FOURTH D I VI SI ON

DI L LA RD, P. J.

, M ERCI ER and PI N SON, JJ.

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.

https ://w w w

. ga a ppe a ls .us /r ule s

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

.

October 5, 2021



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 1 A1 71 3 . ROM ICH v . ALL SECURE, INC. et al

.

D I LLA R D , Pres i d i n g J u d g e.

Aft er t he t ri al co u rt g ran t ed s u m m ary ju d g m en t t o t h e d efen d an ts i n t h i s ci v i l

act i on , co u n s el fo r t h e ap pel l an t

, Ch ery l Ro m ich

, fi l ed a n o ti ce o f w i t hd rawal

. On e

d ay l at er, Ro m ich fi l ed a pr o s e n ot i ce o f ap peal , b u t we l ack ju ri s d ict i o n o v er i t

.

A l ay p ers o n d o es n o t hav e t h e ri g h t t o rep res en t hers el f an d al so b e rep res en t ed

b y an at t orn ey

. 1 As a res ul t

, a p art y can n o t “ at t em p t to rep res en t h ers el f b y fi l i n g p ro

s e p lead in g s , wh i l e at t h e s am e t i m e s h e i s rep res en t ed b y co u n s el o f reco rd .” 2 In d eed

,

a fo rm al wi t h d rawal o f co un sel “ can n o t b e acco m p l i s h ed u n t i l aft er t h e t ri al c o u rt

1 S ee g en er a ll

y D o s S a n t o s v. S t at e , 3 0 7 Ga. 1 5 1, 1 5 4 (3 ) (8 3 4 SE2 d 7 3 3 ) (2 0 1 9) (ex p l ai n i n g t h at ap p el l an t h ad n o ri g h t to rep res en t h ers el f p r o se wh i l e at t h e

s am e t i m e b ei n g rep res en t ed b y co u ns el ).

2 Ja co b s en v. Ha l d i , 2 1 0 Ga. Ap p . 8 1 7 , 8 1 9 (1 ) (4 3 7 SE2 d 8 1 9) (1 99 3 ).i s su es an o rd er p erm it t in g t h e wi t h d rawal .” 3 An d u n ti l s u ch an o rd er i s pro p erl y m ad e

an d en tered

, “ n o fo rm al wi t h d rawal can o ccu r an d co u n s el rem ai ns co u n s e l o f

reco rd .” 4

Here, t h e reco rd co nt ai n s n o i n d i cat i o n th at t h e t ri al co u rt rel i ev ed Ro m i ch ’ s

co u ns el o f h er rep res en t at i o n

. C o n s eq u en t ly

, Ro m i ch ’ s p r o s e n o t i ce o f ap p eal i s a

l eg al n u l l i t y , 5 an d t h i s ap p eal i s d i s m i s s ed fo r l ack o f ju ri s d i ct i on

. 6

3 To l b er t v. To o l e , 2 9 6 G a. 3 5 7, 36 2 (3 ) ( 7 6 7 S E 2 d 24 ) (2 0 14 ) (p u n ct u at i o n

o m i t ted ); a cco r d R i n g o l d v. S t a t e , 3 0 9 Ga. 44 3

, 44 5 (8 4 7 SE2 d 1 8 1 ) (2 0 2 0 ) ; B l a c k

v. S t a t e , 3 4 9 Ga. Ap p . 1 1 1, 1 15 (1 ) (a) (8 25 SE2 d 4 9 8 ) (2 0 1 9 ).

