# 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 9 A0 96 2 . KNOX et a l . v . DEAL et a l

.

Th e u n derl y i n g a p p e al i n th i s cas e i n v o l v es p ro fes s o rs at v ari o u s p u b l i c

u n i v ers i t ies i n Geo rg i a wh o s u ed Go v ern o r Nat h an Deal an d A t to rn ey Gen eral

Ch ri s t o p h er Carr i n t h ei r i nd i v i d u al cap aci t i es

, an d t h ei r s u cces s ors i n o ffi ce, al l eg i n g

co n st i t u t io n al v i o l at i on s rel at ed t o t h e ap p li cat i on an d en fo rcem en t o f H. B. 2 8 0

, t h e

s o -cal l ed “ Cam

p u s Carry L eg i s l at i o n,” wh i ch fo rm er Go v ern o r Deal s i g n ed i n t o l aw,

an d rel at ed l eg i s l at i o n at OCGA § § 1 6 -1 1 -1 2 7.1

, 1 6 -1 1 -1 2 7

, an d 1 6 -1 1 -1 7 3

. W h i l e

t h e co n s t i t u t i o n al i s s u e s i n t h i s s u i t are no t b efo re us

, th e pro fes s o rs hav e ap p eal ed

fro m t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er d en y i n g t h ei r m o t i o n fo r an in ju nct i o n an d d i s m is s i n g t h ei r

co m p l ai n t p u rs u an t t o OCGA § 9 -1 1-1 2 (b ) (1 ) b as ed u p o n s ov erei g n i m m u n i t y an d

l ack o f s t an d in g

.

Aft er th ei r ap p eal was d ock et ed

, t h e p ro fes s o rs fi l ed a “ No t i ce o f Su b s t i t u t i o n

o f Part y ,” av erri ng th at b ecau s e Go v ern o r Bri an Kem p had s ucceed ed Go v ern o r Deal

i n o ffi ce, an au t o m at i c s u b s t i t u t i o n h ad t ak en p l ace p u rs u an t t o OCGA § 9 -1 1 -2 5 (d )

(1 ). T h e St at e fi l ed a res p o n s e i n o pp o s i t i o n

, an d bo t h s i d es fi l ed s up p l em en t al b ri efs

at t he req u es t o f t h e Co u rt

. Up o n co n si d erat i o n of t h e m at t er, i t i s c l ear t h at o u r law, b y i t s p l ai n t erm s

,

d o es n o t p er m i t a u t o m at i c s u bs t i t u t i o n i n t h e i n s t an t cas e. OCGA § 9-1 1 -2 5 (d ) (1 )

p ro v id es t h at “ [w] h en a p u b l ic o ffi cer i s a p art y t o an act i o n i n hi s o f f i ci a l ca p a ci t y

an d d u ri n g i t s p en d en cy . . . ceas es t o h o l d o ffi ce, t h e act io n d oes n o t ab at e, an d h i s

s u cces s o r i s au t o m at i cal l y s ub s t i t u t ed as a p art y. ” (Em p has i s s u pp l i ed .) Th e

p ro fes s o rs arg u e, i n t er al i a, t hat OCGA § 9 -1 1 -2 5 ad o p t s t h e co rres p on d i n g Fed eral

Ru l e of Ci v i l Pro ced u re 2 5 (d ), wh i ch p ro v id es t h at “ [a] n act i o n d o es n o t ab at e wh en October 09, 2019a p u b li c o ffi cer w ho i s a p art y i n a n o ff i ci al ca p aci t y

. . . ceas es t o h o l d o ffi ce wh i l e

t h e act i o n i s p en di n g

. Th e o ffi cer’ s s u cces s o r i s au t om at i cal l y su b s t i t u t ed as a p art y .”

(Em p h as i s s u p p l i ed

. ) As fed eral cas e law m ak es cl ear, h o wev er, au t o m at i c

s u b s t i t u t io n do es n o t ap p l y t o o ffi ci al s s u ed

, as h ere, i n t h ei r i n di vi d ual cap aci t i es

.

See Bet h el v. Po r ter

fi el d

, 2 9 3 F.Su p p .2 d 1 3 07

, 1 3 1 8 (III) (A) (S.D. Ga. 2 0 0 3 ) (Fed

.

R. Ci v

. P. 2 5 (d ) “ d o es n o t p ro v i d e s ub s t i t ut i o n, h o w ev er, wh ere a d efen d an t i s b ei n g

s u ed p ers o n al l y

. In s u ch cas e, t h e cl ai m s fo r i nd i v i d u al li ab i l i ty co n t i n u e u n affect ed ”)

(ci t ation om itted ), aff’ d wi t h o u t o p i n i o n

, 1 1 6 Fed

. Ap p x

. 2 4 6 (1 1 t h Ci r. 2 0 0 4 ). Acco rd

El l i so n v. Ch i l t o n Co u nt

y Bd

. o f Ed u ca t i o n

, 8 9 4 F.Su p p

. 4 15

, 4 1 7

, n

. 3 (M .D. Al a.

1 9 9 5 ).

W e t h u s rem an d th is cas e t o t h e t ri al co u rt so t h at i t m ay co n d u ct a h eari n g to

d et erm i n e wh et h er Go v ern o r K em p s ho u l d b e s u b s ti t ut ed fo r fo rm er Go v ern o r Deal

,

an d t o ad d res s an y

p o t en t ial m o o t n es s co n s i d erat i on s as t o fo rm er Go v ern o r Deal

. Up o n en t ry o f a n ew o rd e r b y t h e t ri al co u rt

, a new n o t ice o f ap peal m ay b e

fi led w i t hi n 3 0 d ay s

.

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 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 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

. 10/09/2019