THI RD DI VI SI ON

M C FA DDEN, C. J.

, D OYLE, P. J.

, and HODGES, J.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be

ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n

da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

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D E A D LIN E S A R E N O LO N G E R TO LLE D IN T

H I S

C O U R T. A LL FILIN G S M U ST B E S U B M I TTE D WITH IN

TH E TIM E S S E T B Y

O U R C O U R T R U LE S

.

Nov em ber 25, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 0 A1 69 7 . CAPEHART v . M ITCHELL et al

.

M C F A D D E N , Ch i ef J u d g e.

Ch ri st o p h er Cap eh art ap p eal s fro m t h e tri al co u rt ’ s o rd er s et t in g as i d e a fi n al

c h il d cu s t od y m o d i fi cat i o n o rd er. As d et ai l ed b el ow, t h e o rd er i s no t d i r e c t l y

ap p eal ab l e u n d er OC G A § 5

- 6 -3 4 (a) b ecau s e t h e cas e rem ai n s p en d i n g b el o w an d

t h e i s s u es rai s ed i n t h is ap p eal d o n o t co n cern ch il d cu s t o d y

. An d Cap eh art d i d n ot

fo l l o w t h e p ro ced u res fo r an i n terl o cu t o ry ap p eal s et fo rt h i n OCGA § 5-6 -3 4 (b ). Fo r

t h es e reas o n s

, w e l ack ap p el l at e ju ri s d i ct i o n an d s o w e di s m i s s t h e ap p eal

. Bu t we

d en y ap pel l ee M ay ah M i t ch el l ’ s req u es t fo r fri v o l o u s ap p eal s an ct i o n s

.

1

. Fa ct s a n d p r o ced

ur a l h i s to r y.

Th i s ap p eal i s part o f an o n g o i n g ch i l d cu s t o d y d i s p u t e b et ween fo rm er

s p o u s e s

. C a p eh art an d hi s fo rm er wi fe, M ay ah M i t ch el l

, di vo rced i n Ap ri l 2 0 1 4.Im

m ed i at el y t h ereaft er Cap eh art p et i t i o n ed t o m o di fy t h e cu s t o d i al arran g em en t t h at

h ad b een es t ab li sh ed i n t h e d i v o rce d ecree fo r t h ei r t wo ch il d ren

, wh o were t h en b o th

m i n o rs 1

. In h i s p et i t io n

, Cap eh art al l eg ed t h at M ay ah Mi t ch el l ’ s n ew h us b an d

, To d d

M i t ch el l

, had ab us ed o n e o f t h e ch i l d ren

. Cap eh art al s o o bt ai n ed a t em p o rary

p ro t ect i v e o rd er ag ai n st To d d M i t ch el l

.

Th e t ri al co u rt e n t e r e d a s eri es of in t eri m co ns en t o rd ers t hat

, am o n g o t h er

t h i n g s

, award ed M ay ah Mi t ch el l v i s i t at i o n wi t h t h e ch i l d ren but b arred To d d M i t ch el l

fro m b ei n g aro u n d th em

. Th e fi rs t o f t h e i nt eri m o rd ers al s o p erm i t t ed T o d d M i t ch el l

t o i nt erv en e i n t h e cu s to d y m od i fi cat i o n act i o n

.

Th e m o d i fi cat io n act i on p ro g r e s s e d

, an d i n lat e 2 0 1 6 Cap eh art an d M ay ah

M i t ch el l en t ered i n t o a m ed i at ed s et t lem en t ag reem en t gi v i n g Cap eh art s o l e p h y s i cal

cu s t o d y a n d co nt ro l o v er m ajo r d eci s i o n s reg ard i n g t h e ch i l d ren

, gi v i n g M ay ah

M i t ch el l v i s i t at i o n

, an d p ro h i b i t i n g t h e ch i l d ren fro m bei n g in M ay ah M i t ch el l ’ s

h o u s e o r o th erwi se aro u nd To d d M i t ch el l . To d d M it ch el l d i d n o t s ig n t h e m ed i at ed

s et t l em en t ag reem en t

.

Cap eh art m o v ed t he t ri al co u rt t o m ak e t h e m ed i at ed s et t l em en t ag reem en t t h e

o r d e r o f t h e co u rt

, an d o n M arch 2 8

, 2 0 17

, th e t ri al co u rt en tered an o r d e r

1 On e o f t h e t wo ch i l d ren was b o rn i n 2 0 0 2 an d i s n ow a l eg al ad u l t

.

