# FILED June 6, 1997 Cecil Crowson, Jr. App ellate C ou rt Clerk I N THECOUR

TOFAPPEALS

GLADSTONE

R ALPH HOBBS , ) G REEN ECI RCU

I T ) C. A . N O . 03A 01- 9702- C

V - 00063 ) Pl a i ntif f - A p p e lle e ) ) ) ) ) ) vs . ) HON. C HES TER M AHOOD ) J UDGE BY DES I GNATI ON ) ) ) ) ) M OLLI EJ ANE

HOBBS , ) R EVER SED AND R

EM ANDED ) D

e f e nda nt - A

ppe l l a nt )

KENNETH

C LAR K HOOD, R

oge r s , La ughl i n, N unna l l y, H

ood & C r um , P . C. , G r e e n e v ille , for A p p e lla n t . R OGER A. W OOLSEY, Gr e e n e v i l l e , f o r Ap p e l l e e .

M EM OR ANDUM OPI NI ON Mc Mur r a y , J .2

Th i s i s a di v o r ce act i o n . Th e d e f e n d a nt ( w i f e ) as s e r t s o n t h i s a ppe a l , a m

ong ot he r t hi ngs , t ha t t he t r i a l c our t a bus e d i t s di s c r e tio ni n de nyi ng a c ont i nua nc e of t he t r i a l . The r e c or d r e f l ect s t h a t t h e r e w a s a g r eat d eal o f co n f u s i o na s to th e w a yan d m a nne r t h e case w

a s s e t f o r t r i a l b ecau s e o f t h e r e s i g n a t i o no f t h e f o r m e r C i r c ui t J udge . The w i f e ' s c ouns e l c l a i m s t o ha ve ha d no not i c e o f th e tr i a l da t e unt i l t he da y t he cas e w a s s e t f o r t r i a l . Ont ha t da t e , he a ppl i e d t o t he c our t f or a c ont i nua nc e . The c our t c ont i nue dth e c a s e u n til the f o llo w i n g m or ni ng a t 7: 00 a . m . Pr i o r t o th e tr i a l, th e c o u r t a llo w e d t he w

i f e ' s a t t or ne y t o m a ke a m ot i on f or a c ont i nua nc e on t he r e c or d, w i t h a w

r i t t e n m

ot i on, t o be f i l e d a s e xhi bi t N o. 1. C

ouns e l ' s a f f i da vi t s uppor t i ng t he m ot i on f or a c ont i nua nc e w a s a l l ow

e d t o be f i l e d a s e xhi bi t 2. U pon c ons i de r a t i on of t he r e c or d, w e a r e of t he opi ni on t ha t t h e w i f e ' s m

ot i on s houl d ha ve be e n gr a nt e d. I t i s de m ons t r a t e d i n t h e r e c or d t ha t t he w i f e ' s c ouns e l ha d not r e c e i ve d i nf or m a t i on a bout th e va l ue of t he hus ba nd' s be ne f i t s unde r t he Te nne s s e e C ons ol i da t e dR

e t i r e m e nt Pl a n. W

e a r e of t he opi ni on, t ha t unde r t h e ci r c u m

s t a n ces o f t h e case, co u n s e l f o r t h e w i f e w a s du l y di l i ge nt i n t r yi ng t o ge t t he i nf or m a t i on a nd i t a ppe a r s t ha t s he w a s pr ej udi c e d by t he f a i l ur e t o t i m e l y r e c e i ve t he i nf or m a t i on.3

W e a r e of t he opi ni on t ha t t he m ot i on f or c ont i nua nc e s houl d ha ve be e n gr a nt e d. A c c or di ngl y, w

e va c a t e t he j udgm e nt of t he t r i a l c o u r t inits e n tir e t y . Si n c e th i s is s u e is di s p o s itiv e o f th e c a s e , w e d e c lin e to a d dr e s s t h e r e m

a i n i n g i s s u e s r a i s e db yt h e p a r t i e s . Th i s cas e i s r e m a n de dtothe tr i a l c o u r t f o r a r e t r i a l of a l l is s u e s . I ns o doi ng, w

e e xpr e s s no opi ni on on a ny i s s ue r e m a i ni ng t o be he a r d by t h e c our t . I n our di s c r e t i on, w e t a x t he c os t s e qua l l y be t w e e n t he p a r tie s .

______________________________ D on T. M

c M ur r a y, J . CONC UR:

___________________________________ H ous t on M

. G odda r d, Pr e s i di ng J udge

___________________________________ H e r s c he l P . Fr a nks , J udgeI N THECOUR TOFAPPEALS

GLADSTONE

R ALPH HOBBS , ) G REEN ECI RCU

I T ) C. A . N O . 03A 01- 9702- C

V - 00063 ) Pl a i ntif f - A p p e lle e ) ) ) ) ) ) vs . ) HON. C HES TER M AHOOD ) J UDGE BY DES I GNATI ON ) ) ) ) ) M OLLI EJ ANE

HOBBS , ) R EVER SED AND R

EM ANDED ) D

e f e nda nt - A

ppe l l a nt )

O RDE R Th i s a ppe a l cam

e o nt o be he a r d upon t he r e c or d f r om t he C i r c u i t C

our t of G

r e e ne C

ount y, br i e f s a n d a r gum e nt of c ouns e l . U ponc ons i de r a t i on t he r e of , t hi s C our t i s of t he opi ni on t ha t t he r e w a s r e v e r s i b l e er r o r i nt h e t r i a l co u r t .

` A c c or di ngl y, w

e v a c a t e th e ju d g m e n t o f th e tr i a l c o u r t inits e n tir e t y . Th i s cas e i s r e m a n d e dt o t h e t r i a l co u r t f o r a r e t r i a l5

of a l l is s u e s . I nour di s c r e t i on, w e t a x t he co s t s equ a l l yb e t w een t h e p a r tie s . PER CU RI A M