Sandra K. Lewis, and husband, Carlton Lewis v. Jason M. Pendergrass and R. Eugene Pendergrass

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I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE EASTERN SECTI ON FILED April 3, 1996 Cecil Crowson, Jr. Appellate C ourt Clerk SANDRA K. LEW S a nd hus ba nd, I ) C/ A NO. 03A01- 9510- CV- 00369 CARLTON LEW S, I ) ) BLEDSOE LAW Pl a i nt i f f s - Appe l l e e s , ) ) HON. J . CURTI S SM TH, I v. ) J UDGE ) J ASON M PENDERGRASS a nd . ) R. EUGENE PENDERGRASS, ) REVERSED ) AND De f e nda nt s - Appe l l a n t s . ) REMANDED HOWARD L. UPCHURCH, Pi ke vi l l e , f or Pl a i nt i f f s - Appe l l e e s . LYNNE D. SW AFFORD, SW AFFORD & SWAFFORD, Pi ke vi l l e , f or De f e n d a nt s - Appe l l a nt s . O P I N I O N Fr a nks . J . The de t e r mi na t i ve i s s ue on a ppe a l a s f r a me d by t h e a p p e l l a nt s i s : [ W t he r ] t he de f e nda nt s we r e de pr i ve d of a f a i r a nd he i mpa r t i a l j ur y be c a us e of J ur or Ra nki n’ s f a i l ur e t o r e s pond t r ut hf ul l y on v oi r di r a nd f ur t he r , be c a u s e J ur or Ra nki n a nd pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l bot h f a i l e d t o r e ve a l a r e c e nt a t t or ne y/ c l i e nt r e l a t i ons hi p a nd a n upc omi ng t r i a l whe r e i n pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l woul d b e a c r uc i a l wi t ne s s on be ha l f of J ur or Ra nki n. I n t hi s a c t i on whi c h r e s ul t e d i n a j ur y ve r di c t f o r t h e p l a i nt i f f s , de f e nda nt s ’ c ouns e l , whe n c onduc t i ng t he v oi r d i r e , a s ke d of t he pr os pe c t i ve j ur or s : Ha ve a ny of you, l a di e s a nd ge nt l e me n, e ve r be e n r e pr e s e nt e d by M . Upc hur c h or hi s a s s oc i a t e , or r e mpl oye e , Eddi e Bor i ng? Ha r r y Le e Ra nki n, a me mb e r of t he pa ne l , r e ma i ne d s i l e nt , a nd s e r v e d a s a me mbe r o f t he t r i a l j ur y. Thi s i s s ue wa s r a i s e d i n a mot i on f or a ne w t r i a l , a n d t he Tr i a l J udge s ubpoe na e d Ra nki n who t e s t i f i e d t ha t he d i d n o t r e me mbe r t he a t t or ne y a s ki ng whe t he r pl a i nt i f f s ’ a t t o r n e y ha d e ve r r e pr e s e nt e d hi m. The Tr i a l J udge ove r r ul e d t h e mo t i on a nd de f e nda nt s a ppe a l e d. As we not e d i n Te nne s s e e Far me r s M ual I ns ur anc e ut Co mp a n y v . Gr e e r , 682 S. W 2d 920 ( Te nn. App. 1984) , t he r e a r e . t wo b r oa d c l a s s e s of c a u s e s f or t he c ha l l e nge of a j ur or : Pr o p t e r d e f e c t um a nd pr opt e r af f e c t um. The l a t t e r c l a s s i s g r o u n d s f or c ha l l e nge ba s e d on s ome bi a s or pa r t i a l i t y e i t h e r a c t u a l l y s hown t o e xi s t or pr e s ume d t o e xi s t f r om c i r c ums t a nc e s , a nd a s t he Gr e e r c our t obs e r ve d, t he wi t h h o l di ng of i nf or ma t i on a mount s t o f a l s e s we a r i ng a nd r a i s e s t he pr e s umpt i on of bi a s a nd pa r t i a l i t y. I d. 924. Howe ve r , t he a ppe l l e e s c ount e r t ha t a me r e p r e s u mpt i on i s c r e a t e d a nd t ha t t he r e c or d r e but s t he p r e s u mpt i on. I t i s f ur t he r a r gue d t ha t t he r e l a t i ons hi p b e t we e n t he j ur or a nd p l a i nt i f f s ’ a t t or ne y ?wa s a pa s t r e l a t i ons hi p a nd not hi n g mor e . I t di d not r i s e t o t he l e ve l o f b e i ng i nhe r e nt l y or pr e s umpt i ve pr e j udi c i a l . ? W c a nnot e a gr e e . Thi s a c t i on wa s t r i e d on Oc t obe r 6, 1994. On 2 De c e mbe r 3, 1993, pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l f i l e d a n a ns we r a nd c r o s s - c ompl a i nt on be ha l f of J ur or Ra nki n i n a n a c t i on br ou g h t a g a i n s t Ra nki n i n Bl e ds oe Count y. Among t he i s s ue s i n t ha t c a s e wa s whe t he r Ra