# C o u rt o f

A p p ea ls

o f t h e S t a te o f

G eo rg ia

ATLANTA,_

_ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _

Th e Co u rt

o f Ap p ea l s h er eb y p a s s es t h e f

o ll owi n g o r der :

A1 7 D0 06 7

. I N THE I NTEREST OF : L

. A

. D., E. A. D., A ND A. A. D. (MOTHER).

A1 7 D0 06 8 . I N THE I NTEREST OF S. A. D., M. A. D., AND S. P. D. (MOTHER).

O n M a y 2

, 2 0 14

, L

. A. D., E. A. D, an d A. A. D. w ere rem o v ed f r o m t h e

cu s t o d y o f t h ei r l eg al fat h er an d m o t h er d u e t o ph y si cal ab u se. On t h at s am e d ay , S.

A. D., M

. A. D., an d S. P. D., wh o s e m o t her d o es n o t res i d e i n th i s co u n t ry , were al s o

r em o v ed fro m t h e cu st o dy o f t h e fat h er fo r t h e s am e reas o n

. T h e fat h er’ s p aren t a l

ri gh t s t o al l s i x ch i ld ren were t erm i n at ed i n M arch o f 2 0 1 5

. On Ap ri l 1 9

, 2 0 1 6 , t h e

m o th er of t h e ch i l d ren cap t i o n ed in Cas e No

. A1 7 D0 0 67 s u rren d ered h er p aren t al

ri gh t s to t h e p at ern al g ran dp aren t s fo r p u rp o ses o f ad o p t i o n , an d s h e h as n o t rev o k ed

h er su rren d er. Si m i l arl y , on May 2 0

, 20 1 6

, t h e m o t h er o f t h e ch i l dren cap t i o n ed in

Cas e No

. A1 7 D0 0 6 8 s u rren d ered h er p aren t al ri g h ts t o t he p at ern al g ran d p aren t s fo r

t h e s am e p urp o s e, an d s he, to o , h as no t rev o k ed h er s u rren d er. 1 On Au g u s t 9

, 2 0 1 6,

t h e ju v en i l e co u rt en t ered o rd ers i n b o t h cas es i n wh i ch i t co n cl u d ed t h at t h e p at ern al

g ran d p aren t s d o n ot p o s e a v i ab l e p l acem en t al t ern at i ve fo r t h e ch i l d ren an d

t ran s ferred p erm an en t l eg al an d p h y s i cal cu s t o d y o f t h e ch i l d ren t o t h e W al t o n

Co u n t y Dep art m en t o f F a m i ly an d Ch i l d ren Serv ices fo r t h e p u rp o ses o f ad o p t i o n.

Th e m o t h ers fi l ed t h es e ap p l i cat i o n s t o ch al l en g e t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd ers

. Pu rs uan t t o O C G A § 5

- 6 -3 4 (a) (1 1 ), “ [a] l l ju d g m en t s o r o rd ers i n ch i ld

cu s t o d y cas es award i ng , refu si n g t o ch an g e, o r m o d ify i n g ch il d cu s t od y ” are d i rect l y

1 Th e pat ern al g ran d p aren t s h av e a p en d i n g pet i t i o n fo r ad o p t i o n as t o al l s ix

ch i l d ren

. October 11, 2016ap p eal ab l e. A p art y s eek i n g t o ch al l en g e a ch i l d cu s t od y ord er, t herefo re, m ay fi le a

d i rect ap p eal

. See Co h en v. Co h en , 3 0 0 G a. Ap p

. 7

, 8 (1 ) (6 8 4 SE2 d 9 4 ) (2 0 0 9 );

Ta yl o r v. Cu rl

, 2 9 8 Ga. Ap p

. 45 (6 7 9 SE2 d 8 0 ) (2 0 0 9 ). OCGA § 1 9-9 -4 1 (4 ) d efi n es

a “ ch il d cu s t o d y p ro ceed i n g ” as “ a p ro ceed i n g i n wh i ch l eg al cu s to d y , p h y s i cal

cu s t o d y , o r v is i tat i o n wi t h res p ect t o a ch i l d i s a n i s s u e.” Becau s e t h e o rd er i n t h i s

cas e es t ab l i s h ed l eg al cu s t o d y o v er t h e ch i l dren

, t h e o rd er i s d i rect l y ap p eal ab l e u n d er
OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 1 ).

T h i s Co u rt wi ll g ran t an o t h erwi s e ti m el y d i s cret i o n ary ap p l i cat i on i f t h e l o wer

co u rt ’ s o rd er i s d i rect l y ap p eal ab l e an d t h e ap pl i can t h as no t al read y fi l ed a n o t i ce o f

ap p eal

. See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5 (j). Acco rd i n g l y , t h es e ap p l i cat i o n s a re h ereb y

GRANTED. Th e a pp el l an t s s h al l h av e t en d ay s fro m t h e d at e of t h i s o rd er t o fi l e a

n o t i ce o f ap p eal wi t h t h e t ri al co u rt

. If, h o wev er, th ey h av e al read y fi l ed a n o t i ce o f

ap p eal

, t h ey n eed n o t fi l e a s eco n d n o t i ce. Th e cl erk o f t h e tri al co u rt i s DIRECTED

t o i ncl ud e a co p y

o f t h is o rd er i n t he reco rd t ran s m i t t ed t o t h e Co u rt o f Ap peal s

.

C o u r t o f A p p e a l s o f t h e S t a t e o

f G e o r g ia

C le r k ’ s O f f i c e

, A t la n t a

,

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I c e r ti fy t h a t t h e a b o v e i s a t r u e e x t r a c t f r o m

t h e m i n u t e s o

f t h e C o u r t o

f A p p e a l s o f G e o r g i a

. W i tn e s s m y s i g n a t u r e a n d th e s e a l o

f s a i d c o u r t

h e r e t o a f f i x e d t h e d a y a n d y e a r l a s t a b o v e w r i t t e n

.

, C l e r k

. 10/11/2016