FILED

July 2, 1997

Cecil Crowson, Jr.

Appellate Court Clerk

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON

DELI SA RI BBI NS LEAK a nd ) HAMI LTON COUNTY

MARESHI A LEAK, b/ n/ f ) 03A01- 9611- CV- 00359

DELI SA RI BBI NS LEAK )

)

Pl a i ntif f s - Appe lla nt s )

) HON. SAMUEL H. PAYNE,

 ) J UDGE

v. ) 

)

)

LAURI E GOODWI LL a nd AT&T )

SERVI CE, I NC. )

)

De f e nda nt s - Appe l l ees ) VACATED AND REMANDED

DANI EL COLLI NS a nd SAMUEL R. ANDERSON OF CHATTANOOGA FOR

APPELLANTS

J OSEPH R. WHI TE OF CHATTANOOGA FOR APPELLEES

 O P I N I O N

 Godda r d, P. J .

De l i s a Ri bbi ns Le a k a nd Ma r e s hi a Le a k, by ne xt f r i e nd,

De l i s a Ri bbi ns Le a k, a ppe a l a n or de r of t he Ci r c ui t Cour t

di s mi s s i ng t he i r cas e aga i ns t La ur i e Goodwi l l . The case had

pur por t e dl y be e n a ppe a l e d f r om t he Ge ne r a l Se s s i ons Cour t

pur s ua nt t o a n or de r of t wo J udge s of t ha t Cour t gr a nt i ng a wr 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 De f e nda nt , La ur i e
2

Goodwi l l , a nd not t he ot he r De f e nda nt , AT&T Se r vi c e , I nc . Upon

mot i on of Ms . Goodwi l l , t he Ci r c ui t J udge di s mi 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 mot i on, t ha t

t he i r a ppe a l wa s not t i me l y, a nd t he r e upon r e ma nde d t he c a s e t o

t he Ge ne r a l Se s s i ons Cour t f or " f ur t he r he a r i ng a s t o AT&T

Serv i c e , I nc . " 

The Le a ks a ppe a l , r a i s i ng t he f ol l owi ng t wo i s s ue s :

I . Whe t he r the Ci r c uit Cour t e r r e d in di s mi s s i ng

Pl a i ntif f s ' Wr it of Ce r tior a r i .

II. Whe t he r t he Ci r c ui t Cour t e r r e d i n uphol di ng t he

Ge ne r a l Se s s i ons Cour t s di s mi s s a l of Pl a i ntif f s

wi t h pr e j udi c e .

I n t he a ppe a l be f or e t hi s Cour t , Ms . Goodwi l l , f or t he

f i r s t t i me , adva nces t he t he or y t ha t t he Leaks ' cl a i m wa s

i mpr ope r l y di s mi s s e d wi t h pr e j udi c e be c a us e t he s t a t ut e of

l i mi t a t i ons ha d r un a nd t he c i vi l wa 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 Appe ndi x A. )

At t he out s e t we not e t ha t t hi s cas e pr e s e nt s a

pr oc e dur a l ni ght ma r e . I t be ga n i n t he Ge ne r a l Se s s i ons Cour t ,

whe r e i n t he Le a ks s ue d Ms . Goodwi l l a nd AT&T f 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 Apr i l 10,

1993.
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Se r vi ce as t o AT&T wa s ef f ect e d t hr ough t he Secr e t a r y

of St a t e , but i t doe s not a ppe a r t ha t Ms . Goodwi l l wa s e ve r

s e r ve d wi t h pr oc e s s . ( Se e Appe ndi x B. ) I n r e s pons e t o Ms .

Goodwi l l ' s mot i on t o di s mi s s be c a us e of l a c k of s e r vi c e , t he

Ge 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 Ma r c h 5, 1996,

whi c h di s mi s s e d the Le a ks ' c a s e a s to Ms . Goodwill with

pr e j udi c e . The r e a f t e r , upon t he Le a ks ' mot i on t o s e t a s i de t he

or de r of di s mi s s a l be i ng de ni e d, t he y f i l e d a wr 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 me l y not i c e of t he mot i on t o

di s mi s s a nd t he Ge ne r a l Se s s i ons J udge wa s i n e r r or i n or de r i ng

t he di s mi ss a l t o be wi t h pr e j udi c e . 

