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

da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

A ugust 15, 2018



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 8 A1 38 4 . IN RE W ILLIAM S.

M C M ILLI A N , J u dg e.

Ap p el l an t Lau rai ll W i l l i am s ap p eal s fro m an ord er o f t h e Cl ay t o n Co u n t y

ju v en i l e co u rt h o l d i n g h er in d irect cri m i nal co n t em p t a f ter h er cel l ph o n e s o u n d ed

d u ri n g a d ep en d en cy h eari n g

. W i l l i am s co nt en d s th at th e o rd er o f co n tem p t s h o u l d

b e r e v e rs ed b ecau s e: (1 ) h er d u e p ro ces s ri g h t s were v io l at ed wh en s h e was n o t

affo rd ed an o p p o rt un i t y t o s p eak on h er o w n b eh al f; (2 ) t he co n t em p t o rd er i s

d efi ci en t o n i t s face i n th at i t fai l s t o s et fo rt h s u ffi ci en t fact s i n s u pp o rt o f t h e fi n d i n g

o f co n t em p t ; an d (3 ) h er eq u al p ro t ect i o n ri g h t s were v i o l at ed becau s e o th er at t o rn ey s

wh o s e cel l p h o n es so u nd ed i n co u rt were no t fo u n d in co n t em p t

. As m o re fu l l y s et

fo rt h b el o w, we ag ree t h at t he co n t em p t o rd er m

u s t b e rev ers ed

.T he G e or gia C ons t i tu t i o n p ro v i d es th at “ [e] ach co u rt m ay ex erci s e s uch pow e r s

as n eces s ary i n ai d o f i t s ju ri s d i ct i o n or t o p ro tect o r effect u at e i t s j u d gm en t s [.] ” Ga.

Co n s t

. o f 1 9 8 3

, Art

. VI, Sec. I, Par. IV. Bas ed o n th at p ro vi s i o n

, o ur Su p rem e Co u rt

h as h el d t h at e very co u rt h as t h e i n h eren t p o wer t o en fo rce i t s o rd ers t h ro u g h

co n tem p t

. In r e Jef

f e r s o n

, 2 8 3 Ga. 2 1 6

, 2 1 7 (6 57 SE2 d 8 3 0 ) (2 0 0 8 ). “ Co n t em p t o f

co u rt

, i n i ts b r o a d s e n s e

, m ean s d i s reg ard fo r o r d i s o b ed ien ce o f t h e o rd er o r

co m m an d o f th e co u rt ; t h i s al s o i n cl ud es th e i n terru p t io n o f co u rt p ro ceed i n g s .” In r e

Her ri n g

, 2 6 8 Ga. A p p. 3 9 0

, 3 9 0 -9 1 (2 ) (6 0 1 SE2 d 8 3 9 ) (2 0 0 4) (p hy s i cal p reced en t

o n l y ). 1 In r e S

ch o o l cr a f t

, 2 74 Ga. Ap p

. 2 7 1

, 2 7 4 (1 ) ( 6 1 7 S E 2 d 24 1 ) (2 0 0 5 ).

(“ Cri m i n al co n t em

p t i n v o lv es s o m e fo rm o f wi l fu l d i s res p ect t o ward t he co u rt ; i t m ay

i n v o l v e i n t en t io nal d is reg ard fo r o r d is o b ed i en ce o f an o rd er o r co m m an d of t h e co u rt

,

o r i t m a y i n v o l v e co n d u ct wh i ch i n terferes wi t h t h e co u rt ’ s ab i l i t y t o ad m i n i s t er

ju s t ice.”).

Th e reco rd s h o ws t h at W i l l i am s

, wh o rep res en t ed th e Dep art m e n t o f Fam i l y

an d Ch i l dren ’ s Serv i ces

, was h el d i n co n tem p t aft er h er p h o n e s o u n d e d d u ri n g a

d ep en d en cy h eari n g befo re a Cl ay t o n Co u n ty Ju v en i l e Co u rt ju d g e. Th e d ep en d en cy

1 Al t ho u g h t h ere was a sp eci al co n cu rren ce i n Her r in g

, i t wen t t o a s ep arat e an d

d i s t i n ct p o i n t

.

2h eari n g t ran s cri p t s h o ws t h e ju d g e h ad j u s t as k ed o n e o f t h e ch i l d ren

, wh o was t h e

s u b j e c t o f th e dep en den cy

, i f s h e h ad an y t h i n g t o say

, an d t he ch i l d had res p o n d e d

“ n o ” wh en W i l li am s ’ ph o n e s o u n d ed

. Th e ju d g e t h en q u es t i o ned “ W h o ’ s p h o n e i s

t h at ? ”, an d W i l l iam s res p o n d ed t h at i t was h ers an d ap o l o gi zed

. Th e ju d g e t h en s t at ed

o n t he reco rd t h at s h e wo u l d t ak e th e p h o n e an d ad m o n i s h ed W i l l i am s t hat p h o n es

s h o u ld b e t u rn ed o ff i n t h e co u rt ro o m

.

