# FILED July 2, 1997 Cecil Crowson, Jr. App ellate C ou rt Clerk I N THECOUR

TOFAPPEALSOFTENNES SEE EA STER N SEC TI O N

DELI SA R

I BBI NSLEAK a n d ) HAM I LTON C

OUNTY M AR ESHI A LEAK, b/ n/ f ) 03A 01- 9611- C

V - 00359 D ELI SA R I BBI N SLEA K )

) Pl a i ntif f s - A

p p e lla nt s )

) HON. SAM

UELH. PAYNE, ) J UDGE v. ) ) ) LAUR I EGOODW

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T ) SERV I CE, I N

C. ) ) D e f e n d a nt s - A

p p e l l ees ) VAC ATED AND R

EM ANDED

DANI ELCOLLI NSa n dSAM UELR. ANDER

S ON OFC

HATTANOOGA FOR A PPELLA N TS J OSEPH R. W

HI TEOFC

HATTANOOGA FOR

APPELLEES

O PI N I O N

G odda r d, P. J .

D e l i s a R

i bbi ns Le a k a nd M a r e s hi a Le a k, by ne xt f r i e nd, D e l i s a R

i bbi ns Le a k, a ppe a l a n or de r of t he C i r c ui t C

our t di s m i s s i n gt h e i r cas e ag a i n s t La ur i e G o o dw i l l . Th e case had pur por t e dl y be e n a ppe a l e d f r om t he G e ne r a l Se s s i ons C our t pur s ua nt t o a n or de r of t w o J udge s of t ha t C our t gr a nt i ng a w r i t of c e r t i or a r i . The a ppe a l onl y r e l a t e d t o one D e f e nda nt , La ur i e2

G oodw i l l , a nd not t he ot he r D e f e nda nt , A

T& TSe r vi c e , I nc . U pon m ot i on of M

s . G oodw i l l , t he C

i r c ui t J udge di s m i s s e d t he c a s e a ga i ns t he r , a ppa r e nt l y on t he gr ounds r a i s e d i n t he m ot i on, t ha t t he i r a ppe a l w

a s not t i m

e l y, a nd t he r e upon r e m a nde d t he c a s e t o t he G e ne r a l Se s s i ons C our t f or " f ur t he r he a r i ng a s t o A T& T Serv i c e , I n c . "

The Le a ks a ppe a l , r a i s i ng t he f ol l ow i ng t w o i s s ue s : I . W h e t h e r th e C

i r c u it C

o ur t e r r e dindi s m i s s i n g Pl a i ntif f s ' W

r it o f C

e r tior a r i . II. W he t he r t he C

i r c ui t C

our t e r r e d i n uphol di ng t he G e n e r a l Se s s i o n s C o ur t s di s m

i s s a l o f Pl a i ntif f s w i t h pr ej udi c e . I n t he a ppe a l be f or e t hi s C our t , M

s . G oodw i l l , f or t he f i r s t t i m

e , adv a n ces t h e t h e or yt h a t t h e Leak s ' cl a i m w a s i m pr ope r l y di s m

i s s e d w

i t h pr ej udi c e be c a us e t he s t a t ut e of l i m i t a t i ons ha d r un a nd t he c i vi l w a r r a nt f i l e d by t he m di d not t ol l t he s t a t ut e , t he y ha vi ng f a i l e d t o a ppl y a nd obt a i n ne w pr oc e s s a s r e qui r e d by T. C. A . 16- 15- 710. ( Se e A ppe ndi x A

. )

A t t h e o ut s e t w

e n o t e t h a t t hi s cas e pr e s e nt s a pr oc e dur a l ni ght m a r e . I t be ga n i n t he G e ne r a l Se s s i ons C our t , w he r e i n t he Le a ks s ue d M s . G oodw i l l a nd A

T& Tf or pe r s ona l i nj ur i e s s us t a i ne d i n a ve hi c ul a r a c c i de nt oc c ur r i ng on A pr i l 10, 1993.3 Se r v i ce as t oA

T& Tw a s ef f ect e dt hr o u g ht h e Secr e t a r y of St a t e , but i t doe s not a ppe a r t ha t M s . G oodw i l l w a s e ve r s e r ve d w

i t h pr oc e s s . ( Se e A ppe ndi x B. ) I n r e s pons e t o M s . G oodw i l l ' s m

ot i on t o di s m

i s s be c a us e of l a c k of s e r vi c e , t he G e ne r a l Se s s i ons J udge e nt e r e d a n or de r da t e d M a r c h 5, 1996, w hi c hdi s m

i s s e dth e Le a k s ' c a s e a s toM s . G o o dw ill w ith pr ej udi c e . The r e a f t e r , upon t he Le a ks ' m ot i on t o s e t a s i de t he or de r of di s m

i s s a l be i ng de ni e d, t he y f i l e d a w r i t of c e r t i or a r i , c ont e ndi ng t ha t t he y di d not ha ve t i m e l y not i c e of t he m ot i on t o di s m i s s a nd t he G

e ne r a l Se s s i ons J udge w a s i n e r r or i n or de r i ng t he di s m

i s s a l t ob e w

i t hp r ej udi c e . W he r e upon, t w

o J udge s of t he G e ne r a l Se s s i ons C our t e nt e r e d a n or de r pur s ua nt t o T. C. A . 27- 8- 105 ( s e e A ppe ndi x A