nki n’ s a t t or ne y, Upc hur c h, ha d i mpr ope r l y n o t a r i z e d t he gr a nt or s ’ s i gna t ur e s t o a de e d whe r e i n Ra nki n wa s g r a nt e e . I n M y of 1994, pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l t e s t i f i e d b y a d e p o s i t i on i n J ur or Ra nki n’ s l a ws ui t , a nd whi l e no or de r wa s e n t e r e d, t h e a t t or ne y’ s a f f i da vi t s t a t e s t ha t on Apr i l 13, 1 9 9 4 , dur i ng di s c ove r y de pos i t i ons i n t he Cha nc e r y l i t i ga t i o n , ?i t b e c a me a ppa r e nt t ha t I c oul d not f ur t he r r e pr e s e nt M . r Ra n k i n i n t ha t c a s e . Soon t he r e a f t e r I wi t hdr e w f r om t he c a s e . . . .? Of f i c e r s o f t he Cour t a r e r e qui r e d t o ?r e ve a l p r o mp t l y t o t he Cour t i mpr ope r c onduc t by a ve ni r e pe r s on or j ur o r . . . ? Te nne s s e e Supr e me Cour t Rul e 8, Code of Pr o f e s s i onal Re s pons i bi l i t y , DR7- 108( g) . I n t hi s a c t i on, n e i t h e r t he pr os pe c t i ve j ur or nor pl a i nt i f f s ’ a t t or ne y r e v e a l e d t he i r a t t or ne y/ c l i e nt r e l a t i ons hi p t o t he Cour t . Th e M s s i s s i ppi Supr e me Cour t i n t he c a s e of M s hal l Dur bi n, i ar I n c . , v . Te w, 381 S. 2d 152 ( MS. 1980) , i n de a l i ng wi t h a l i k e i s s ue s a i d: A l a wye r ’ s dut i e s a r e not c onf i ne d a l one t o s e r vi n g hi s c l i e nt s . He i s a n of f i c e r of t he c our t a nd a s s uc h i s c a l l e d on t o do a nd s a y wha t e ve r i s ne c e s s a r y t o pr omot e t he f a i r a dmi ni s t r a t i on of j us t i c e . M . Le wi s s houl d ha ve c a l l e d t o t he r c our t ’ s a nd oppos i ng c ouns e l ’ s a t t e nt i on, hi s r e l a t i ons hi p wi t h t he j ur or . . . . I n or de r t o a voi d a ny s ugge s t i on of i mpr opr i e t y, c ouns e l s houl d a l wa ys di s c l os e a nd br i ng t o t he a t t e nt i on of t he c our t a nd oppos i ng c ouns e l , t hi s t ype of r e l a t i ons hi p wi t h pr os pe c t i ve j ur or s . I d. a t 154 - 5 . I n o r de r t o r e s ol ve t hi s i s s ue t he t ot a l i t y of t he c i r c u ms t a nc e s , not t he j ur or ’ s s e l f - s e r vi ng c l a i m of l a c k of 3 p a r t i a l i t y a l one , i s t o be c ons i de r e d. W do not be l i e ve t he pr e s umpt i on c r e a t e d by t he e f a l s e s we a r i ng of t he j ur or wa s ove r c ome . Thi s j ur or ha d b e e n r e p r e s e nt e d by pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l unt i l j us t a f e w mont hs b e f o r e t hi s t r i a l , a nd ha d a n ongoi ng r e l a t i ons hi p wi t h p l a i n t i f f s ’ c ouns e l i n t ha t pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l woul d be a wi t n e s s on J ur or Ra nki n’ s be ha l f i n t he Cha nc e r y Cour t p r o c e e di ng. Howe ve r , t h e r e i s a mor e c ompe l l i ng gr ound t o g r a n t de f e nda nt s a n e w t r i a l . Pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l , a s we l l a s t h e p r os pe c t i ve j ur or , h a d a dut y t o r e ve a l t o t he Cour t a n d a d v e r s a r y c ouns e l t hi s r e l a t i ons hi p. Pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l c o u l d ha ve a voi de d a l l of t hi s by di s c ha r gi ng hi s dut y t o t h e Co u r t . M e ove r , t he a ppe a r a nc e a l one i s pr e j udi c i a l t o t he or j ud i c i a l pr oc e s s . Se e Rul e 36, T. R. A. P. For t he f or e goi n g r e a s o n s we r e ve r s e t he Tr i a l Cour t a nd r e ma nd f or a ne w t r i a l . W pr e t e r mi t t he r e ma i ni ng i s s ue s a nd a s s e s s t he e c os t o f t he a ppe a l t o a ppe l l e e s . ________________________ He r s c he l P. Fr a nks , J . CONCUR: 4 _ _ _ _ _ ______________________ Ho u s t on M Godda r d, P. J . . _ _ _ _ _ ______________________ Cl i f f or d E. Sa nde r s , Sp. J . 5