WPC Bf ojny- s'X?ۑٗЭzǵHO+)$5%rƂ UJbq$3w5c)eWje1;;8@b#\ % UN# 0q UN ^ G 0DS z  w 4 P K Z  rNt mvvEb 0 B 0 D5C D-x 0K ASC 0  0D AHP LaserJet 4,,,,,,0(9 Z6Times New Roman Regular(`$.8dd8    ("  Z6Times New Roman Regular<)L (#$  0   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.wptL-(fice 2000WO F R$      1     _ThesupremecourtoverruledWhisnantv.Byrd,525S.W.2d152(Tenn.1975)totheextentthatitmayberead  tostandforthatproposition.SeeLogan,23S.W.3dat301.3|xLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5U- -(|G2$ !.8dd8         0  t d(|3 $ !.8dd8     VVVV)!dxdx)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3 $ !.8dd8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8dd8     _  8XXdd8  @ /INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @%ATJACKSON#/ #Ԉ ,   OCTOBER18,2000Session X XX #XX#ROBERTJ.BURTONv.KENTF._GEARIN_XX   ` @@ DirectAppealfromtheCircuitCourtfor_Weakley_ԀCounty  h @@No.3577;TheHonorableWilliamB._Acree_,Judge  X @@*AV) ` dE<` A (  @@TTNo.W199901022_COA_ԄR3CVFiledNovember29,_2000_ '  AV) ` dE<` A      X0XXXTheAppelleewasappointedbytheCircuitCourtofWeakleyCountytorepresenttheAppellantin  hispetitionforpostconvictionrelief.ThecircuitcourtdeniedtheAppellantspetition,andthe  TennesseeCourtofCriminalAppealsaffirmed.TheAppellantfiledacomplaintforlegal  malpracticeagainsttheAppellee.TheAppellantalsofiledamotiontoholdthematterinabeyance z untilhewasreleasedfromprison.Thetrialcourtfailedtoruleonthemotionforabeyance.Thetrial f courtenteredsummaryjudgmentinfavoroftheAppellee. R   TheAppellantappealsthetrialcourtsgrantofsummaryjudgmentinfavoroftheAppellee *z andthetrialcourtsfailuretoruleonthemotionforabeyance.Forthereasonsstatedherein,we f reversethejudgmentofthetrialcourtandremandthiscaseforfurtherproceedingsconsistentwith R thisopinion.#XXXX0###XXˇ#XX >  Tenn.R.App.P.3;AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheCircuitCourtReversedand  Remanded      #X˪ #XX.AlanE.Highers,J.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichW.FrankCrawford,P.J.,W.S.,   andHollyKirbyLillard,J.,joined. !  RobertJ.Burton,prose j#" TimEdwards,JamesF.Horner,fortheAppellee J% $ #XXˬ #XX}   - )- OPINION #XX$ #XX  #XXˣ #  XXX0XXX@ I.FactsandProceduralHistory     TheAppellant,RobertJ.Burton( Mr.Burton),wasconvictedbytheCircuitCourtof X  _Weakley_ԀCountyofonecountofrapeandonecountofincestinvolvingMr.Burtonsthirteenyear D  olddaughter.Mr.Burtonwasrepresentedbycounselofhisownchoosingduringthecriminaltrial. 0  TrialcounselappealedMr.BurtonsconvictiontotheTennesseeCourtofCriminalAppealswhich  l affirmedtheconviction.TheTennesseeSupremeCourtdeniedreviewofthedecision.  X    Mr.BurtonfiledapetitionforpostconvictionreliefintheCircuitCourtof_Weakley_ԀCounty, 0  allegingineffectiveassistanceofcounselresultinginhiscriminalconviction.TheAppellee,Kent   F._Gearin_Ԁ( Mr._Gearin_),wasappointedbythecourttorepresentMr.Burtoninthepostconviction   reliefproceeding.ThecircuitcourtdeniedMr.Burtonspetitionforpostconvictionrelief.Mr.   _Gearin_ԀappealedtotheTennesseeCourtofCriminalAppeals.Thecourtofcriminalappealsaffirmed   thetrialcourtsdecision. |   OnApril6,1999,Mr.Burton,actingprose,broughtanactionforlegalmalpractice,claiming T thatMr._Gearin_Ԁfailedtorendereffectiveassistanceofcounselinthepostconvictionrelief @ proceeding.Mr.Burtonalsofiledamotiontoholdthematterinabeyanceuntilhewasreleasedfrom ,| prison.OnJune25,1999,Mr._Gearin_Ԁfiledamotionforsummaryjudgmentseekingdismissalof h Mr.Burtonscaseontwogrounds:(1)Mr.Burtonfailedtopresentanyexperttestimonyestablishing T thatMr._Gearin_Ԁdeviatedfromtheapplicablestandardofprofessionalcareinhisrepresentationof @ Mr.Burton;and(2)Mr.Burtonfailedtoobtainpostconvictionreliefpriortotheinstitutionofhis , legalmalpracticeaction.Assupportforthemotion,Mr._Gearin_Ԁsubmittedhisownaffidavitinwhich  hestatedthefactsconcerninghisrepresentationofMr.Burtonandhisexpertopinionthathedidnot  deviatefromtheapplicablestandardofcare.OnAugust9,1999,thetrialcourtgrantedMr.  _Gearin_smotionforsummaryjudgment,findingthatMr.Burtonfailedtomeethisburdenof  establishingthenecessaryelementsofhisclaim.ThetrialcourtfailedtoruleonMr.Burtons x motionforabeyance.Thisappealfollowed. d  @WW  II.LawandAnalysis @@* <"      ThiscaseisgovernedbyarecentdecisionoftheTennesseeSupremeCourt,Loganv. $d" _Winstead_,23S.W.3d297(Tenn.2000).ThefactsandissuesinLoganarenearlyidenticaltothose %P # inthecaseathand.Mr.Logan,aninmate,broughtalegalmalpracticeclaim,actingprose,against %