McWhorter v. McWhorter

97 S.W.3d 408, 351 Ark. 622, 2003 Ark. LEXIS 64
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedFebruary 6, 2003
Docket02-492
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 97 S.W.3d 408 (McWhorter v. McWhorter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McWhorter v. McWhorter, 97 S.W.3d 408, 351 Ark. 622, 2003 Ark. LEXIS 64 (Ark. 2003).

Opinion

WH. “Dub” Arnold, Chief Justice.

Appellant Gene McWhorter appeals to this court, asserting that the trial court’s finding that he had not proven his gambling losses was clearly erroneous and an abuse of discretion. We disagree and affirm the trial court. On cross-appeal, Appellee Bernice McWhorter asserts three points on appeal: 1) the trial court erred in allowing Appellant’s 1998 income tax return admitted into evidence; 2) the trial court erred in recalculating Appellant’s income for child-support purposes based on 1998 income tax return; and 3) the trial court erred by deviating from the child-support guideline chart. We affirm the trial court on the cross-appeal.

This is the third appeal of this child-support case. In the first appeal, the court of appeals reversed and remanded the case because the trial court had failed to comply with Rule 52(a) of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure. McWhorter v. McWhorter, 70 Ark. App. 41, 14 S.W.3d 528 (2000). In the second appeal, the case was certified to this court as a case of first impression and of substantial public interest. McWhorter v. McWhorter,346 Ark. 475, 58 S.W.3d 840 (2001). This court reversed the trial court because it had included gambling winnings in computing income for child-support purposes, but failed to allow gambling losses to be deducted up to the amount of winnings. The case was also remanded for further proceedings to prove gambling losses and to recalculate disposable income based in previous years federal and state income tax returns and the quarterly estimates of the current year. On remand, the trial court found that Appellant failed to carry his burden of gambling losses for the period in question and refused to adjust Appellant’s income to give him credit for his losses.

In 1993, Appellant Gene McWhorter and Appellee Bernice McWhorter were divorced. Under the divorce decree, custody of the couples two children 1 , Warren Jeffrey and Kimberly Jean, was awarded to Appellee, and Appellant was ordered to pay child support. In 1995, the trial court modified its order for child support and ordered Appellant to pay child support in the amount of $465.00 per month. On February 15, 1996, Appellee filed a motion for increase in child support. Two years later, a trial was held in April 1998, and on August 18, 1998, the trial court issued a letter opinion, including gambling winnings but not his gambling losses in the calculation of child support.

After a hearing on reversal and remand from this court, the trial court found that the Appellant “failed to carry his burden of his gambling losses for the period in question,” and did not allow for any losses. It is from that finding that Appellant brings this appeal and Appellee brings her cross-appeal. At the hearing, only two witnesses were heard, Appellant and his accountant, Deborah Norwood.

Appellee called Appellant as her only witness and offered no documentary evidence other than an excerpt from Appellant’s previous testimony.

Appellant testified as to the documents provided to his accountant to satisfy the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). His accountant, Norwood, testified as to the documents required to prove gambling winnings and losses. Appellant offered into evidence the W-2G for 1997 and 1998 (an IRS form required if a threshold amount of winnings was reached) to prove his winnings. Appellant also offered into evidence his ATM withdrawal slips for 1997 and 1998 to prove his gambling losses. Appellant also offered his federal and state income tax returns for 1998 and testified from his federal and state income tax returns for 1997. Appellant’s 1997 income tax return shows under line 21 — other income — his gambling income in the sum of $20,900.00, and as an itemized deduction — Schedule A — line 27 — his gambling losses in the sum of $20,900.00. Appellants 1998 income tax return shows under line 21 — other income — his gambling income in the sum of $12,040.00, and as an itemized deduction — Schedule A —■ line 27, his gambling losses in the sum of $12,040.00.

Norwood confirmed the documents that Appellant provided her regarding gambling winnings and losses, and stated Appellant gave her the W-2G forms and the ATM withdrawal slips. She further testified that the IRS will take wager tickets, cancelled checks, credit cards, bank withdrawals, statement of actual winnings, payment slips provided to the taxpayer by the gambling casino, and that the IRS would also accept an accurate diary to calculate losses. The trial court found that the ATM withdrawal slips were not sufficient to prove Appellant’s gambling losses, and entered its order that Appellant failed to carry his burden of proving his gambling losses.

We most recently set out our standard of review in child-support cases in McWhorter v. McWhorter, 346 Ark. 475, 58 S.W.3d 840 (2001):

We review chancery cases de novo on the record, and we will not reverse a finding of fact by the chancery court unless it is clearly erroneous. Ark. R. Civ. P. 52(a); Myrick v. Myrick, 339 Ark. 1, 2 S.W.3d 60 (1999). In reviewing a chancery court’s findings, we give due deference to that court’s superior position to determine the credibility of the witnesses and the weight to be accorded to their testimony. Hunt v. Hunt, 341 Ark. 173, [15 S.W.3d 334]. As a rule, when the amount of child support is at issue, we will not reverse the chancellor absent an abuse of discretion. Scroggins v. Scroggins, 302 Ark. 362, 790 S.W.2d 157 (1990). However, a chancellor’s conclusion of law is given no deference on appeal. City of Lowell v. M & N Mobile Home Park Inc., 323 Ark. 332, 916 S.W.2d 95 (1996).

McWhorter, 346 Ark. at 480, 58 S.W.3d at 843 (quoting Kelly v. Kelly, 341 Ark. 596, 599, 19 S.W.3d 1, 3 (2000)). The trial court did not abuse its discretion in this case, and its findings were not clearly erroneous; we, therefore, affirm.

Appellant contends that this case raises the question as to what rules of evidence are to be used in the proof of gambling losses, Arkansas Rules of Evidence or the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code and Regulations. Rule 102 of the Arkansas Rules of Evidence provides as follows:

These rules shall be construed to secure fairness in administration, elimination of unjustifiable expense and delay, and promotion of growth and development of the law of evidence, to the end that the truth may be ascertained and proceedings justly determined.

Ark. R. Evid. 102. Rule 803(6) of the Arkansas Rules of Evidence provides:

(6) Records of Regularly Conducted Business Activity.

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97 S.W.3d 408, 351 Ark. 622, 2003 Ark. LEXIS 64, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcwhorter-v-mcwhorter-ark-2003.