Th e d ep en d en cy h eari n g res u m ed an d aft er a p au s e, t h e ju d g e an n o u n ced h er

ru l i n g co n cern i n g t h e d ep en d en cy o n t h e reco rd

. At t h at p o i n t

, t h e heari n g co n cl u d ed

,

an d t he co u rt rep o rt er s t op p ed reco rd i n g t h e p ro ceed i n g s

. Ho wev er, i t i s u n d i s p u t ed

t h at t h e ju d g e t h en wen t o n t o a d d r e s s t h e i s s u e o f W i l l i am s ’ cel l p h o n e s o u n d i n g

d u ri n g t he h eari ng

, an d s h e h el d W i l l i am s i n cri m i n al co n t em p t

. A w ri t t en co n t em

pt

o rd er was fi l ed t h e s am e d ay

, i n wh i ch t he ju d g e m ad e a fi n d i n g t h at W i ll i am s ’ cel l

p h o n e ran g wh i l e t h e co u rt was recei vi n g ev i d en ce an d / o r t es t i m o n y

, d i s ru p t i n g t h e

p ro ceed in g s an d cau s i n g her to h av e to d eal wi t h t h e m at t er. Th e o rd er fu rt h er n o t ed

t h at n o t i ces were p o s t ed o n t h e en t ry d o o rs t o t h e co u rt ro o m ad v i s i n g t hat t el ep h o n es

s h o u ld b e s i l en ced o r t u rn ed o ff an d t h at fai l u re to d o s o co u l d res u l t i n co n t em p t

. A

co p y o f t h e s i g n p o st ed o n t h e d o o r was at t ach ed as Ex h i b i t 1 t o t h e o rd er. Th e o rd er

fu rt her fo u n d t h at t h i s was n o t t h e fi rs t t i m e W i l l i am s ’ p h o n e h ad s o u n d ed d u ri n g a

3h eari n g

, an d t h at “ h er b eh av i or d em o n s t rat es a p at tern o f d i s res p ect fo r t h e Co u rt an d

co u rt ru l es [.]” Wi l l i a m s was o rd ered t o b e h el d i n jai l fo r a p eri o d o f 24 h o u rs

, b ut

fu rt her p ro v id ed s h e co u l d av o i d t h e jai l t i m e b y p ay i n g a $ 3 0 0 fi n e.

As an in i t i al m at ter, we n o t e t h at al t h o u gh t h e j u d g e h as fi l ed a b ri ef as an

“ ap p el l ee” i n th i s ap p eal

, “ [t ] he ju d g e b efo re wh o m t h e al l eg ed l y co n t em p t u ou s

co n du ct o ccu rred i s n ot a ‘ p a r t y ’ t o ap p el l at e rev iew o f a co n t em p t fi n d i n g

, as i s

refl ect ed i n t h e s t y l e o f a co n t em p t cas e befo re t h is Co u rt

, i .e., ‘ In re’ an d t h e n am e

o f t h e a l l e g e d c o n t em

n o r. Acco rd i n gl y

, n o ap p el l at e ap p earan ce b y t he [ju d g e wh o

en t ered t h e co n t em

p t ord er] i s au t h o ri zed .” Her r i n g

, 2 6 8 Ga. Ap p. at 3 9 0 (1 ). See al s o

In r e S ch ei b

, 2 8 3 G a. Ap p

. 32 8

, 3 3 0 (6 4 1 SE2 d 5 70 ) (2 0 07 ). Th e ju d g e’ s ap p el l ee’ s

b ri ef i s h ereb y

s t ri ck en fro m t h e reco rd

. Her r i n g , 2 6 8 Ga. Ap p . at 3 9 0 (1 ).

Li k ewi s e, we n ot e t hat W i l l i am s h as at t ach ed an affi d av i t to h er b ri ef o n

ap p eal

, i n wh ich s he p o s i t s an ex p l an at io n o f w h y h e r c e l l p h o ne w as l eft o n.

Ho wev er, p art ies are d i rect ed b y o u r Ru l es n o t to at t ach affi d av it s o r ex h i b i t s t o t h ei r

b ri ef o n ap p eal

, an d we d o n o t co n s i d er at t ach m en t s t o b ri efs t h at d o n o t ap p ear i n t h e

ap p el l at e reco rd

. Co u rt o f Ap p eal s Ru l e 24 (g ) (“ Do n o t at t ach d o cu m en ts o r ex h i b i t s

t o ap p el l at e b ri efs o r m ot i o n s fo r reco n s i d erat i o n.”); Ch a s t a i n v. S t a t e

, 2 3 7 Ga. Ap p.

6 4 0

, 6 4 0 (5 1 6 SE2 d 3 62 ) (1 9 9 9 ) ( “ P a r t i es can n o t s u p p lem en t t h e reco rd m erel y by

4at t ach i n g m at t ers t o

. . . t h ei r b ri efs .) (ci t at i o n an d p u n ct u at io n o m i t ted ). Acco rd i n g l y

,

we al s o s t ri k e W il l iam s ’ affi d av i t an d wi l l n o t co n s i d er i t o n ap peal

. See Bo a t r i g ht

v

. S t a te

, 1 9 2 Ga. Ap p

. 1 1 2

, 1 15 (5 ) (3 8 5 SE2 d 29 8 ) (1 98 9 ) (“ [F] act u al as s ert i o n s

c o n t a i n ed i n t h e p art ies ’ b ri efs u n s u p p ort ed by ev i d en ce o f reco rd can n o t b e

co n si d ered i n t h e ap p el l at e p ro ces s .”) (ci t at io n o m i tt ed ).