4 To l b er t , 2 96 G a. at 3 6 2 (3 ) (p un ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ); a cco rd Ri n g o l d , 3 0 9 Ga.

at 4 45 ; Bl a ck

, 3 4 9 Ga. Ap p

. at 1 1 5 (1 ) (a). Bu t s ee W a lker v. S t a t e , 3 08 Ga. 7 4 9

, 7 4 9

n .1

, 7 5 3 -5 4 (1 ) (8 4 3 SE2 d 5 6 1 ) (2 0 2 0 ) (t h e ap p el lan t ’ s p r o s e m o t i on fo r a new t ri al

was n o t a n u l l i t y b ecau s e— d es p i t e t h e ab s en ce o f a wri tt en o rd er p erm i t t i n g t h e wi t h d rawal o f ap p el l an t ’ s co un s el

— t h e t ri al co u rt p rev i o u s l y m ad e a fi n d i ng o n t h e

reco rd t h at ap p el l an t “ freel y , i n t el l i g en t l y , an d k no wi n g l y el ect ed t o w ai v e h i s ri g ht

t o co u ns el an d t o rep res en t h i m s el f” fo l lo wi n g s en t en ci n g).

5 S ee Jo n es v. S t at e , 3 0 8 Ga. 3 3 7

, 3 3 8 (8 4 0 SE2 d 3 5 7 ) (2 0 2 0) (“ [I] f [ap p el lan t ]

i n f act was ab an d on ed b y h er co u n s el wh i l e s h e was s t il l fo rm al l y rep res en t ed

, s h e

co u ld n o t h av e fi l ed a no t i ce o f ap p eal

, a s s h e al l eg es s h e des i red t o d o; an y p ro s e fi li n g i n t h i s reg ard wo u l d h av e b een a n u l l i t y .”); s ee a l s o Br a nn er v. S t a t e , 3 5 5 Ga. Ap p

. 1 3 7

, 1 3 8 -3 9 (8 43 SE2 d 2 6 ) ( 2 0 2 0 ) ( “ [N] o o rd er was en t ered ei t h er fo r p l ea

co u ns el t o wi t h d raw o r fo r s u b s t i t u t io n o f co u n s el

. Co n s eq u en t l y , [ap pel l a n t ’s ] p ro

s e m o t i o n am ou n t ed t o a l e g a l n u l l it y , p res en t i n g t he t ri al co urt w i t h no t h i n g to
d eci d e.”).

6 To l b er t

, 2 9 6 Ga. at 3 6 2-3 6 3 (3 ); s ee In t he In t er es t o f N

. C

. , 3 5 8 Ga. Ap p. 3 7 9

, 3 7 9 (8 5 5 SE2 d 3 7 9 ) (2 0 2 1 ) (d i s m i s s i n g a d i rect ap p eal i n a ch i l d cu s t o dy

p ro ceed in g b ecau s e t he m o th e r ’s p r o s e n o t i ce o f ap p eal

, fi l ed wh i l e s h e was

2Ap

p ea l d i s mi s s ed . Mer ci er

a n d Pi n s o n , JJ., co n cu r

.

r e p r e s en t ed b y co u ns el

, was a n u l l i t y ); s ee a ls o Cl i ft o n v. S ta t e , 3 4 6 Ga. Ap p

. 4 0 6,

4 0 7 (8 1 4 SE2 d 4 4 1) (2 0 1 8 ) (“ W h en a cri m i nal d efen d an t f i l e s p ro s e a n o t i ce o f

ap p eal wh i le s t i ll rep res en t ed b y co u n s el

, t h e n o t i ce i s a l eg al n ul l i t y , an d t h e ap p eal

wi l l b e d is m i s s ed b y th e ap p el l at e co u rt .”); S ob er a n i s v. S t a t e , 3 4 5 Ga. Ap p

. 4 0 3

, 4 0 5 (8 1 2 SE2 d 8 0 0 ) (2 0 1 8 ) (t h e d efen d an t ’ s p r o s e n o ti ce of ap p eal fro m h i s ju d g m en t o f

co n vi ct i o n , fi l ed wi t h i n t h e t erm o f co u rt i n wh i ch t h e ju d gm en t was en t ered , was a l eg al n u ll i t y b ecau s e t h e reco rd co n t ai ned n o i n d icat i o n t hat t he t ri al co u rt h ad

fo rm al l y p erm it t ed h i s t ri al co u n s el t o wi t h draw).

3