WPCg F`SARtE^zF~)=̔)L(oAG%*U c 98^ĔrWOv4D=q_^b m$VʡLUȧ;~0E% HqQ${>HdxᏗ\Lٝ>gGBuiы$f\JJcq[b]ei1ch!WVg (bFXm6Po(.%&-ȓ9^&J-@rcc$r~ܩyN~YrB}_ /="?FSzaX˜W)E{x(xAwtQh1YIYbk4Z}/GkVk۩Rf=m3Y3<j ,aA];zGݶ)rZib#\ % ^ # 0/ UN w 4 z  i x mz   _ %  NN 0DEEGfbZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ 0bbbb BMM 0j D5 D-C 0Kpp AS 0 0Dx AHP LaserJet 4050 Series PCL 6,,,,0|%-s (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular9,C C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xU Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5 D R$      3    _BecausetheCoffeeCountySheriffsDepartmenthasnotappearedinthiscourt,andwehavenotorderedit  toreplyonappeal,weareunabletotaxthecoststotheDepartment.(#$  0    R$      1    _Tenn.R.Ct.App.10states:  8  ThisCourt,withtheconcurrenceofalljudgesparticipatinginthecase,mayaffirm,reverseormodify 8 theactionsofthetrialcourtbymemorandumopinionwhenaformalopinionwouldhaveno L precedentialvalue.Whenacaseisdecidedbymemorandumopinionitshallbedesignated   MEMORANDUMOPINION,shallnotbepublished,andshallnotbecitedorreliedonforany  reasoninanyunrelatedcase. \ R$      2    _Althoughgivennoticeandanopportunitybythiscourttofileabrief,theDepartmentfilednothingherein.  Therefore,thiscourtorderedthecasesubmittedontherecordandtheappellantsbrief.- -(|G2$ !.8K-dXXd8         0   d(|3Q$ !.8K-dXXd8     VVVV)!dxdx)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3Q$ !.8K-dXXd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8K-dd8     _  K-8XXdd8  @ MK-INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @kk$ATNASHVILLE#K-M #Ԉ &   AssignedonBriefsJuly11,2002 L XXK- #K-XX#GLENNRAYALCORNv.COFFEECOUNTY J SHERIFFSDEPARTMENTXXK-   ^ @@ AppealfromtheCircuitCourtforCoffeeCounty  ^ @@No.31,070L.CraigJohnson,Judge  J @@*AV) ` dE<` A   @@TTNo.M200200811_COA_ԄR3CVFiledSeptember5,_2002_   AV) ` dE<` A      TheappellantsoughtreturnofmoneyheallegeswasconfiscatedfromhimbytheSheriffs  department.Althoughthedepartmenthasneverrespondeddenyingthatitholdsthemoneyor x denyingMr.Alcornsentitlementtoit,thetrialcourtdismissedhispetitionbecausehefailedto d appearatthehearing.Hecouldnotappearbecausehewasincarceratedinanotherstate.Wevacate P thedismissalforfailuretoprosecute. <  Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourt d VacatedandRemanded  P   #K-X#XX.K-PatriciaJ.Cottrell,J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichBenH.Cantrell,P.J.,M.S., ( andWilliamC.Koch,Jr.,J.,joined.  GlennRayAlcorn,TerreHaute,Indiana,ProSe.   MEMORANDUMOPINION  #  1      #K-XX#XXK- `!  #K-XX} #  XXK-  Mr.AlcornallegesthathewasarrestedonJune17,1998,bytheCoffeeCountySheriffs 8#" Departmentandthat$1,355wasconfiscatedfromhimatthattime.Hefurtherallegesthatcharges $$t# againsthimresultingfromthatarrestweredismissed.Heattemptedtoretrievehismoneyfromthe %` $ SheriffsDepartmentbywrittenlettersordemands.ReceivingnoresponsefromtheDepartment, %L!% hefiledamotionforthereturnofhispropertyheldbytheSheriffsDepartment.Thetrialcourt &8"& dismissedthedocument,whichittermedaPetitiontoReturnSeizedProperty,onOctober15,2001.  TheorderofdismissalreflectsthatthepetitionwasheardonOctober12,2001, whereuponthe  petitionerGlenR.Alcornfailedtoappearandpursuehispetitionandthecourtdismissedthesaid  petition.Theorderreflectsasignaturebyadistrictattorneygeneralapprovingtheorder. t   Mr.AlcornfiledaMotionToReconsiderinwhichhestatedthathehadpreviouslysenta L  letter,acopyofwhichwasattachedtothemotion,advisingthecourtthathewasaprisonerinfederal 8  custodyand,therefore,wouldbeunabletoappearinpersonunlessthecourtissuedasubpoena. $ t AftervariousotherfilingsbyMr.Alcorn,thetrialcourtenteredanorderonDecember11,2001,  ` denyingMr.AlcornsMotionToReconsiderthecourtsorderofdismissaldatedOctober15,2001.  L  Theordersimplyfoundthatthemotionwaswithoutmerit.Again,theorderincludesasignature  8  indicatingapprovalbyadistrictattorneygeneral. $    Mr.Alcornhasappealedfromthatorder.Onappeal,Mr.Alcornmaintainsthatwhenhewas   transportedtotheCoffeeCountyjail,hispersonalproperty,$1,355,wasconfiscated;thatalthough   chargesagainsthimweredismissedthemoneyhasnotbeenreturnedtohim;hehasneverbeen   notifiedofanyforfeitureclaimorproceeding;andthathehasneverauthorizedanyotherpersonto p claimhisproperty.Therefore,heassertsthattheCoffeeCountySheriffsDepartmenthasnolegal \ andrightfulclaimtohispersonalproperty. H   TherecordbeforeusdoesnotincludeanyresponsebytheCoffeeCountySheriffs  p DepartmenttotheseallegationseitherinthetrialcourtorinthisCourt. #  2      ׀Basedontherecord,the  \ DepartmenthasnotdeniedthatitholdsMr.Alcornsmoney,deniedthatheisentitledtohaveit H returned,orotherwiseattemptedtorebuthisallegationsorexplainitsposition. 