WPC  # VUNa % 0j 0 b w@ 44 H W _   m 0D 0JJ 0T 0^ 0hF 0r 0|  0 0" 1u 0d' BU>B)DC D3R AMU* 0@F<cv~vm AO@ 0DU D/ B HP LaserJet 4Si/4SiMX PS 600dpiPSCRIPT0nLH("  Z 6Times New Roman Regular(B$   (}(2z$ !     X4X `   0  - - D D!D"D#e$%Ӏ/D e3|x/SEAGROVES V. DEPT. OF CORRECTION - OPINION   ' IB011C20IB011C2 .   U(#$  0  2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X d<  9p`(&Times New Roman% Line 7 d((((7Border 1dd$$$$'dxd-)C << G<  9p`(Arial("$     < !  #d#''       ,,   YYY FILED,XApril30,1997CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk    !#d#''       $'X       ByorderofMarch8,1996,thiscourtconsolidatedtheappealinSeagrovesv.TennesseeDeptofCorrection,App.No.01A019603CH00100withtheappealinSeagrovesv.TennesseeDeptofCorrection,App.No.01A019508CH00334.  !#d#''       $'X       Seagrovesv.State,GrundyCo.Nos.730,731,732,733,slipop.at1(Tenn.Crim.App.Sept.15,1976,certioraridenied(Tenn.Dec.6,1976).PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'hStyl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   h HD: Geneva  h HD: Geneva -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! . ''        \RA'\  \RA'\7dd7    ћ @ ' INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ MIDDLESECTIONATNASHVILLE̜R+.)A1-j|O` . `@Rߛ' ALVINSEAGROVES,   )      ) Plaintiff/Appellant,  )      )       ) DavidsonChanceryVS.      ) No.94787III      )      ) AppealNo.TENNESSEEDEPARTMENTOF ) 01A019508CH00334CORRECTION,etal.,   )      ) Defendants/Appellees.  )@ APPEALFROMTHECHANCERYCOURTFORDAVIDSONCOUNTY@ ATNASHVILLE,TENNESSEE@ THEHONORABLEROBERTS.BRANDT,CHANCELLORForthePlaintiff/Appellant:    FortheDefendants/Appellees:AlvinSeagroves,ProSe     CharlesW.Burson        AttorneyGeneralandReporter        PatriciaC.Kussmann        Nashville,Tennessee@ ' AFFIRMEDANDREMANDED '       WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE'@ OPINION ' ThisconsolidatedappealinvolvesaprisonersdisputewiththeDepartmentofCorrectionconcerningthecalculationofhisstatutorilyauthorizedsentencecredits. /   ׀Theprisoner,actingprose,filedtwopetitionsfordeclaratoryjudgmentintheChanceryCourtforDavidsonCountyinwhichheassertedthattheDepartmenthadnotprovidedhimwiththepropercredits.ThetrialcourtdismissedthefirstpetitiononthegroundsthattheprisonerhadnotexhaustedhisadministrativeremediesanddismissedthesecondpetitiononthegroundthatithadbecomemootbecausetheDepartmenthadawardedtheprisonerhisrequestedcredits.TheprisonerassertsonthisappealthattheDepartmentincorrectlycalculatedhisprisonsentencereductioncredits.WehavedeterminedthatthecalculationdiscrepancydoesnotpresentlypresentajusticiableissuebecausetheprisonerhasnotsoughttoresolvethisdisputewiththeDepartment.@ I.  InAugust1971AlvinSeagroveswassentencedtoservethreetofiveyearsinthestateprisonforreceivingandconcealingstolenproperty.HewasparoledinJuly1973,andlessthanoneweeklaterhewasinvolvedinadeadlygunbattle.Duringthefray,Mr.Seagrovesshotandkilledthreepersonsandseriouslywoundedhisformergirlfriend.Asaresult,aGrundyCountyjuryconvictedhimofthreecountsoffirstdegreemurderandonecountofassaultwithintenttocommitfirstdegreemurderandsentencedhimtothreelifesentencesandasixtotwentyoneyearsentence,alltobeservedconcurrently. 0   ףMr.SeagrovesispresentlyhousedattheSoutheasternTennesseeStateRegionalCorrectionalFacilityatPikeville. InMarch1994Mr.SeagrovesfiledapetitionintheChanceryCourtforDavidsonCountyseekingdeclaratoryjudgmentpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.45224(1991).HeclaimedthattheDepartmentofCorrectionhaddeclinedtogranthimprisonersentencereductioncreditspursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.4121236(1990)andrequestedajudicialdeclarationthathewasentitledtothesecreditsbeginningonMarch1,1986.OnFebruary24,1995,thetrialcourtdismissedMr.SeagrovespetitiononthegroundthathehadnotfirstrequestedadeclaratoryorderfromtheDepartmentpursuanttoTenn.CodeAnn.45223(1991).Mr.Seagrovesfiledatimelynoticeofappealfromtheorderdismissinghispetition. Whilehisfirstappealwaspending,Mr.SeagrovesfiledasecondpetitionintheChanceryCourtforDavidsonCountyonMay15,1995,seekingthesamerelief.Onthisoccasion,heproducedevidencethathehadunsuccessfullypresentedhisclaimtotheDepartmentin1994.TheDepartmentmovedtodismissMr.SeagrovessecondpetitiononthegroundthatithadgrantedhimthesentencecreditsherequestedandsupporteditsmotionwithanaffidavitstatingthatMr.Seagroveshadreceived300daysundertheprisonerperformancesentencecreditlawsand1,756daysundertheprisonersentencereductioncreditlaw.Mr.SeagrovesrespondedtotheDepartmentsmotionbyinsistingthathewasentitledto1,792daysofprisonersentencereductioncreditratherthanthe1,756daysgrantedbytheDepartment.OnSeptember7,1995,thetrialcourtdismissedMr.Seagrovespetitiononthegroundthathehad alreadybeengiventhereliefrequested.Thetrialcourtdidnotaddressthe36daydiscrepancybetweentheDepartmentsandMr.Seagrovescalculations.@ II.  Thedoctrineofseparationofpowerscounselsthatthecourtsshoulddefertodemonstratedadministrativeexpertiseandshouldalsodeclinetoperformthedutiesthatadministrativeagenciesshouldperform.Accordingly,Tenn.CodeAnn.45224(b)conditionstherighttoseekadeclaratoryjudgmentconcerningtheapplicationofastatute,rule,oragencyorderonfirstseekingadeclaratoryorderfromtheappropriateagency.Thisrequirementprovidesanadministrativeagencywithanopportunitytoresolvetheissue,andiftheissueisnotresolved,providesafactualrecorduponwhichthecourtsmayact. TheinitialdisputebetweenMr.SeagrovesandtheDepartmentinvolvedhisrighttoclaimsentencecreditsforaportionofhissentence.Mr.ϢSeagrovesproperlysoughtjudicialreliefaftertheDepartmentrefusedtoprovidehimwithanycredits;however,thecomplexionofthedisputechangedafterMr.Seagrovesfirstrequestedjudicialrelief.AftertheDepartmentdecidedtogranthimsentencecredits,thedisputewasnolongerwhetherMr.ϢSeagroveswasentitledtosentencecreditsbutratherwhethertheDepartmentscalculationwascorrect.Asfarasthisrecordshows,Mr.SeagroveshasnotyettakenupthelatterissuewiththeDepartment. Thepresentrecorddoesnotpermiteitherthiscourtorthetrialcourttoresolvethe36daydisputebetweenMr.SeagrovesandtheDepartment.Mr.ϢSeagrovesassertsthatheisentitledto16dayspermonthcreditfor112months.WhileTenn.CodeAnn.4121236(a)(2)providesthatprisonersmayearnfromonetosixteendaysofsentencecreditseachmonth,Tenn.CodeAnn.4121236(a)(3)conditionsthesecreditsongoodinstitutionalbehaviorandsatisfactoryprogramperformance. TheDepartmentsevidencedoesnotrevealhowitdeterminedthatMr.ϢSeagrovesshouldreceive1,756daysofprisonersentencereductioncreditsratherthanthe1,792daysdemandedbyMr.Seagroves.Thereareanynumberofpossibleexplanationsforthisdiscrepancy,includingthattheDepartmentscalculationisincorrectorthatMr.Seagroveslostsomecreditsfordisciplinaryorotherbonafidereasons.Thecourtsshouldnotbeburdenedwithresolvingthissortofdisputeuntilthepartieshaveattemptedtoresolveitthemselves.Accordingly,thetrialcourtproperlydismissedMr.ϢSeagrovessecondpetitionforadeclaratoryjudgment.@ III.  WeaffirmthedismissalofMr.Seagrovesfirstpetitionfordeclaratoryjudgmentasmoot,andweaffirmthedismissalofMr.SeagrovessecondpetitionfordeclaratoryjudgmentbecauseheneverrequestedtheDepartmenttoresolvethecurrent36daydisputeconcerningthecalculationofhisprisonersentencereductioncredits.Wealsoremandthecasetothetrialcourtforwhateverfurtherproceedingsmayberequired,andwetaxthecostsofthisappealtoAlvinSeagrovesforwhichexecution,ifnecessary,mayissue.       ____________________________       WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGECONCUR:________________________________HENRYF.TODD,P.J.,M.S.________________________________SAMUELL.LEWIS,JUDGE