# 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 :

A2 1 D0 29 2 . I N THE I NTEREST OF S. S., A CHI LD (MOTHER).

In t h i s d ep en den cy

p ro ceed i n g , t he ju v en i l e co u rt en t ered an o rd er o n M arch

8

, 20 2 1

, wh i ch (1 ) den i ed t h e m o t h er’ s m ot i o n fo r a h eari n g v i a v id eo co n feren ci n g,

(2 ) al l o wed t he ch i l d t o u n d erg o a m ed i cal ex am i nat i o n u nd er cert ai n co n d i t i o n s

, an d

(3 ) d irect ed t h at t he ch i l d rem ai n i n t h e cu s t o d y o f t h e Gwi n n et t Co u n t y Dep art m en t

o f Fam i l y an d Ch i l d ren Serv i ces

. Th i rt y -t wo d ay s l at er, o n A p ri l 9

, 2 0 21

, t h e m o t h er

fi led t hi s co u n s el ed ap pl i cat i on fo r d i s cret i o n ary rev iew o f t h e ju ven il e co u rt ’ s o rd er.

Th e m o t h er’ s co u n s el h a s f i l ed a “ m o t i o n fo r ch an ge o f fi l i n g d at e d u e to

t ech n i cal i ss u es

, ” s eek i n g t o ch an g e h er ap p l i cat i o n fi l i n g d at e t o Ap ri l 7, 2 0 2 1

, in

o rd er to ren d er i t t im el y

. Co u n s el as s ert s t h at : o n A p ri l 7

, 2 0 2 1

, s h e “ t o o k affi rm at i v e

act i on s ” t o en su re h er acco u n t wi t h t h i s Co u rt ’ s e l ect ro ni c fi l i n g s y s t em

, eFas t

,

wo rk ed pro p erl y

, i n cl u di n g co n t act i ng t h e Cl erk ’ s o ffi ce, res et t i n g her p as s wo rd

, an d

l o g g i n g i n t o eFas t; an d o n Ap ri l 8

, 2 0 2 1

, s h e at t em p t ed t o fi le t h e ap p l i cat i o n b u t was

u n ab le t o l og i n to eFas t d es p it e m u l t i p l e at t em

p t s . In s u p p o rt , co u n s el h as p ro v i d ed

an e-m ai l fro m

4 : 08 p .m . o n Ap ri l 7

, 2 0 2 1, i nd i cat i n g t h at co u n s el had ch an g ed h er

eFas t acco u n t p as s wo rd

.

Th e ju ven i l e co u rt ’ s o rd er i s s u b ject to d i rect ap p eal

. See In t h e In t er es t o f A.

T.

, 3 0 9 Ga. Ap p

. 8 2 2

, 82 4 n

. 3 (7 1 1 SE2 d 38 2 ) (2 0 1 1 ) ( “ A n o rd er wi t h i n a

[d ep en den cy ] p ro ceed i n g d eci d i n g t em p o rary cu s t o d y

o f t h e ch i l d i s a ‘ fi n al o rd er,’

wi t h i n th e m ean i n g of O C GA § 5

- 6

- 3 4 (a) (1 ), fro m wh i ch a d i rect ap p eal l i es .”)

(p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). O rd i n ari l y

, i f a part y ap p li es fo r d is c r e t i o nary rev i ew o f a

d i rect l y ap p eal ab l e o rd er, we g ran t t h e ap p l i cat i o n un d er OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5 (j). To fal l

w i t h i n t hi s g en eral ru l e, h o wev er, t h e ap pl i cat io n m us t b e fi l ed wi t h i n 3 0 d ay s o f May 05, 2021en t ry o f t h e o rd er t o b e ap p eal ed

. See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5 (d ); Hi l l v. S ta t e

, 2 0 4 Ga. Ap p.

5 8 2

, 5 8 2 -5 8 3 (4 2 0 SE2 d 3 9 3 ) ( 1 9 9 2 ). Th e req u i rem en t s of OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5 are

ju ri s d i ct i o n al

, an d t h i s C o u r t c a n n o t accep t an ap p l i cat i o n fo r ap p eal n o t m ad e in

co m p l ian ce t h erewi t h

. See Bo yl e v. St a te

, 1 9 0 G a. Ap p

. 7 3 4

, 7 3 4 (3 8 0 SE2 d 5 7 )

(1 9 8 9)

. Becau se t h e m o th er fi l ed h er ap p li cat i o n 3 2 d ay s aft er en t ry o f t he ju v en i l e

co u rt ’ s o rd er, wh et her we h av e ju ri s d i ct i o n t u rn s o n wh et h er h er m o ti on fo r ch an g e

o f fi l i n g d at e s ho u l d b e g ran t ed

.

A s s u m i n g th at t h is Co u rt h as i n h eren t au t h o ri t y t o ex cu s e co m p l ian ce wi th

ju ri s d i ct i o n al req u i rem en t s

, s u ch au t h o ri t y is n eces sari ly l i m i t ed

. See, e. g

., Ga b le v.

