2 9 7 Ga . 3 99

F INAL COP Y
S 1 5A0 0 3 2 . WHATLEY v

. THE S TATE.

M EL TON , Ju stic e
. On Ma rc h 2 8 , 2 0 1 3 , Be rn a d e tte Bo wi e W h a t le y wa s in d ic te d fo r
with ho ld in g in fo rm a tio n fro m a p ra c titio ne r p u rsu a n t to OCGA § 1 6 -1 3 -4 3 (a ) (6 ). T h a t sta tu t e d e al s with th e d istrib u tio n o f c o n tro lle d su b sta n c e s b y
p re sc rip tio n a n d p ro v id e s th a t it is u n la wfu l to "with h o ld in fo rma t i o n fro m a
p ra c t i t i o n e r th a t su c h p e rso n h a s o b ta in e d a c o n tro lle d su b sta n c e o f a sim ila r
th e ra p e u tic u se in a c o n c urre n t tim e pe rio d fro m a n o th e r p ra c titio n e r." On Ap ril
2 4 , 2 0 1 3 , W h a tle y file d a g e n e ra l d e m u rre r, c on te nd in g a m o n g o th e r th in g s th a t
th e sta tu te wa s u n c o n stitu tio n a lly v a g u e
. Th e tria l c o u rt ru le d th a t OCGA §
1 6

- 1 3 -4 3 (a ) (6 ) wa s n o t u n c o n stitu tio n a lly v a gu e o n its fa c e , a n d we g r a n t e d

W h a tle y ’s a

p p lic a tio n fo r a n in te rlo c u to ry a p p e a l to c on sid e r th e p ro p r i e t y o f
th is ru lin g
. As se t fo rth b e lo w, w e af f i r m th e d e n ia l o f Wh a tle y ’s g e n e ra l
d e m u rre r u n de r th e rig h t-fo r-a n y -re a so n d oc trin e
. It is we ll se ttle d th a t th e

v o id fo r v a g u e ne ss d o c trin e o f th e du e p ro c e ss c la u se re qu ire s th a t a c h a lle n g e d sta tu te o r o rd in a n c e g iv e a pe rso n o f o rd in a ryin te llig e n c e fa ir wa rn in g th a t sp e c ific c o n d u c t i s fo rb id de n o r

m a n d a te d a n d p ro v id e su ffic ie n t sp e c ific ity so a s n o t to e n c o u ra g e a rb itra ry a nd disc rim in a to ry e n fo rc e m e n t. V a g u e n e ss c h a l l e n g e s
.

. . th a t d o n o t im

plic a te F ir s t A me n d m e n t fre e d o m s m u st b e e x a m in e d in th e lig h t o

f th e fa c ts o

f th e c a se to b e d

e c id e d

. (Em p h a sis su p p lie d .) P a

rk e r v
. City o f Gle n n v ille , 2 8 8 Ga

. 3 4 , 3 5 (1 ) (7 0 1 S E2 d
1 8 2 ) (2 0 1 0 )

. “ [A] p e rso n ‘wh o e n g a ge s in so m e c o nd u c t th a t is c le a rly

p ro sc rib e d c a n n ot c o m

pla in o f th e v a g u e n e ss o f th e la w a s a p plie d to th e

c o n d u c t o f oth e rs.’ [Cits.] ” Iz z o v
. S ta te , 2 57 Ga

. 1 09 , 1 10 (1 ) (3 56 S E 2 d 2 0 4 ) (1 9 8 7 ). “ ‘A c o u rt sh ou ld th e re fo re e x a m in e th e c o m p la in a n t' s c o n d u c t b e fo re

