# 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 6 A1 5 4 4

. GEORGI A DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVI ORAL HEALTH AND
DEVELOPMENTAL DI SABI LI TI ES et a l

. v

. DEBRA W I LLI AMS et a l

.

A1 6 A1 54 5

. CHATHAM A SSOCI ATI ON FOR RESI D ENTI AL SERVI CES,

I NC. v . DEBRA W I LLI AMS et a l

.

Deb ra W i l l iam s , as n ex t fri en d o f J u s t i n W i l li am s , fi led a n eg l i g en ce act i o n

ag ai n s t s ev eral d efen dan t s , i n cl u d i n g t h e Geo rg ia Dep art m en t o f Beh av i oral Heal th

an d Dev el o p m e n tal Di s ab i li t i es Heal t h Serv i ces (“ t he Dep art m en t ”) an d Ch at h am

As s oci at i o n fo r Res i d en t i al Serv i ces , In c. (“ Ch at h am As s o c.”). Th e Dep art m en t fi l ed

a m o t i o n t o d i s m is s o n s o v erei g n i m m u n i t y g ro u nd s , an d t h e t ri al c o u rt d en i ed t h e

m o ti o n

. In Cas e Nu m

ber A1 6 A1 5 4 4

, t h e Dep art m en t s eek s to ap peal t h i s ru l i n g in

acco rd an ce wi t h B o a r d o f R e g e n t s v. Ca n a s , 2 9 5 Ga. Ap p. 5 0 5 (6 7 2 SE2 d 4 7 1 )

( 2 0 0 9 ), wh i ch h el d t hat th e d en i al o f a m o t i o n t o d i sm i s s o n s o v erei g n i m m u n i t y

g ro u nd s co u ld be ap p eal ed di rect l y as a co l l at eral ord er. In Cas e Nu m b er A1 6 A1 5 4 5,

Ch at ham As s o c. h as fi l ed a cro s s -ap p eal

.

In Ri ver a v. W

a s hi n g t o n ,

_

_ Ga.

_ _ (Cas e N u m

b er S1 5 G0 8 8 7

, d eci d ed M arch

2 5

, 2 0 1 6 ), t h e Su prem e Co u rt rev ers ed o u r ru l i n g in Ca n a s , s u p r a , h ol d i n g t h at t h e

d en ial o f a m o t i o n t o d is m i s s o n s o verei g n i m m u n i t y g ro u n ds i s n o t a co ll at eral o rd er

s u b ject t o d i rect ap p eal

. See i d

. Becau s e t h e D e p art m en t fai l ed t o fo l l o w t h e

i n t erl o cu t o r y p r o c e d ure o f OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (b ), t h e ap p eal i n A 1 6 A1 5 4 5 i s h ereb y

DISM ISSED. See Cr a n e v. S t a t e , 2 8 1 Ga. 6 3 5 , 6 36 -6 3 7 (6 4 1 SE2 d 7 9 5) (2 0 0 7 ). May 04, 2016Un d er t h es e ci rcu m s t an ces , we m u s t al s o d i s m i s s Cas e Nu m b er A1 5 A1 5 4 5.

“ Al t h o u g h u n d er OCGA § 5 -6 -4 8 (e), a cro s s -ap p eal m ay s u rv iv e th e di s m i s s al o f t h e

m a i n a p p e a l

, t h i s i s tru e o n l y wh ere t h e cro s s -ap p eal can s t an d o n i t s o wn m eri t

. ”

Pa t el v. Geo r

gi a Po wer Co

. , 2 3 4 Ga. Ap p

. 1 4 1

, 1 42 ( 2 ) ( 5 0 5 S E 2 d 78 7 ) (1 9 9 8 )

(p u n ct u at i o n o m it t ed ). Becau s e Ch at h am As s o c. h as n o i n d ep en d e n t b as i s fo r

e s t a b l i s h in g ju ri s d i ct io n i n t h i s Co urt

, t h e ap p eal i n A1 6 A 1 5 45 i s h ereb y

DISM ISSED.

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 th 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 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

. 05/04/2016