2(h erei n aft er, “ t h e M arch 20 1 7 o rde r ” ) a dopting tha t ag reem en t

. Th e M arch 2 0 1 7 o rd er

m o di fi ed t h e earl i er cu s t o d ial arran g em en t t o award Cap eh art s o l e l eg al an d p h y s i cal

cu s t o d y o f t h e ch i ld ren an d t o g i v e M ay ah M i t ch el l v i si t at i o n o u t s i d e T o d d M i t ch el l ’ s

p res en ce. Th e M arch 2 01 7 o rd er i d en t i fi ed To d d M i t ch el l as an i n t erv en i n g p art y in

t h e cas e.

In a Feb ru ary 2 0 1 9 m o t i o n t o s et as i d e u nd er O CGA § 9 -1 1 -6 0 (d ), as wel l as

i n an o t h er p ro ceed i n g n ot b efo re u s t o d ay

, 2 M ay ah M i t ch el l s o u g ht rel i ef fro m t h e

M arch 20 1 7 o rd er. In t h e s u b ject m o t i o n to s et as i d e, M ay ah M it ch el co n t en d ed t h at

(1 ) t h e t r i a l c o u rt lack ed ju ri s d i ct i o n o v er T od d M i t ch el l

, w h o was n am ed as an

i n t erv en i n g part y in t h at o rd er, b ecau s e To d d M i tch el l h ad n o s t an di n g t o i n t erv en e

i n t h e cas e; an d (2 ) To d d M it ch el l d i d n o t s i g n t h e m ed i at ed s et t l em en t ag reem en t t h at

t h e t ri al co u rt i n co rp o rat ed i n t o t h e M arch 2 01 7 o rd er. On Jan u ary 1 6

, 2 02 0

, t h e t ri al

co u rt en t ered t h e o rd er fro m wh i ch Ch ri s t op h er Cap eh art n o w ap p eal s

.

2 In a s ep arat e act io n b e f o re a sep arat e t ri al co u rt

, M ay ah M it ch el l al s o

p et i t i o n ed to m o d ify t h e cu s t o d i al arran g em en t es t ab li s hed i n t h e M arch 20 1 7 o rd er.

Th at t ri al co u rt d i s m is s ed M ay ah M i tch el l ’ s act i o n fo r fai l i n g t o s t at e a cl ai m

, b u t we

rev ers ed t h e d is m i s s al i n Mi t ch el l v. C a p eh a r t

, 3 5 3 Ga. Ap p

. 4 6 1 (8 3 8 SE2 d 1 2 5 )

(2 0 2 0).

3Th e t ri al co u rt g ran t ed t h e m o ti o n t o s et as i d e t h e M a r c h 2 0 1 7 o rd er o n t h e g ro u n d

t h at T o d d M it ch el l l ack ed s tan d i n g i n an d s o was n ot a p ro p er p art y t o t h e 2 0 1 4

cu s t o d y m o d ifi cat i o n act i o n.

2

. Ap p el l a t e j u r i s di ct i o n

.

In b o t h h er ap p el l at e bri ef an d a m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s, M ay ah M it ch el l arg u es t h at

we l ack ju ri s d i ct i on o ver t h i s ap p eal . Sh e i s co rrect

.

Cap eh art b ro u g ht t hi s cas e as a d i rect ap p eal

. Bu t th e effect o f t he o rd er o n

ap p eal

, wh i ch set s as id e th e March 2 0 17 o rd er, i s t hat t h e cas e rem ai ns p en d i n g b el o w

b ecau s e t h e tri al co u rt n o w m u s t e n t e r a n ew ru l in g o n Cap eh art ’ s 2 0 1 4 p et i t i o n to

m o di fy cu s t o d y

. See E

p s t i n er v. S

p ea r s

, 3 40 G a. Ap p

. 1 99

, 2 0 2 (1 ) (7 9 6 SE2 d 9 1 9 )

(2 0 1 7) (wh ere t he t ri al co u rt set s as i d e a ju dg m en t u n d er O C G A § 9

- 1 1 -6 0 (d ), t h e

cas e is ret u rn ed t o t h e p o s t u re i t o ccu p i ed p ri o r t o t h e en t ry o f ju dg m en t ). So t h e o rd er

o n ap peal i s i n t erl o cu t ory

. Co n s eq u en t l y

, t o o b t ai n ap p el l at e rev i ew Cap eh art was

req u i red t o fo l lo w th e in terl ocu t o ry ap p eal p ro ced u res s et o u t i n O CGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (b )

u n l es s t h is ru l i n g fel l wi t h i n o n e o f t h e cat eg o ri es o f ru l i ng s su b ject t o d i rect ap p eal

u n d er OCGA § 5-6 -3 4 (a).