) , w hi c h, a l t hough not e xpr e s s l y gr a nt i ng t he w r i t , i m

pl i c i t l y doe s , a nd or de r e d t he C l e r k of t he G

e ne r a l Se s s i ons C our t t o " c e r t i f y a nd f or w

a r d t o t he C

i r c ui t C

our t of H

a m i l t on C

ount y, Te nne s s e e , t he c om

pl e t e r e c or d of t he pr oc e e di ngs of t hi s c a us e . "

M s . G o o dw ill the nf ile da m o tio ninth e C

i r c u it C

o ur t t o di s m

i s s t he c a s e on t he gr ound t ha t t he pur por t e d a ppe a l w a s not t i m

e l y, be i ng be yond t he 10- da y pe r i od f or a ppe a l s ge ne r a l l y, a s s e t out i n T. C. A . 27- 5- 108, ( s e e A ppe ndi x A

) , a nd t he 30- da y pe r i od f or w

r i t s of c e r t i or a r i , a s s e t out i n T. C. A . 27- 8- 105. ( Se e a ppe ndi x A

. ) W he r e upon t he C

i r c ui t C

our t J udge e nt e r e d a n or de r f i ndi ng t he m ot i on t o di s m

i s s w a s w e l l t a ke n a nd or de r i ng t he f ol l ow

i ng:4 O RDE RE D, ADJUDG

E D AND DE

CRE E D t h a t the m

o tio nto di s m i s s of La ur i e G

oodw i l l i s he r e by s us t a i ne d a nd t he c a s e r e m

a nde d t o t he Se s s i ons C our t of H

a m i l t on C

ount y f or f ur t he r he a r i ng a s t o A T& TSe r vi c e , I nc . W e f i r s t obs e r ve t ha t c ouns e l a nd t he G e ne r a l Se s s i ons C our t w e r e i nc or r e c t i n f i ndi ng t he w a r r a nt w

a s r e t ur ne d uns e r ve d a s t o M

s . G oodw i l l , be c a us e t he a f f i da vi t of t he C l e r k of t he G e ne r a l Se s s i ons C our t s how

s t ha t t he w

a r r a nt a s t o M

s . G oodw i l l w a s ne ve r de l i ve r e d t o t he She r i f f of H a m i l t on C

ount y a nd, c ons e que nt l y, ne ve r r e t ur ne d by t he She r i f f ' s of f i c e . Thi s br i ngs i nt o que s t i on w he t he r t he s t a t ut e r e l i e d upon by M s . G oodw i l l a nd t he G

e ne r a l Se s s i ons C our t , T. C. A

. 16- 15- 710, pl a ys a ny pa r t i n r e s ol vi ng t he que s t i ons r a i s e d.

H o w e v e r t h a t m

a yb e , w

e n o t e t h a t i n s o f a r as w e ar e a b l e t ode t e r m

i n e t h e r e i s n or u l e app l i cab l e t ot h e G e n e r a l Se s s i ons C

our t s i m

i l a r t o R

ul e 3 of t he Te nne s s e e R ul e s of C

i vi l Pr oc e dur e , w

hi c h, w

i t h c e r t a i n e xc e pt i ons , onl y a l l ow s a ppe a l s of f i na l j udgm

e nt s . N ot w i t hs t a ndi ng t he r e i s no s uc h R ul e a s t o t he G

e ne r a l Se s s i ons C

our t , w

e be l i e ve t ha t s uc h a R ul e i s s a l ut a r y a nd c onc l ude t he pur por t e d a ppe a l f r om G e ne r a l Se s s i ons C our t t o C i r c ui t C

our t w a s pr e m

a t ur e a nd doe s not pr ope r l y l i e unt i l di s pos i t i on of t he c a s e a ga i ns t A T& T, t he ot he r D

e f e nda nt . For t he f or e goi ng r e a s ons t he j udgm e nt of t he C

i r c ui t C o ur t di s m

i s s i n gt h e Leak s ' cl a i m i s v acat e dan dt h e cau s e5

r e m a nde d t o t he C

i r c ui t C

our t t ha t i t m

i ght be f ur t he r r e m a nde d t o t he G

e ne r a l Se s s i ons C our t f or pr oc e e di ngs not i nc ons i s t e nt w i t h t hi s opi ni on a nd t he or de r of r e m a nd of t he C

i r c ui t C

our t . C os t s of a ppe a l a r e a dj udge d a ga i ns t M s . G oodw i l l .

_______________________________ H ous t on M

. G odda r d, P. J . CONC UR:

________________________________ H e r s c he l P. Fr a nk s , J .

________________________________ C h a r l e s D

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