Tu rn i n g t o t h e m e r it s, “ cri m i n al co n t em p t i s a cri m e i n t h e o rd i n ary s en s e.”

Jef f er s o n

, 2 8 3 G a. at 2 1 8

. Acco rd i n g l y

, o ur ro l e is t o d et erm i n e wh et h er, aft er

rev i ewi n g t h e ev i d en ce fo u nd in t h e reco rd i n t h e l i g h t m o s t fav o rab l e t o t h e fi n d i n g

o f co n t em p t

, an y rat i on al t ri er o f fact co u l d h av e fo u nd t h e es sen t i al el em en t s o f t h e

o ffen s e b ey o n d a reas o n ab l e d o u b t

. In r e Ir vi n

, 2 5 4 Ga. 25 1

, 2 5 6 (2 ) (3 2 8 SE2 d 2 1 5 )

(1 9 8 5); In r e Di l l o n

, 3 4 4 G a. Ap p

. 2 0 0

, 2 0 0 (8 0 8 SE2 d 4 3 6) (2 0 1 7 ). Fu rt h er, al t h o u g h

t h e t ri al ju d g e h as t h e au t ho ri t y t o s u m m ari l y p u n i s h fo r co n tem pt u o u s co n d u ct

co m m i t t ed i n h i s o r h er p res en ce, du e p ro ces s req u i res t h at su ch p u ni s h m en t can n ot

b e m et ed o u t u n t il t h e co n t em n o r i s g iv en reas o n ab l e n o t i ce o f t h e ch arg e an d an

o p p o rt u ni t y t o b e heard

. Do wd y v. Pa l mo u r

, 2 51 Ga. 13 5

, 1 4 1 -4 2 (2 ) (b ) (3 0 4 SE2 d

5 2 ) (1 9 8 3) (ad o p t in g d u e p ro ces s req u i rem en t s s et o u t i n Ta yl or v. Ha yes , 4 1 8 U.S.

4 8 8 (9 4 SCt 2 6 97

, 4 1 LE2 d 8 9 7 ) (1 9 7 4 )); In r e S p r a yb er r y , 3 3 4 Ga. Ap p . 5 7 1 , 5 7 3

(1 ) (7 7 9 SE2 d 7 3 2 ) (2 0 1 5 ) (ju dg m en t o f co n t em p t rev ers ed wh ere reco rd sh o ws t h at

5t ri al j u d ge d i d no t affo rd at t o rn ey h el d i n co n t em p t a “ m ean i ng fu l o p p o rt u n i t y t o b e

h eard ”); Co l ema n v. S ta te

, 2 6 9 Ga. Ap p

. 8 2 7

, 8 2 7-2 8 (6 0 5 SE2 d 4 24 ) (2 00 4 ) (s am e).

Th at i s b ecau se o f t he “ hei g h t en ed p o t en t i al fo r ab u se p o s ed b y t h e co n t em pt p o wer.”

Ta yl o r , 4 1 8 U.S. at 5 0 0.

Al t h ou g h t h e ju v en il e co u rt ju d g e en t ered a s u m m ary o rd er s et t i n g o u t t h e b as i s

fo r t h e fi nd i n g o f co n t em p t

, t he o rd er d i d n ot i n cl u d e an y fi nd i n g t h at W i ll i am s was

g i v en an o p po r t u n i t y t o s p eak o n h er o w n beh al f o r at t em p t t o ex p l ai n h er act i on s

b efo re s he was fo u n d i n co n t em p t

. An d b ecau s e th ere i s n o t ran s cri p t of t h e co n t em pt

h e a r i n g, we can n o t d et erm i n e fo r o urs el v es wh et h er W i l l i am s was affo rd ed an y

m ean i n g fu l o pp o rt u n i ty t o b e h eard

. Becau s e t h e reco rd d o es n ot s h o w t hat W i l l i am s

was ex t en d ed t h e m i n i m u m req u i rem en t s o f d u e p ro ces s o f l aw, t h e ju d g m en t o f

co n tem p t m u s t b e rev ers ed

. Do wd

y

, 2 5 1 Ga. at 1 4 1 -4 2 (2 ); see al s o In r e S i emo n

, 2 6 4

Ga. 6 4 1 , 6 4 1 -4 2 (2 ) (4 4 9 SE2 d 8 3 2) (1 99 4 ); Ma p l es v. S eel i g er

, 1 6 5 G a. Ap p . 2 0 1,

2 0 1 -0 2 (1 ) (2 9 9 SE2 d 9 0 6 ) (1 9 8 3 ).

Ju d g men t r ever sed . Ba r n es , P. J., a n d

Rees e, J., co n cu r

.

6