FI RST DI VI SI ON

BA RNES, P. J.

, M CM I LLI A N and R EESE, 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

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A pr i l 25, 2018



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 8 A0 27 3 . LEE v . BATCHELOR.

R E E S E

, J u d g e.

Ho ward Lee s eek s rev i ew o f t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s ord er d en y i n g h i s req u es t t o

p ro ceed in fo rm a p au p eri s i n a ci v i l act i o n h e i n t en d s t o fi l e. 1 Lee co nt en d s t h at t h e

t ri al co u rt erred i n d en y i n g h i s req u es t wi t h o u t co n d u ct i n g a h eari n g

, b ecau s e n o o n e

fi led a trav ers e c o n t e s ti ng t h e t ru t h o f h i s affi d av i t o f p ov ert y

. Fo r t h e reas o n s s et

fo rt h, i nfra, we rev ers e an d rem an d t h i s cas e fo r a h eari n g o n Lee’ s req u es t.

Th e reco rd s h ows t h e fo l l o wi n g u nd i s pu t ed fact s

. Lee f i l ed an affi d av i t o f

el i g i b i l i t y t o p ro ceed i n fo rm a p au peri s

, p ro o f o f h i s i n m at e acco u n t b al an ce, an d h i s

1 Lee i s i ncarcerat ed

, s o h i s ap p eal i s co nt ro l l ed by th e Pri s on Li t i g at i o n Refo rm Act

o f 1 9 9 6, O CGA § 4 2 -1 2 -1 et seq

. , an d he p ro perl y p ro ceed ed b y fi l in g an ap p l i cat i o n fo r

d i s cret i o n ary rev i ew. See OCGA § 4 2 -1 2 -8 (“ Ap p eal s o f al l act i o ns fi l ed by p ri s o n ers s h al l

b e as p ro vi d ed i n Co d e Sect i o n 5 -6 -3 5 .”); s ee al s o OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5 (b ).p ro p os ed ci v i l co m pl ai n t

. Acco rd i n g t o t h es e d o cu m en t s

, Lee h ad n o as s et s ex cep t fo r

t h e s ev en cen t s i n h i s i n m at e acco u n t

. Th ere i s n o t rav ers e c o n t es t i n g th e t ru t h o f

Lee’ s affi d av i t o f p o vert y i n t h e reco rd

. Ev en s o, wi t h o ut co n du ct i n g a h eari n g

, t h e

t ri al co u rt fo u nd as a m at ter o f fact t h at Lee was n o t i n d i g en t t o t h e ex ten t t h at h e

s h o u ld b e al l o wed t o p ro ceed i n fo rm a p au p eri s

.

Th e p ro ced ures t o b e fo l l o wed b y t h e t ri al co u rt wh en a p art y s eek s t o av o id

p ay i n g co u rt co s t s d u e to h i s o r h er i n d i g en ce are ou t l i n ed in O CGA § 9 -1 5 -2

. OCGA

§ 9 -1 5-2 (a) (1 ) p ro v i d es as fo l l o ws :

W h en an y p art y

, p l ai n t i ff o r d efen d an t

, i n an y act i o n o r

p ro ceed i n g h el d i n an y co u rt i n t h i s s t a t e i s un ab l e t o p ay an y dep o s i t

,

fee, o r ot her co s t wh i ch i s n o rm al l y req u i red i n t h e co u rt

, i f th e p art y

s h al l s u b s cri b e an affi d av i t t o th e effect t h at b ecau s e of h i s i n d i gen ce he

i s un ab l e t o p ay t h e co s t s

, t h e p art y s hal l b e rel i ev ed f r o m p a yi n g th e

co s t s an d h i s ri g h ts s h al l b e t h e s am e as i f h e h ad p ai d t h e co s t s

.

Ho wev er, “ [a] n y o t h er p art y at i n t eres t o r h i s ag en t o r at t orn ey m ay co n t es t t h e t ru th

o f an affi d av i t o f i n d i g en ce by v eri fy i n g affi rm at i v el y u n d er o at h t h at t h e s am e i s

u n t ru e.” 2 In s u ch a cas e, t he q u es t i o n o f t h e p l ai n t iff’ s i nd i g en ce “ s h al l be h eard an d

d et erm i n ed b y t h e co u rt

, un d er t h e ru les o f t he co urt [,] ” an d “ [t ] h e ju d g m en t o f t h e

2 OCGA § 9 -1 5 -2 (a) (2 ); s ee OCGA § 5 -6 -4 7 (b ).

2co u rt on al l i s s u es o f fact co n cern i n g t h e ab i l it y o f a p art y t o p ay co s t s o r g i v e b o n d

s h al l b e fi n al .” 3 Th u s, u n d er OCGA § 9 -1 5 -2 (a) (2 ), i f an ot h er p art y d i s p u t es t h e

p art y ’ s s t at u s as in di g en t an d t h at d i s p u t e i s res o l v ed b y t h e t ri al c o u rt

, t h e co urt ’ s

d eci s i o n i s t y

p i cal l y n ot en ti t led t o ap p el l at e rev iew. 4

Th i s Co u rt h as co n cl u d ed

, h o wev er, t hat

, ev en t h o u g h a t ri al co u rt ’ s f a ct u al

d et er m i n a t i o n o f wh et h er a p art y i s i nd i gen t i s n o t s ub ject t o ap pel l at e rev i ew, t h i s

