FI FTH DI VI SI ON M C FA DDEN, C. J. , M CM ILLI A N, P. J. , and SENI OR A PPELLA TE JUDGE PHI PPS

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.

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D ecem ber 6, 2019



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 9 A2 33 5

. W H ITE v

. GEORGIA D EPARTM ENT OF HUM AN SERVICES.

M C F A D D E N , Ch i ef J u d g e.

W e gran t ed C. W .’ s ap p l i cat i o n fo r d i s cret i o n ary rev i ew o f a s u p eri o r co u rt

o rd er t h at rei n st at ed th e deci s i o n o f t h e Di vi s i o n o f Fam i ly an d Ch i l d ren Serv i ces o f

t h e Dep art m en t o f Hu m an Serv i ces (“ DFCS”) t o in cl u de C. W .’ s n am e o n t h e cen t ral

ch i l d ab us e reg i s t ry fo r pren at al ab u s e b e c a u s e o f h er u se o f m ari ju an a wh i l e

p reg n an t. See OCGA § § 4 9 -5 -1 8 0 (5 ) (2 0 1 8), 4 9 -5 -1 8 1 (a) (2 0 18 ). C. W

. arg u es t h at

u n d er t h e l an g uag e o f t h e g o v ern i n g s t at u t es , m ari ju an a i s n ot a “ co n t ro l l ed

s u b s t an ce,” an d s o a m ot h er’ s u s e o f m ari ju an a d u ri n g preg n an cy d o es n o t am o u n t to

p ren at al ab u se.

To i t s cred i t , DFCS co n ced es t h a t C

. W. i s co rrect

. W e ag ree, so we rev ers e.Th e cen t ral ch i l d ab u s e reg i s t ry , wh i ch i s al s o k no wn as t he Ch i ld Pro t ect i v e

Serv i ces In fo rm at i o n Sy s tem ,
i s a s t at u t o ry s y s t em t h at p ro v id es fo r the e sta bl i s h m en t an d m ai n ten an ce

o f a cen t ral reg i s t ry co n t ai n i ng i n fo rm at i o n ab o u t “ s ub s t an t i at ed ” cas es

o f ch i l d ab u s e

. S e e O C GA § § 49 -5 -1 80 - 4 9 -5 -1 8 7

. Th e Act [ e sta blishi n g t h e reg i s t ry ] req u ires th at DFCS i nv es t i g at e rep o rt s o f c hild ab u s e an d , i f t h e ab u s e i n v es t i g at o r fi n d s b y a p rep o nd eran ce o f th e

ev i d en ce t h at an act o f ch i l d ab u s e o ccu rred , i n fo rm at i o n m u s t b e ad d ed

t o t h e reg i s t ry ab ou t t he a b u s e , t h e ab u s er, t h e ch i ld v i ct im , an d th e ch i l d ’ s g u ard i an . See OCGA § § 4 9 -5 -1 8 2 , 4 9 -5 -1 83

. . . .

O C GA § 4 9 -5 -1 8 3 req u i res th at DFCS m u s t n o ti fy an al leg e d ab u s er wh en h is or h er n am e i s ad ded t o t h e reg i s t ry

. See OCGA § 4 9-5

- 1 8 3 (a). Th e al l eg ed ab u s er m ay t h en req u es t an ev i d en t i ary h e ari n g b efo re an ad m i ni s t rat iv e l aw ju d g e (“ ALJ ” ) b y s u bm i t t i n g a wri t ten
req u es t fo r a h eari n g t o DFCS wi t h i n t en d ay s aft er recei v i n g t h e n o t i ce. See OCGA § 4 9 -5 -1 8 3 (a) an d (c).

. . . Th e A LJ m ak es t h e f i n al

“ ad m i n i s t rat i v e d et erm i n at i o n reg ard i n g wh et her, b as ed o n a
p rep on d eran ce of ev i d en ce, t h ere was ch i l d a b u se co m m i t t ed b y th e al l eg ed ch i l d ab u s er to ju s ti fy t h e i n v es t i g at o r’ s det erm i n at io n o f a

s u b s t an t i at ed cas e

. ” O C GA § 4 9 -5 -1 8 3 (d ). If no t , t h e ALJ m u s t o rd er
t h e al l eg ed ab u ser’ s n am e rem o v ed fro m t h e reg i s t ry

. OCGA § 4 9-5 -1 8 3 (e).

2Ga

. Dep t

. o

f H u m a n Svcs

. v. S t ei n er , 3 03 Ga. 8 9 0 , 8 9 0 -8 9 1 (I) (8 1 5 SE2 d 8 8 3 )
(2 0 1 8).