C a p eh art arg u es t h at th is ru l i n g fal l s u n d er OCGA § 5-6 -3 4 (a) (1 1 ), wh i ch

p erm i t s d i rect ap p el l at e rev i ew o f “ [a] l l ju d g m en t s o r o rd ers in ch i l d cu st o d y cas es

4award i n g

, refu s i n g t o ch an g e, o r m o d ify i ng ch i l d cu s t o d y o r h o l d in g or d ecl i n i n g to

h o l d pers o n s in co n t em

p t o f s u ch ch i l d cu st o d y ju d g m en t o r o rd ers [.] ” Bu t o u r

S up rem e Co urt hel d i n Vo yl es v. Vo yl es

, 3 0 1 Ga. 4 4 (7 9 9 SE2 d 1 6 0 ) (2 0 1 7), t h at a

ju d g m en t o r o rd er i s n o t di rect l y ap p eal ab l e u n d er OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 1 ) u n l es s t h e

cas e al s o i n v ol v es “ cu st o dy [as ] an i s s u e o n ap p eal .” Id

. at 4 7

. T h e Co u rt i n Vo yl es

h el d t h at an ap p eal fro m th e d en i al o f a m ot i o n t o s et as i d e an o rd er t h at

, am o n g o t h er

t h i n g s

, den i ed a fat h er’ s req ues t t o m o d i fy cu st o d y

, was n o t d i rect l y ap p eal ab l e u n d er

OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 1 ) becau s e t he ap p el lan t d i d n o t “ di rect l y ch al l en ge[ ] o n ap p eal

t h e co urt ’ s s u b s t an t i ve ru l i ng refu s i n g t o ch an ge cu s t o d y .” Vo yl es

, 3 0 1 Ga. at 4 7.

In s t ead

, t h e fat her i n V o yl es s o u g h t t o s et as i d e th e m od i fi cat i o n o rd er fo r a

p ro ced ural reas o n

, b ecau s e h e d i d n o t recei v e p ro p er n o ti ce o f a h eari n g

. Id

. at 4 4 -4 5.

By s et t i n g as id e t h e cu st o d i al arran g em en t e sta blishe d in t h e M arch 2 0 1 7 o rd er,

t h e o r d er o n ap p eal i n t h i s cas e h ad t h e effect of m o d i fy i n g ch il d cu s t od y

. Bu t

Cap eh art ’ s ap p eal fro m th e s et -as i d e o rd er d o es n o t d i rect l y ch al l en ge a s u b s t an t i v e

ru l i n g reg ard i n g ch i l d cu s t o d y

. In s t ead

, al l o f h i s arg u m en t s o n ap p eal co n cern To d d

M i t ch el l’ s s t at u s as an i nt erv en i n g p art y

. So u n d er t h e ru l e d i scu s s ed i n Vo yl es

, t h i s

cas e i s no t s u b

ject t o d irect ap p eal u n d er OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 1). To o b t ai n ap p el l at e

rev i ew o f t h i s i n t erl o cu t o ry ord er, t h e r efo re, Cap eh art w as req u i red t o fo l l o w t h e

5p ro ced ures s et fo rt h i n OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (b ). Becau s e h e d id no t d o s o

, we d is m i s s t h i s

ap p eal fo r l ack o f ap p el lat e ju ri s d i ct i o n

.

3

. S a n ct i o n s

.

Al t h ou g h we ag ree wi t h May ah M i t ch el l t h at we l ack ap p el l at e ju ri s di ct i o n in

t h i s cas e, we do no t fi n d t hat th e ap p eal was fri v o l o u s an d so we d ecl i ne t o g ran t h er

req u es t fo r s an ct i o n s u n der Co u rt o f Ap peal s Ru l e 7 (e).

Ap p ea l d i s mi s s ed . Do

yl e, P. J., a nd

Ho d g es , J., co n cu r

.

6