# 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 6 A2 05 9 . BALDRI D GE v . STUCKEY et a l.

As h l ey Bal dri d g e ap p eal s fro m t he t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er term i n at i ng h er p aren t al

ri gh t s in h er m i n or so n an d g ran t i n g th e p et i t i o n o f rel at i v es Orv i l le an d J o d i St u ck ey

t o ad o p t th e b o y

. Aft er fi l i ng h e r n o t i ce o f ap p eal

, b ut wi t h i n t h e p eri o d o f t i m e in

wh i ch a m ot i on fo r n ew t ri al m ay b e fi l ed

, Bal d ri d g e fi led a m o t i o n as k i ng , am o n g

o t h er t h in g s , fo r t h e t ri al co urt t o g ran t h er a n e w t r i al

. In t hat m o t i o n , Bal d ri d g e

as s ert ed

, am o n g o th er t h in g s , th at t h e t ri al co u rt d en ied h er req u es t fo r t he t erm i n at i o n

h e ari n g t o b e t ran s cri bed

. Fro m t h e reco rd

, i t ap p ears t h at t he t ri al co u r t d i d n o t

co n du ct an y p ro ceed i n g s o n Bal d ri d ge’ s m o t i o n or ru l e o n i t

, an d t h e m o t i on rem ai n s

p en di n g

. Th e fact t h at Bal d ri d g e fi l ed a n o t ice o f ap p eal b efo re fi l i n g h er m ot i o n s eek i n g

a n ew t ri al

d i d n o t d i v es t t h e t ri al co u rt o f j u ri s d i ct i o n s i n ce s u ch di v es ti t u re d o es

n o t b eco m e effect i ve d u r i n g t h e p eri o d of t i m e i n wh i ch a m o t io n fo r

n ew t ri al m ay b e fi l ed

. In t h e ev en t a m o t i o n fo r n ew t ri al i s t i m el y fi led

as p ro v i d ed i n OCGA § 5 -5

- 4 0

, t h e effect i ven es s o f t h e d i ves t i t u re i s

t h en d el ay ed u nt i l t h e m o t i o n fo r n ew tri al i s ru l ed u p o n an d a no t i ce o f

ap p eal t o t h e ru li n g h as b een fi l ed o r t h e peri o d fo r ap peal i ng t h e ru l i n g

h as ex p i red

.

Ho o d v. S t at e , 2 8 2 Ga. 46 2

, 4 6 5 (6 5 1 SE2 d 8 8 ) ( 2 0 0 7 ) (q u o t i n g Ho u si n g Au t h. of

At l a n t a v. Get er , 2 5 2 Ga. 1 9 6

, 1 9 7 (3 1 2 SE2 d 3 0 9 ) (1 9 8 4 ); o th er ci t at i o n a n d

p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). W e h av e t h e au t h ori t y to rem an d t h e ap p eal fo r th e t ri al co u rt December 05, 2016t o ru l e o n t h e m o t i o n , an d rem an d i s es p eci al l y ap pro p ri at e i n t hi s cas e, b ecau s e t h e

m o ti o n rai s ed a fact ual i s s ue

– wh et her th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed Bal d ri d g e t h e

o p p o rt u ni t y

t o h av e t he t erm i n at i o n h eari ng t ran s cri b ed

– t h at i s p art i cu l arl y

wi t h in

t h e t ri al co urt ’ s k n owl ed g e an d i s a cen tral , d i s p ut ed p o i n t i n t hi s ap p eal

. Acco rd i ng l y , t hi s cas e i s h ereb y REM A NDED t o th e t ri al co u rt fo r t h at co u rt

t o co n s i d er Bal d ri d g e’ s p en d i n g m o t i o n

. Th e p art i es s h al l hav e t h e r i g h t t o p u rs u e

a p p e l l at e rev i ew o f o rd ers en t ered b y th e t ri al co u rt o n rem an d b y fi l i n g a t i m el y

n o t i ce o f ap p eal o r ap pl icat i o n , o r t a k i n g o th er ap p ro p ri at e act i o n , pu rs u an t t o an d

co n si s t en t wi t h Geo rg ia’ s ap p el l at e p ract i ce act

.

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 tr 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 t h 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

. 12/05/2016