DFCS p l aced C

. W. ’s n am e on t h e ch i ld ab u s e reg i st ry b as ed o n i t s

d e t erm i n at io n th at s h e h ad co m m i t t ed ch i l d ab u se b y u n l awfu l l y u s i n g a co n t ro l l ed

s u b s t an ce wh i l e s he was p reg n an t

. Th e ch i l d ab u s e i n v es t i g at or st at ed i n t h e No t i ce

o f In cl u s i o n m ai l ed t o C. W

. t h at C. W

. was “ s u b s t an t i at ed fo r c h i l d e n d a n g erm en t

as a res ul t o f p ren at al ab u s e. [C. W .] ex p o s ed [h er d au g h t er,] B. W .[,] (n ewb o rn ) t o

ch ro n i c ab u s e of a co n t ro l led s u b s t an ce, s p eci fi cal ly m ari ju an a. At t h e t i m e o f B. W .’ s

b i rt h

. . . THC [(t h e co m

m o n ab b rev i at i o n fo r t et rah y d ro can n ab i no l )] was p o s i t i v e in

B. W .’ s m eco n i u m

. ” Th e i n v es t i g at or t es ti fi ed t h at C. W

. h a d t o l d h i m t h at , at t h e

s u g g es t i o n o f a do ct o r an d a m i d wi fe, s h e h ad u s ed m ari j u an a t o h el p al l ev i at e n au s ea

an d v o m i t i n g

.
C. W

. p e t i t i o n ed fo r a h eari n g u n der O CGA § 4 9 -5 -1 8 3 (c) t o ch al l en g e t h e

i n cl u s i o n o f h er n am e on t h e ch i l d ab u s e reg i s t ry

. A n ad m i n i st rat i v e l aw ju d g e

o rd ered DFCS t o rem ov e C. W .’ s n am e b ecau s e u n d e r t h e p l ai n l an g u ag e o f t h e

s t at u tes at i s s ue, m ari

ju an a i s n o t a co n t r o l l ed s u b s t an ce, s o a m o th er’ s u s e o f

m ari ju an a wh i l e p reg n an t d o es n o t am ou n t t o p ren at al ab u s e.

3DFCS ap p eal ed t h e ad m i n i s trat i v e l aw j u d ge’ s d eci s i o n t o t he s u p eri o r co u rt

.

Th e s u p eri o r co urt re v ers ed becau s e THC, t h e s ub s t an ce i d en t ifi ed in t h e i n fan t ’ s

m eco n i u m , i s a co n t ro l l ed s u bs t an ce u n d er OCGA § 1 6 -1 3 -2 1 (4 ). C. W

. t h en fi l ed

h er ap p l i cat i o n fo r d is cret i o n ary ap p eal

.
Th e Act es t ab l i s h i ng th e ch i l d ab u s e reg i s t ry p ro vi d es t hat ch il d ab u se i n cl u d es

“ en d an g eri n g a ch i l d,” wh i ch can i n cl ud e “ p ren at al ab us e” as d efi n ed i n OCGA § 1 5

-

1 1 -2

. OCGA § § 1 9 -7 -5 (b ) (4 ) (C) & (b ) (6 .1 ) (D); 4 9 -5 -1 8 0 ( 4 ). OCGA § 1 5 -1 1 -2

d efi n es “ p ren at al ab u s e” as :

ex p o s u re t o ch ro n i c o r s ev ere u s e o f al co h o l o r t h e un l awfu l u s e o f an y

co n t ro ll ed s u b st an ce, as s u ch term i s defi n ed in Co de Sect i o n 1 6 -1 3 -2 1 , wh i ch res u lt s i n : (A) Sy m p t o m s of wi t h draw a l i n a n ewb o rn o r th e
p res en ce o f a co n t ro l l ed s u b s t an ce o r a m et ab o l i t e t h ereo f i n a

n ewb o rn ’ s b od y , b lo o d , u ri n e, o r m eco n i um t h at is n o t th e r e s u l t o f

m ed i cal t reat m en t ; or (B) M ed i cal l y d i ag n o s ed an d h arm fu l effect s i n a

n ewb o rn ’ s p h y s i cal ap p earan ce o r fu n ct i o n i ng

.