4   ThecourtdidnotdismissMr.Alcornspetitionbecausehewasnotentitledtothemoneyand   madenorulingonthemeritsofhisclaims.Instead,thecourtdismissedhispetitionbecausehedid  notappearincourtonthedaysetforthehearing,eventhoughhewasunabletoappearbecausehe  isincarceratedelsewhere.OurSupremeCourthasstated  8  [A]prisonerhasaconstitutionalrighttoinstituteandprosecuteacivilactionseeking X  redressforinjuryordamagetohispersonorproperty,orforthevindicationofany D! otherlegalright;however,thisisaqualifiedandrestrictedright.0"    8  Absentunusualcircumstances,prisonerswhohavefiledtheircivilcomplaints, $X" unrelatedtothelegalityoftheirconvictionsandwhohavethusprotectedthemselves $D # againsttherunningofanystatuteoflimitations,willnotbeaffordedtheopportunity %0!$ toappearincourttopresenttheircasesduringtheirprisonterms.Insteadsuch &"% matterswillbeheldinabeyanceuntiltheprisonershallhavebeenreleasedfrom '#& prisonandisinapositiontoprepareandpresenthiscase.(#'   ЇWhisnantv.Byrd,525S.W.2d152,15354(Tenn.1975).    TheSupremeCourthasclarifieditsholdinginWhisnant,overrulingittotheextentthatit  maybeinterpretedtoguaranteeincarceratedpersonstherighttoastayoftheircivilactionsand t holdingthat incarceratedplaintiffsdonotretainanabsoluterighttohavecivillitigationheldin ` abeyanceuntiltheyarereleasedfromcustody,nordotheyretainanabsoluterighttobepresentat L  eachstageoftheproceedings.Loganv.Winstead,23S.W.3d297,302(Tenn.2000). 8  8  Instead,weholdthatthedecisionofwhetherornottostaycivilproceedingsfora  ` prisonerislefttothediscretionofthetrialcourt.Actingonacasebycasebasis,the  L  trialcourtmustweighthecompetinginterestsoftheinmatesabilitytopresentproof  8  andtheburdenonthejudicialsystemandthedefendantincontinuingtheaction.$    Id.     Thecourtalsostatedthat, Itisineveryonesbestinterestthecourts,theplaintiffs,and   thedefendantstorequiretheincarceratedlitigantssuittoproceed,whenreasonableunderthe p circumstances.However,whenatrialcourtdeniesarequestforanabeyance,thecourtshould \ affordtheprisonersufficienttimeforfilingbriefs,motions,andpleadings,andforconducting H discovery.Further,theCourtrecognizedthatmanysuitscanbeadjudicatedonthepleadingsand 4 thatmanypretrialmatterscanbelitigatedbyaninmateincustodyand withthediscretionofthe  p trialcourtingrantingnecessaryextensionsoftime,prisonersshouldbeabletoproceedin  \ accordancewiththeRulesofCivilProcedure.Id. H   Mr.Alcornhasnotrequestedanabeyance;apparentlyhewouldprefertoattempttolitigate   thismattertotheextentpossiblefromprison.AsexplainedinLoganv.Winstead,thetrialcourthas   anumberofoptionsavailableforsuchlitigation.UntilorunlesstheDepartmentactuallyputsat  issueMr.Alcornsrighttothemoneyindispute,however,noneoftheissuesregardingproper  procedurehasbeenraised.    Dismissalofaprisonerscivillawsuitforfailuretoprosecutesimplybecausetheprisoner X  doesnotappearatahearingeffectivelydeniestheprisonerhisorherrights.Smithv.Peebles,681 D! S.W.2d567,569(Tenn.Ct.App.1984).Suchadismissalmustbevacated.Thisisespeciallytrue 0"  wheretherehasbeennoresponsetothepetitionandnoobjectiontothereliefrequestedbythe #l! prisoner.See_Conaway_Ԁv.Lewis,No.M200000617_COA_ԄR3CV,2001Tenn.App.LEXIS375 $X" (May24,2001). $D #   Basedontherecordbeforeus,wearecompelledtovacatethedismissalofMr.Alcorns &"% petitionandtoremandthecaseforfurtherproceedings.Uponremand,theSheriffsDepartment '#& shouldbedirectedtorespondtoMr.Alcornsallegations.Intheabsenceofaresponse,thecourt (#' shallorderthemoneyclaimedbyMr.Alcornreturnedtohim.Ifaresponseisfiled,thecourtshall )$(  proceedinaccordancewiththerequirementsestablishedbytheTennesseeSupremeCourt. |*%)   Thejudgmentofthetrialcourtisvacated,andthismatterisremandedtothetrialcourtfor   furtherproceedingsconsistentwiththisopinion.Costsarewaived. #  3      ׀     `     h     ___________________________________ L     `     h     PATRICIAJ.COTTRELL,JUDGE