# 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 A0 55 8 . L. LI N W OOD et a l . v . NI COLE W ADE et a l

.

In t h i s b reach o f c o n t r act an d frau d act io n b et w een l awy ers wh o fo rm erl y

wo rk ed t og et h er an d t h ei r fi rm s, t h e t ri al co u rt g ran ted t h e p l ai n t iffs ’ req ues t fo r an

i n t erl o cu t o ry i n

ju n ct i o n t o en

j o i n t h e d e f

en d an t s fro m v i o l at i n g th e n o n

d i s p arag em en t cl au s e i n t h e part i es ’ s et tl em en t ag reem en t

. Th e d efen d an t s arg u ed

b el o w, am o n g o t h er t h i n g s

, t h at t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s in t erl o cu t o ry i n ju n ct i o n v i o l at es t h ei r

co n st i t u t io n al ri g ht s an d

, s p eci fi cal ly

, am ou n t s t o a res t ra i n t a g ai n s t t h ei r Fi rs t

Am en d m en t ri g h t o f free s p eech . Th e t ri al co u rt reject ed t h e d efen d an t s ’ arg u m en t

,

b u t ack n o wl ed g ed th at “ t he Geo rg i a Su p rem e Co u rt h as co n s i s ten t ly ‘ ex h i b i t ed i t s

f i r m p o l icy t o p ro t ect t h e ri g h t o f free s p eech .’ ” Th e t ri al co u rt fu rt h er n ot ed t h a t

“ [t ] h ere are a l im i ted n u m b er o f cas es n at i o n al l y w h i ch ad d res s t he i nt erp l ay b et ween

co n tract ri g h t s an d t h e Fi rs t A m en d m en t [,] ” an d i t an al y zed t h e is s u e u si n g Co l o rad o,

Oh i o, Co n n ect i cu t , an d V erm o n t l aw.

W e co n cl u d e t h at th e cas e s h o u l d be t ran s ferred t o t he Geo rg i a Su prem e Co u rt

.

Th e Su p rem e Co u rt “ h as ex cl u s i v e ju ri s d ict i o n o ver al l cas es i n v ol v i n g co ns t ru ct i o n

o f t h e Co n s t it u t i o n o f th e St at e o f Geo rg ia an d o f t h e Un it ed St at es an d al l cas es in

wh i ch t h e co n s t it u t i o n al it y o f a l aw, o rd in an ce, o r co n s t i t u t i on al p ro v i s io n h as b een

cal l ed i n t o q u es t i o n .” At la n t a In d ep en d en t S ch o o l S ys t em v. La n e

, 2 66 Ga. 6 5 7

, 6 5 7

(1 ) (4 6 9 SE2 d 2 2 ) (1 9 9 6 ); Ga. Co n s t

. o f 19 8 3, Art

. VI, Sec. VI, Para. II. Becau s e t h e

d efen d an t s ’ arg u m en t c a l l s i n t o q u es ti o n t h e co n s t i t u ti o n al i t y o f en t eri n g a

p rel i m i nary i n

ju n ct io n t h at res t rai n s t he d efen d an t s ’ Fi rs t Am e n d m en t ri g ht o f free

s p eech

, a n d t h e t ri al co u rt s p eci fi cal l y reject ed th i s co n s t i t u ti on al i t y arg u m en t

, i t

ap p ears t hat ju ri s d i ct io n m ay l i e i n t h e Su p rem e Co u rt

, d es p i t e t h e fact t h at t h e cas e January 07, 2021m ay u l t i m at el y b e res o l v ed o n o t h er g ro u nd s

. S e e Ha r r i s o n v. W i g i n g t o n

, 2 6 9 Ga.

3 8 8

, 3 88 (4 9 7 SE2 d 5 6 8 ) (1 9 9 8 ) (“ If a co n s ti t u t io n al qu es t io n i s rai s ed an d ru l ed o n

b el o w, [t h e Su p rem e] [C] o u rt has ex cl u s i v e ap pel l at e ju ri s d i ct i o n

, an d t h i s i s t ru e,

al t h o u g h u po n a co n s i d erat i o n o f t h e en ti re cas e, [t h e Su p rem e] [C] ou rt d et erm i n es

t h at a d eci s io n u p o n su ch co n s t i tu t i o n al qu es t i o n s is n ot n eces sary t o a p ro p er

s o l u t i on o f t h e cas e, an d m ak es n o d eci si on t h ereo n .”) (p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

As t h e Su p rem e Co u rt h as t h e u l t i m at e res p o ns i b i l it y fo r det erm in in g ap p el l at e

ju ri s d i ct i o n

, s ee S

a xt o n v. Co a s t a l D i a l

ys i s & M e d

. Cl i n i c

, 2 6 7 Ga. 1 77

, 1 7 8 (4 7 6

SE2 d 5 8 7 ) (1 99 6), t h i s cas e i s h ereb y TRANSFERRED t o th e Su p rem e Co u rt fo r

d i s p o s i t i on

.

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 ti fy t h a t t h e a b o v e is 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 th 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

. 01/07/2021