a n a ly z in g o th e r h y

p o th e tic a l a

p p lic a tio n s o f th e la w.’ [Cits.] ” Ca to o sa Co u n ty

v
. R.N. T a lle y P ro p e rtie s, 2 8 2 Ga

. 37 3 , 3 7 5 (6 5 1 S E 2 d 7 ) (2 0 0 7 ). “ [W] h e n a

sta tu te o r o rd in a

n c e d o e s n o t im

p lic a te a su b sta n tia l a m o u n t of c o n stitu tio n a lly

p ro te c te d c o n d u c t, a fa c ia l v a g u e n e ss c h a lle n g e will b e u p h e ld on ly if th e

e n a c tm e nt is im

pe rm issib ly v a g u e in a ll o f its a p p lic a tio n s
. ” (Cita tio n s a n d

p u n c tu a tio n o m itte d .) Id

. a t 3 7 4

. Wh a tle y d o e s n o t a rg u e th a t OCGA § 1 6 -1 3 -4 3 (a ) (6 ) v io la te s h e r F irst
Am e n dm e n t fre e d o m s, so Wh a tle y wo u ld ne c e ssa rily h a v e to c h a l le n g e th e

c o n stitu tio n a lity o f t h e sta tu te a s a p p lie d to th e sp e c ific fa c ts o f h e r c a se
. A

r e v ie w o f th e re c o rd , h o we v e r, in d ic a te s th a t Wh a tle y c h a lle n g e d OCG A §
21 6 -1 3 -4 3 (a ) (6 ) o n its fa c e , n o t a s a p plie d

. Th e tria l c ou rt n o te d in its o rd e r th a t

“ [n ] e ith e r p a rty h a s p re se n te d a n y fa c ts

. . . b e y o n d th e i n dic tm e n t.” Th e
in d ic tm e n t, in tu rn , m e re ly tra c ks th e la n g u a ge o f th e sta t u t e , su p p ly in g th e

n a m es o f th e d o c to rs in vo lv e d , th e dru g s p re sc rib e d , a n d a g e n e ra l p e rio d o f
tim e du rin g wh ic h th e sta tu te wa s a lle g e d ly vio la te d. T h e re is n o in d ic a tio n

a n y wh e re in th e re c o rd th a t Wh a tle y ra ise d an a rg um e n t with re g a rd to th e fa c ts

o f h e r s p e c i fic c a se , m

u c h le ss th e a

p p lic a tio n of OCGA § 1 6 -1 3-4 3 (a ) (6 ) to
h e r sp e c ific fa c t s
. On ly a fa c ia l c h a lle n g e to th e sta tu te wa s ra ise d , a n d , a s a
fa c ia l c h a lle n g e wa s n o t w a rra n te d , th e tria l c o u rt sh o u ld h a v e d e n ie d Wh a tle y ’s

g e n e ra l d e m

u rre r fo r th is re a so n ra th e r th a n c o n sid e rin g th e m e rits o f Wh a tle y ’s

c o n stitu tio n a l c la im . S e e S ta te v . Hu d so n , 2 4 7 Ga . 3 6 (2 7 3 SE2 d 6 1 6 ) (1 9 8 1 ).

No n e th e le ss, sin c e Wh a tle y ’s g e ne ra l d e m u rre r wa s p ro p e rly de n ie d , we a ffirm
th e ju d gm e nt o f th e tria l c o u rt u n d e r th e rig h t-fo r-a ny -re a so n ru le

. Ju d g m e n t a ffirm e d . All th e Ju stic e s c o n c u r.

De c id e d Ju n e 2 9 , 2 0 1 5

. OCGA § 16 -1 3 -4 3 (a ) (6 ); c o n stitu tio n a l qu e stio n
. Wh itfie ld S u p e rio r
Co u rt. Be fo re Ju d ge Ble v in s.
3Th e S e c re t F irm , Ak il K. S e c re t, fo r a p p e lla n t.
He rb e r t M. P o sto n , Jr., Distric t Atto rn e y , Jo h n S

. He lto n , S u sa n L.

F ra n k lin , Assista n t Distric t Atto rn e y s, fo r a p pe lle e
.

4