WPC. :|Y./n3n*p9S,a.vYVFx(Ge(]Ẩ;yA*4;pa?Du`'wVry< 8S-~[m r2*TQƪ>2dəq^ Fj5<ٗ=k ^N\MKZqƟumhXc+tr`,*֯qkqM0AgikF94ahS!o{1OثV\*reΞ 7?QrRQQ.4"Hl ϰXbzIYuYbװù4ձz:3;@S[_|g+ZF_Op/=6v|#,_V&sT9aixNJ_3M--g:=&&`M~K *Aef0^:暞ѐ%gwAib#\ %% ^ + 07 U-N w 4 z%  q  m  K 0DNEb 0 B 0 D5 D- 0K 04N AS 0 0D? A\\IB01S01\CLERK1NAS,,,,0V\/ (`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regularo=/:i+00 C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|xU  RR$      1    _ԀTheCircuitCourtactionwasfiledDecember8,2000.Ms.BufordfiledaparallelclaimwiththeTennessee  ClaimsCommission,which,onJuly8,2002,transferredtheclaimtotheSumnerCountyCircuitCourtwiththeproviso t thatitcouldbereturnedtotheClaimsCommission,underconditions. 8 ́Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(#$  0   - -(|G2R$ !.8ZdXXd8         0   d(|3 k$ !.8ZdXXd8     VVVV)!dxdx)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  &c$""0 ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3 k$ !.8ZdXXd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8Zdd8     __  Z8eXXdd8  @ EZINTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @kk$ATNASHVILLE#ZE#Ԉ &   October6,2003Session L XeXZ #ZXXe#_SHEMEKA_Ԁ_BUFORD_,etal.v.STATEOFTENNESSEE,etal.XeXZ  J @@ AppealfromtheCircuitCourtforSumnerCounty  J @@No.21186CC.L.Rogers,Judge  6 @@*AV) ` dE<` A   @@TTNo.M200300176COAR3CVFiledOctober28,2003 #ZXXe#XeXZ    AV) ` dE<|` A }     ThisisanactionfordamagesagainsttheDepartmentofChildrensServicesoftheStateandoneof x  itsemployeeswhoallegedlystripsearchedoneoftheplaintiffsyoungchildren,andattemptedto d stripsearchanother,whileostensiblyseekingevidenceofabuseallegedlyinflictedbythemother. P Processwasneverservedontheemployee.TheclaimwastransferredtotheClaimsCommission. < Theplaintiffappeals,complainingofthedismissaloftheemployee,andofthetransfertothe (x Commission.Thejudgmentisaffirmed. d   Tenn.R.App.P.3AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourtisAffirmed  <   #ZXe{#XeX.ZWilliamH._Inman_,Sr.J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichWilliamC.Koch,Jr.,J.,  andWilliamB.Cain,J.,joined.  _Shemeka_Ԁ_Buford_,Nashville,Tennessee,ProSe.  PaulG.Summers,AttorneyGeneralandReporter;MichaelMoore,SolicitorGeneral;Martha ` Campbell,SeniorCounsel;#ZXXeY#XeXZLauraT.Kidwell,#ZXXe #XeXZAssistantAttorneyGeneral#ZXXe #XeXZԀandDouglasEarl_Dimond_, L  AssistantDistrictAttorneyGeneral,#ZXXe0 #XeXZԀfortheappellees,StateofTennesseeand_Denita_ԀMarsh. 8!  * OPINION #ZXXe #XeXZ #`" #ZXXe #XeXZ     I. $8 $ a       ThisactionwasfiledintheCircuitCourtofSumnerCountybythemotheroftwochildren &"& againsttheDepartmentofChildrensServicesofTennessee[DCS],andoneofitsemployees, '"' seekingdamagesforapurportedinvestigationofherallegedabuseofthechildren.Theprocedural (#(  routeofthisclaimhasbeenatorturedone;sufficetostatethatthetrialcourtdismissedtheclaims )$) _againsttheemployee,Ms.Marsh,becauseoflackofserviceofprocess,andtransferredMs.Bufords  claimsagainsttheStatetotheClaimsCommission.  #  1           ByOrderenteredMay29,2003,thisCourtruledthatthetrialcourt,bytransferringthe t claimsagainsttheStatetoatribunalthathasnojurisdictionoverMs.Marsh,effectivelysevered ` thoseclaimsfromtheclaimsagainstMs.Marsh. L    Ms.Buford,appearingprose,appealstheOrderoftransfertotheClaimsCommissionand $ t thedismissaloftheemployee,Ms.Marsh.Ourreviewisdenovoontherecordwithapresumption  ` ofcorrectnessastofactualfindingsunlesstheevidencepreponderatesagainstthosefindings.Rule  L  13(d),Tenn.R.App.P.Astoquestionsoflaw,thereisnopresumptionofcorrectness.  8     II.        TheplaintiffcomplainsofthedismissalofMs.Marshfromthislitigation,withanumberof   subissuesrelatingtothedismissalincludingattorneydereliction.ProcesswasneverservedonMs.   Marsh;shewasnotbeforethecourt,andconsequentlytheactionagainsthercouldnotbe p maintained.ThetrialcourthadnoalternativetothedismissalofMs.Marsh. Johnsonv.McKinney , \ 222S.W.2d879#ZXXe3 #XeXZԀ(Tenn.Ct.App.1948): Rooneyv.Callins ,459S.W.2d430#ZXXe<#XeXZԀ#ZXXe#XeXZ(Tenn.Ct.App.1970), H Tenn.R.Civ.P.3.Ms.BufordattributesthefailuretoeffectprocessonMs.MarshtotheDCS 4 whichrefusedtorevealheraddress.Werespondtothisargumentonlytodemonstrateourconcern  p forthefrustrationsconfrontedbyMs.Buford,withthereminderthataproperprocedurewas  \ availabletoherforthediscoveryofMs.Marshsresidentialaddress. H    III.       Ms.BufordcomplainsoftheactionofthetrialcourtintransferringhercasetotheClaims  Commission,insisting,interalia,thatsheisentitledtoajurytrial.    AlawsuitseekingmonetarydamagesmaybebroughtagainsttheStateonlyastheLegislature l directs.ConstitutionofTennessee,Art.I,Sect.17.Stateddifferently,ourConstitutiongrants X  sovereignimmunitytotheState,andnosuitmaybemaintainedagainstitunlesstheLegislature D! expresslyauthorizesit. Coffmanv.CityofPulaski#ZXXe#XeXZ ,422S.W.2d429#ZXXe#XeXZԀ(1967),Tenn.CodeAnn.20 0"  13102. #l!   TheLegislaturehasauthorizedcertainactionsagainsttheState.See,Tenn.CodeAnn.98 $D # 307.Asageneralmatter,claimsformoneydamagesmaybeheardonlybytheClaimsCommission. %0!$ See,Tenn.CodeAnn.98307(a)(2)whichprovidesthat the[Claims]Commissionoreach &"% CommissionerhasexclusivejurisdictiontodetermineallmonetaryclaimsagainsttheState.  However,circuitandchancerycourtsmayadjudicatetortclaimsagainsttheStatewhenalawsuit  arisingoutofthesamefactsituationispendingagainstaprivatepartyandtheCommissiontransfers  theclaimtothecircuitorchancerycourt.See,Tenn.CodeAnn.98404(a).TheCircuitCourt t lostjurisdictionoverMs.BufordsclaimagainsttheStatewhenherclaimagainstMs.Marshwas ` dismissed,andthustransferringtheclaimbacktotheClaimsCommissionwasentirelyproper.#ZXXeJ#XeXZ L     `     h     ThejudgmentoftheCircuitCourtofSumnerCountyisaffirmed,andthecaseisremanded $ t forallappropriatepurposes.Costsareassessedtotheappellant.  `  #ZXXe!#XeXZ   `     h     ___________________________________      `     h     WILLIAMH.INMAN,SENIORJUDGE