OCGA § 1 5 -1 1 -2 (5 6 ). So as rel ev an t h ere, pren at al ab u s e t h at am o u n t s to

en d an g eri n g a ch i ld req u i res pro o f t h at , am o ng o th er th in g s, a p reg n an t wo m an u s ed

a co n tro l l ed s u b s t an ce as d efi n ed i n OCGA § 1 6 -1 3-2 1

.
OCGA § 1 6 -1 3 -2 1 d efi n es “ co n tro l led s u bs t an ce” as “ a d ru g, s u b s t an ce, o r

i m m e d i a t e p r ecu rs o r i n Sch ed u l es I t h ro u g h V of Co d e Sect i o n s 1 6-1 3 -2 5 t h ro u g h

41 6 -1 3-2 9 an d Sch ed u l es I t h ro u g h V o f 2 1 CFR Part 1 3 0 8 .” OCGA § 1 6 -1 3 -2 1 (4 ).

Th u s, u n d er t h e p l ai n l an g u ag e o f t h e s t at u t e

— as C. W

. arg u es , t h e ad m in i s t rat i v e

l aw j u d ge fo u n d , an d DFCS co n ced es — a d ru g i s a “ co nt ro l l ed s u bs t an ce” as d efi n ed

i n OCGA § 1 6 -1 3 -2 1 o n l y i f i t i s l i s t ed as s uch i n b o t h Geo rg ia a n d fed eral s ch ed u l es

.
Fed eral Sch ed u le I i ncl u d es m ari ju an a, s ee 21 USC § 8 1 2 Sch . I (c) (1 0 ); 2 1 CFR §

1 3 0 8 .1 1 (d ) (2 3) , b u t G e o rg i a’ s s ch ed u l es d o n o t

. See OCGA § § 1 6 -1 3 -2 5 t h ro u g h

1 6 -1 3-2 9. Si nce m ari

ju an a i s n o t a co n tro l l ed s ub s tan ce as d ef i n e d b y OCGA §

1 6 -1 3-2 1 , a m o t h er’ s u s e o f m ari ju an a wh il e preg n an t d o es n o t am ou n t t o p ren at al

ab u se.

Th e s u p eri o r co u rt ru l ed t h at b ecau s e THC was p res en t i n C. W .’ s u ri n e an d B.

W .’ s m eco n i u m an d th ere was ev i d e n c e t h at C. W

. co n su m ed m ari ju an a wh i l e

p reg n an t, C. W

. ex po s ed B. W

. t o a co n t ro l l ed s u bs t an ce, THC (wh i ch is li s t ed o n

b o t h Geo rg i a an d fed eral sch ed u l es

. See OCGA § 1 6

- 1 3

- 2 5 ( 3 ) (P); 2 1 USC § 8 1 2

S c h

. I (c) (1 7 ); 2 1 CFR § 13 0 8 .1 1 (d ) (3 1 )). Bu t , as DFCS co n ced es , o u r l a w

d i s t i n gu i sh es m ari

ju an a fro m THC. See, e.g ., O CGA § 1 6-1 3 -2 1 (1 6) (“ ‘ Mari ju an a’

m ean s al l p art s o f t he p l an t o f t h e g en u s Can n ab i s

. . . .”); O CGA § 1 6 -1 3 -3 0 (a), (j)
(s ep arat el y ad d res s i n g “ an y co n t ro l l ed s u b s t an ce” an d “ m ari ju an a”). So t h ere was n o

ev i d en ce o n wh i ch t h e s u p eri o r co u rt co u l d hav e b as ed t h at fi nd i ng

. Th ere was n o

5ev i d en ce t h at C. W

. u s ed an y d ru g o th er t h an m ari ju an a, s u ch as sy nt h et i c THC, t h at

co u ld h av e res u lt ed i n t h e p res en ce o f THC i n B

. W .’ s m eco n i u m , an d , as d et ai l ed

ab o ve, t h e ev i d en ce t h at C

. W. u s e d m ari ju an a i s n o t s u ffi ci en t t o su b s t an t i at e

“ p ren at al ab u s e” u n d er t h e ap p l i cab l e s t at u tes

.
Fo r t h es e reas o n s , t h e s up eri o r co u rt erred by rei n s t at i n g t he d eci s i o n o f DFCS

t o i n cl u d e C. W .’ s n am e o n t h e cen t ral ch i l d ab u s e reg i st ry , an d we rev ers e. W e d o

n o t reach C. W .’ s o t h er cl ai m s o f erro r.

Ju d g men t r ever

s ed

. McMi l l i a n , P.J., a n d S en i or A p p el l a t e Ju d

ge Her b er t E.

Ph i p ps co n cu r

.

6