S t a t e

, 29 0 G a. 8 1

, 8 5 (2 ) (b ) (7 2 0 SE2 d 1 7 0 ) (2 0 1 1) (i n a cri m i n al cas e, a co u rt m ay

ex cu se co m

p l i a n ce wi t h s u ch req u irem en ts o n l y to t h e ex t en t neces s ary t o av o i d o r

rem ed y co ns ti t u t i o n al v i o l at i o ns ). Here, t h e o nl y ev i d en ce o f co u n se l ’s a p p aren t

at t em p t t o fi l e t h e ap p l i cat i o n i n a t i m el y m an n er co n s i s t s o f an e-m ai l reg ard i n g

co u ns el ’ s eFas t p as s wo rd fro m l at e i n t h e aft ern o o n o n t h e ap p l i cat i on ’ s d u e d at e. Th e

b u rd en i s u po n co un s el

, ho wev er, t o m ai nt ai n h er eFas t acco u n t an d s ub m i t fi l i n g s in

a t i m el y m an n er. See Co u rt o f A p p e a l s R u l e 4 6 (a) (“ Th e fi li n g d at e an d t i m e o f

d o cu m en t s fi led el ect ro n i cal l y i s d et erm i n ed in acco rd an ce wi t h t h e efi l i n g

i n s t ru ct i o n s

. N o te t h at fi l i n g s t h at fai l t o co m p l y wi t h Co u rt ru l es w i l l b e reject ed an d

t h e fi l i n g d at e wi l l b e t h e d at e t h e i t em i s s u bm i t t ed i n co m p li an ce wi t h Co u rt ru l es .”);

Co u rt o f Ap p eal s Ru l e 46 (c) (“ At t orn ey s are p ers o nal l y res p on s i b l e fo r en s uri n g t h at

t h ei r eFas t p ro fi le i n fo rm at i on i s u p to d at e.”). If co u n sel en co un t ered p ro b l em s wi th

fi li n g t h e ap p l i cat i o n o n it s d u e d at e, s h e had m ean s o f reco u rs e, bu t s h e d id n o t m ak e

u s e o f t h em

. See In t h e In t er es t o f B. R. F

. , 3 3 8 Ga. Ap p

. 7 6 2

, 7 6 2 (7 9 1 SE2 d 8 5 9 )

(2 0 1 6) (“ W h i l e t h i s [C] o u rt i s au t h o ri zed t o g ran t an ex ten s i o n o f t i m e fo r t h e fi l i n g

o f an ap pl i cat i o n fo r d i s cret io n ary ap p eal

, req ues t s fo r ex t en si on s m u s t b e fi l ed o n o r

b efo re t h e d u e d at e o f t h e d i scret i o nary ap p l i cat i on

. Ot h erwi s e, we lack t he au t h o ri t y

t o g ran t t h e req u es t .”) (ci t at i o n an d p u n ct u at i on o m i t t ed ); s ee al s o Co u rt of Ap p eal s

Ru l e 4 6 (a) (“ Th e Cl erk o f Co u rt m ay g ran t a req ues t fo r ex em p t i o n fro m m an d at o ry

el ect ro ni c fi l in g fo r g o o d cau s e s h o wn

. An ad v ers e d eci s i o n b y t h e C l erk o f Co u rt

m ay be ap p eal ed by m o ti o n v i a a p ap er fi l i n g .”). In ad d i t i o n, as d i s cu ss ed b el o w, t h em o th er m ay b e en t i t l e d t o fi le an o ut -o f-t im e ap p eal 1 i n ord er t o rem ed y an y

co n st i t u t io n al v i o l at i o n

.

Un d er t h es e ci rcu m s t an ces

, ch an g i n g t h e ap p l i cat i o n fi l i n g dat e an d ex cu s i n g

co m p l i a n c e wi t h ju ri s di ct i o nal req u i rem en t s is no t warran t ed

. Acco rd in g l y

, i t i s

h ereb y o rd ered t h at t h e m o t i o n fo r ch an g e o f f i l i n g d at e i s DENIED, an d t h i s

d i s cret i o n ary

ap pl i cat io n i s DISM ISSED.

Th e m o t h er i s ad v i s ed

, h o wev er, th at an i n d i g en t p aren t m ay b e en t i tl ed t o fi l e

an ou t -o f-t i m e ap p eal t o rem ed y an y i n e f fect i v e as s i s t an ce o f co u ns el i f t h at p aren t

was en t i tl ed t o ap p o i n t m en t o f co u n s el as a m at t er o f d u e p ro ces s p u rs u an t t o La s s it er

v. Dep t. o f So ci a l S vcs

. , 4 5 2 U. S. 1 8 (1 0 1 SCt 2 15 3

, 6 8 LE2 d 6 4 0 ) (1 9 8 1 ). To p u rs u e

s u ch rel i ef, th e m o t h er m us t f i rs t d i rect h er req ues t t o t h e ju v en i l e co urt

, wh i ch i s

t as k ed wi t h i n i t i al l y d et erm in i n g t he m ot h er’ s ri g ht s

. Si m i larl y

, an y arg u m en t b as ed

o n s t at u t o ry in effect i ve as s i s t an ce o f co u n sel m us t fi rs t b e ad d res s ed t o t h e ju v en i l e

co u rt

. If t h e ju ven i l e co u rt g ran t s a req ues t t o fi l e an o u t-o f-t i m e ap p eal

, t h e m o t h er

wi l l h av e 3 0 d ay s fro m t he en try o f t h at o rd er t o fi le a n o ti ce o f ap peal

. If t h e ju v en i l e

co u rt d en i es t h e req ues t

, t h e m ot h er wi l l h av e 3 0 d ay s to fi l e a n ot i ce o f ap peal fro m

t h at d eci s i o n . See In t he In t er es t o f B. R. F. , 3 3 8 Ga. Ap p . at 7 6 2 -7 6 3.

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 t i f y t h a t th 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 t h 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

.

1 A g ai n

, al t h o u g h t h e m ot h er fi l ed an ap p l i ca t i on fo r d i s cret i on ary rev i ew o f

t h e ju ven i l e co u rt ’ s M arch 8 , 2 0 2 1 o rd er, t h e o rd er i s s u b ject t o d i rect ap p eal

.

05/05/2021