Court Rulings

In this appeal concerning insurance coverage, Jefferson County Schools ("Plaintiff") sued its insurers, Tennessee Risk Management Trust and Travelers Indemnity Company ("Defendants"), in the Chancery Court for Jefferson County ("the Trial Court"). Building 8 at Jefferson County High School collapsed during a rainstorm. The Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office ordered Plaintiff to implement repairs to prevent a future collapse of both the damaged and undamaged portions. Plaintiff asserted that, pursuant to an "ordinance or law" provision in its insurance policy, Defendants were responsible for coverage for additional work in undamaged portions of Building 8 in order to comply with the Fire Marshal's directive. Defendants argue in response that the additional work was discretionary and went beyond what the insurance policy covered. After a hearing, the Trial Court entered judgment in favor of Defendants. Plaintiff appeals. We hold that the Fire Marshal's directive, issued under that office's authority, qualified as an "ordinance or law." Defendants were, therefore, required to cover the additional work. We reverse the judgment of the Trial Court and remand for determination and entry of a monetary judgment in favor of Plaintiff.

Trial court did not err by granting motion for judgment on the pleadings on claim for wrongful termination. Construing the material allegations contained in the complaint as true and in favor of appellant, the trial court properly concluded that appellant was a casual or day-to-day substitute teacher and thus was an at-will employee subject to termination with or without cause. Accordingly, the school district was entitled to judgment as a matter of law on appellant's wrongful termination claim.

Taxation-Real-property valuation-Board of Tax Appeals erred in applying Bedford rule and in adopting county board of revision's determination of value-Record contains no probative evidence that tends to negate county auditor's valuation-Decision reversed and county auditor's valuation reinstated.

A Shelby County Criminal Court Jury convicted the Appellants, Ashton Buford, Devante Terrell, and Melvin Hopkins, of two counts each of first degree felony murder one count each of especially aggravated kidnapping, a Class A felony and one count each of aggravated robbery, a Class B felony. The trial court merged the felony murder convictions, and the Appellants received effective sentences of life in confinement. On appeal, the Appellants contend that the trial court erred by deleting "killing" from portions of the jury instructions for first degree felony murder by denying severance motions, admitting evidence of codefendants' statements, and failing to give a limiting instruction in violation of Bruton v. United States, 391 U.S. 123 (1968) and by allowing the State to engage in improper jury voir dire and closing arguments. In addition, Appellant Buford contends that the trial court erred by failing to list the elements for the underlying felonies in the jury instructions for first degree felony murder, that the trial court erred by failing to instruct the jury on facilitation of the charged offenses, that the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions of first degree felony murder and especially aggravated kidnapping, and that cumulative error warrants a new trial. Based upon the oral arguments, the record, and the parties' briefs, we find no reversible error and affirm the judgments of the trial court.

A Marshall County Circuit Court Jury convicted the Appellant, William Waylon Hanson, of violating an order declaring him to be a motor vehicle habitual offender, failing to provide evidence of financial responsibility, and passing another vehicle in a no passing zone. On appeal, the Appellant contends that the trial court erred by granting the State's motion in limine to prohibit the Appellant from collaterally attacking the order declaring him to be a motor vehicle habitual offender, by limiting the defense's closing argument, and by admitting the Appellant's driving record into evidence through an employee of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Upon review, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.