt s w e r e gr a nt e d on be ha l f of a l l de f e nda nt s by t h e Tr i a l J u d g e . Pl a i ntif f h a s a p p e a l e d .2 U pon r e vi e w

i ng t he r e c or d, w e c onc l ude i t i s ne c e s s a r y t o a ddr e s s onl y one i s s ue , t ha t i s , w he t he r t he Tr i a l J udge s houl d ha ve gr a nt e d pl a i nt i f f ’ s m ot i on t o s t a y t he pr oc e e di ngs pr i or t o t he e nt r y of t he s um m a r y j udgm

e nt s . A gr ound s e t f or t h i n pl a i nt i f f ’ s m ot i on i s : Pl a i nt i f f a l s o ha s pe ndi ng be f or e t he C r i m i na l C our t , a pe t i t i on f or pos t - c onvi c t i on r e l i e f w hi c h w a s f i l e d on Fe br ua r y 12, 1996 a nd a m e nde d on M

a y 31, 1996, a nd i s s c he dul e d f or a n e vi de nt i a r y he a r i ng on A

ugus t 28, 1996. Pl a i nt i f f ’ s pe t i t i on f or pos t - c onvi c t i on r e l i e f s e e ks va c a t i on of hi s p l ea ands e nt e n ce du e t ot h e i n e f f ect i v e as s i s t a n c e of c ouns e l , a nd he w i l l be r e qui r e d t o pr e s e nt e vi de nc e t o t he Tr i a l C our t of hi s c l a i m of i ne f f e c t i ve ne s s of c ouns e l i n t he upc om i ng e vi de nt i a r y he a r i ng.

. . . Pl a i ntif f h a s a c o n f lic t b e t w e e nth e c i v il a n d c r i m i na l pr oc e e di ngs pe ndi ng, a nd m a y be pr ej udi c e d i n t he c r i m

i na l pr oc e e di ngs s c he dul e d f or A ugus t 28, 1996. The r e s pons e f i l e d by de f e nda nt s t o t hi s m ot i on s t a t e s , i n pe r t i ne nt pa r t :

W ithr e s p e c t top l a i ntif f ’ s m o tio ntos t a y pr oc e e di ngs , he poi nt s out t ha t he ha s a pos t - c onvi c t i on r e l i e f he a r i ng s c he dul e d on A ugus t 28, 1996. H

e poi nt s out t ha t he ha s a c onf l i c t be t w e e n t he c i vi l a nd c r i m i na l pr oc e e di ngs , a nd t ha t he m a y be pr ej udi c e d, a c ont e nt i on w hi c h i s not unde r s t ood by c ouns e l f or t he s e de f e nda nt s . Shoul d t ha t be t he c a s e , h o w

e v e r , it is o b s e r v e dth a t p l a i ntif f is th e a ut hor of a ny s uc h a l l e ge d m i s f or t une , a nd t ha t he w a s w ho i ni t i a t e d e a c h of t he t w o j udi c i a l pr oc e e di ngs . W e ar e r e qu i r e dt ot a ke t h e s t r o n g e s t l e g i t i m a t e vi e w of t he r e c or d on be ha l f of t he oppone nt of t he m ot i on f or s um m a r y j udgm

e nt , a nd de f e nda nt s e s s e nt i a l l y c onc e de t he p o s s i b ilityth a t p l a i ntif f m a yb e p r ej u di c e dif th e c i v i l a c t i on i s t r i e d a he a d of t he pe t i t i on f or pos t - c onvi c t i on r e lie f .3 I n our vi e w

, t he Tr i a l J udge a bus e d hi s di s c r e t i on, a nd s houl d ha ve s t a ye d t he c i vi l a c t i on unt i l t he a c t i on on t he pe t i t i on f or pos t - c onvi c t i on r e l i e f w a s c onc l ude d. I t w a s p l a i ntif f ’ s r i g ht tof ile b o t hth e c i v il a c tio na n dth e a c tio n f o r r e lie f f r o m

th e c r i m

i n a l c o n v i c tio n . W e b e lie v e f a ilur e t og r a nt a s t a yinthi s c a s e r e s u lts inp r ej u di c e toth e j u di c i a l p r o ces s , an dw e accor di n g l yv acat e t h e s u m m a r y j udgm e nt s . See R

u l e 3 6 , T. R. A

. P. U pon r e m

a nd, a s t a y w

i l l be e nt e r e d i n a c c or da nc e w i t h t hi s opi ni on. U pon f i na l r e s ol ut i on of t he pos t - c o n v i c tio np e titio n , th e s t a yw ill b e lif t e da n dth e p a r tie s m a y pr oc e e d w

i t h t hi s a c t i on. Th e co s t o f t h e app eal i s as s e s s e dt od e f e n d a nt s .

________________________ H e r s c h e l P. Fr a nk s , J . CONC UR:

___________________________ D on T. M

c M ur r a y, J .

___________________________ C h a r l e s D

. Su s a n o , J r ., J .