Co u rt i s au t h o ri zed t o rev i ew t h e pr o ced u r e u sed b y t h e t ri al co u rt w h en m ak i n g an

i n d i g en ce ru li n g

. 5 H ere, Lee arg u es t h at th e t r i a l co u rt erred wh en it d en i ed h i s

req u es t t o p ro ceed i n fo rm a p au p eri s wi t h o u t h o l d i n g a h eari n g, as req u i red b y OCGA

§ 9 -1 5-2 (b ). OCGA § 9 -1 5 -2 (b ) p ro v i d es as fo ll o ws :

I n t h e ab s en ce o f a t rav ers e affi d av i t co n t es t i n g t h e tru t h o f a n

affi d av i t o f i nd ig en ce, t h e co u rt m ay i n q u i re i n t o t h e t ru th o f th e

affi d av i t o f i n d i gen ce. Af t er a h ea ri n g

, t he co urt m ay o rd er t h e co s t s t o

3 OCGA § 9-1 5-2 (a) (2 ); s ee O CG A § 5 -6 -4 7 (b ); s ee al s o Mi t ch el l v. Ca ncer

Ca r ep o i n t , 2 9 9 Ga. Ap p. 8 8 1, 8 8 2 -8 8 3 (1 ) (6 8 3 SE2 d 92 3 ) (2 0 0 9 ) (“ [T] h e p ro p er fo ru m

fo r d et erm i n i n g t h e tru t h of a p au p er’ s affi d av i t i s i n t h e t ri al co u rt , n o t i n t h i s [C] o u rt .”)

(p u n ct u at i o n an d fo ot no t e o m i t t ed ).

4 See Mi t ch el l , 2 9 9 Ga. Ap p . at 8 8 3 (1 ).

5 Bo yd v. Jo hn Ga lt Ho ld in g

s

, 3 1 8 Ga. Ap p. 8 6 6

, 8 6 9 (2 ) (7 3 6 SE2 d 45 9 ) (2 0 1 2 )

(“ W h et her t h e t ri al co u rt fo l l o wed t h e co rre c t p r o ced u re wh en i t d en i ed t h e [p art y ’ s ]

i n d i g en t s t at u s i s a q u es t io n o f l aw fo r t h i s Co u rt .”) (ci t at i o ns o m i t ted ).

3b e p ai d i f i t fi n d s t h at t h e d ep o s i t

, fee, o r ot h er co st s can b e p ai d an d

, i f

t h e co s t s are n o t p ai d wi th i n t he t i m e p erm i tt ed i n s u ch o rd er, m ay d en y

t h e rel i ef s o u g h t. 6

Th u s, “ t h e p l ai n l an g u ag e o f [OCGA § 9 -1 5 -2 (b )] req u i res a h eari n g b efo re a co u rt

m ay o rd er co s t s t o be p ai d .” 7 St at ed d i fferen t l y

, “ t h ere i s n o th i n g in t h e s t a t u t e t h at

al l o ws a co u rt i n q u i ri n g o n i t s o wn i nt o t he t ru t h o f a p au p er’ s affi d av i t t o ord er t h e

p a y m e n t o f co urt co s t s wi t h o u t a h eari n g

. ” 8 It fo l l o ws t h at

, “ wi t h o u t a t rav ers e o r a

h eari n g

, [Lee’ s] affi d av i t [ ] s t an d [s ] un reb u t t ed i n th e reco rd

, an d [Lee] s h o u l d h av e

b een rel i ev ed fro m p ay i n g co s t s wi t h o u t an y ad v ers e i m p act o n [h i s ] ri g ht [ ] t o p u rs u e

a l eg al rem ed y .” 9

6 (Em p has is s u p p li ed .)

7 Bo yd

, 3 1 8 Ga. Ap p

. at 8 71 (2 ); s ee Gr u n er v. Th acker

, 3 20 Ga. Ap p

. 1 4 6

, 1 4 9 (2 )

(7 3 9 SE2 d 4 4 0 ) (2 01 3 ).

8 Bo yd , 3 1 8 Ga. Ap p . at 8 7 1 (2 ).

9 Id . at 8 7 2 (2 ); s ee Gr u n er , 3 2 0 Ga. Ap p . at 1 4 9 (2 ).

4Acco rd i ng l y

, t h e t ri al co u rt erred i n fai li n g t o co n d uct a h eari n g o n Lee’ s cl ai m

o f i n d i g en ce. 1 0 W e rev ers e t he o rd er an d rem an d th i s cas e t o t h e t ri al co u rt fo r an

ev i d en t i ary

h eari n g o n t he q u es t i o n o f Lee’ s i n d i g en ce. 1 1

Ju d g men t r ever

s ed

, a n d ca s e r ema n d

ed wi t h d ir ect i on

. Ba r n es

, P. J., a n d

McMi l l ia n

, J., co n cu r

.

1 0 See Bo yd , 3 1 8 Ga. Ap p . at 8 7 2 (2 ).

1 1 See i d .; s ee al s o G r u n er , 3 2 0 Ga. Ap p

. at 1 4 9-1 5 0 (2 ).

5