Whe r e upon, t wo J udge s of t he Ge ne r a l Se s s i ons Cour 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 Appe ndi x A) ,

whi c h, a l t hough not e xpr e s s l y gr a nt i ng t he wr i t , i mpl i c i t l y doe s ,

a nd or de r e d t he Cl e r k of t he Ge ne r a l Se s s i ons Cour t t o " c e r t i f y

a nd f or wa r d t o t he Ci r c ui t Cour t of Ha mi l t on Count y, Te nne s s e e ,

t he c ompl 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 . "

Ms . Goodwill the n f ile d a motion in the Ci r c uit Cour t

t o di s mi 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 wa s

not t i me 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 Appe ndi x A) , a nd t he 30- da y

pe r i od f or wr 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. ) Whe r e upon t he Ci r c ui t Cour t J udge e nt e r e d a n

or de r f i ndi ng t he mot i on t o di s mi s s wa s we l l t a ke n a nd or de r i ng

t he f ol l owi ng:
4

ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED t ha t the motion to

di s mi s s of La ur i e Goodwi 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 ma nde d t o t he Se s s i ons Cour t of Ha mi l t on Count y

f or f ur t he r he a r i ng a s t o AT&T Se r vi c e , I nc .

We f i r s t obs e r ve t ha t c ouns e l a nd t he Ge ne r a l Se s s i ons

Cour t we r e i nc or r e c t i n f i ndi ng t he wa r r a nt wa s r e t ur ne d uns e r ve d

a s t o Ms . Goodwi l l , be c a us e t he a f f i da vi t of t he Cl e r k of t he

Ge ne r a l Se s s i ons Cour t s hows t ha t t he wa r r a nt a s t o Ms . Goodwi l l

wa s ne ve r de l i ve r e d t o t he She r i f f of Ha mi l t on Count 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 whe t he r t he s t a t ut e r e l i e d upon by Ms .

Goodwi l l a nd t he Ge ne r a l Se s s i ons Cour 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.

Howe ve r t ha t ma y be , we not e t ha t i ns of a r as we ar e

a bl e t o de t e r mi ne t he r e i s no r ul e appl i cabl e t o t he Ge ne r a l

Se s s i ons Cour t s i mi l a r t o Rul e 3 of t he Te nne s s e e Rul e s of Ci vi l

Pr oc e dur e , whi c h, wi t h c e r t a i n e xc e pt i ons , onl y a l l ows a ppe a l s of

f i na l j udgme nt s .

Not wi t hs t a ndi ng t he r e i s no s uc h Rul e a s t o t he Ge ne r a l

Se s s i ons Cour t , we be l i e ve t ha t s uc h a Rul 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 Ge ne r a l Se s s i ons Cour t t o

Ci r c ui t Cour t wa s pr e ma 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 AT&T, t he ot he r De f e nda nt .

For t he f or e goi ng r e a s ons t he j udgme nt of t he Ci r c ui t

Cour t di s mi s s i ng t he Leaks ' cl a i m i s vacat e d and t he caus e
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r e ma nde d t o t he Ci r c ui t Cour t t ha t i t mi ght be f ur t he r r e ma nde d

t o t he Ge ne r a l Se s s i ons Cour t f or pr oc e e di ngs not i nc ons i s t e nt

wi t h t hi s opi ni on a nd t he or de r of r e ma nd of t he Ci r c ui t Cour t .

Cos t s of a ppe a l a r e a dj udge d a ga i ns t Ms . Goodwi l l .

_______________________________

Hous t on M. Godda r d, P. J .

CONCUR:

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He r s c he l P. Fr a nks , J .

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Cha r l e s D. Sus a no, J r ., J .