In th e S u p re m e Co u rt o f Ge o rg ia

De c id e d: Ma y 2 3

, 2 0 16

S 1 6 F 0 2 7 9 . DAVENP ORT v

. DAVENP ORT.

NAHMIAS , Ju stic e

.

Du stin Da v e n p o rt (Hu sb a n d ) a n d K e ish a Da v e n p o rt (Wife ) we re d iv o rc e d

b y fin a l d e c re e in th e Un io n C o u n ty S u p e rio r Co u rt. Hu sb a n d a p p e a re d p ro se

in th e d iv o rc e p ro c e e din g

. Wife

, wh o h a d c o un se l, p a id fo r a c o u rt re p o rte r to

re c o rd th e b e n c h tria l o n Ma y 5

, 2 0 1 4 ; Hu sb a n d did n o t p a rtic ip a te in p a y in g fo r

th e ta k e d o wn

. Afte r th e tria l, Hu sb a n d h ire d a la wy e r, wh o file d a m o tio n fo r

n e w tria l a nd a m o tio n to c o m p e l pro d u c t i o n o f th e tria l tra n sc rip t (wh ic h

Hu sb a nd wa s n ow willin g to p a y fo r), a sse rtin g th a t th e tria l c o u rt fa ile d to m a k e

a ru lin g a t th e sta rt o f th e tria l th a t Hu sb a n d e x pre ssly re fu se d to s h a r e th e

ta k e d o wn e x pe n se

. In re sp o n se

, Wife c l a im e d th a t H u sb a n d h a d e x p re ssly

re fu se d to p a

rtic ip a te in th e ta k e d o wn a fte r be in g g iv e n a n o p p o rtu n ity to d o so

.

At th e h e a

rin g on th e m o tio n to c o m p e l in Au g ust 2 0 1 4 , n o tra n sc rip t o f

th e tria l o r o f th e disc u ssio n o f th e ta k e d o wn wa s p re se n te d

. Wife ’s c o u n se l sa idth a t h e b e lie v e d

, b u t c o u ld n o t re c a ll with c e rta in ty

, th a t th e tria l c o urt a sk e d

Hu sb a nd wh e th e r h e wa n te d to p a rtic ip a te in th e ta k e d own a n d Hu sb a n d

“ v o lu n ta rily d e c id e d a n d in d ic a te d th a t h e wo u ld n o t p a rtic i p a t e in th e

ta k e d o wn .” Wife ’s c ou n se l sa id th a t h e d id n o t k n o w if th e tria l c o u rt m a d e a

ru lin g o n th a t issu e

. Th e tria l c o u rt sa id :

It is th is C o u rt’s po lic y a ny tim e I h a v e a p r o se d e fe n da n t,

e sp e c ia lly in c iv il c a s es, n u m be r o n e

, I sp e c ific a lly in q u ire a s to

ta k e d own

. I c a

n ’t th in k o f a c a s e I h a v e n ’ t d o ne th a t.

. . . Bo th

c o u n se ls sittin g in th e c o u rtro o m to d ay h a v e se e n m e do th a t m a n y

,

m a n y tim e s, b o th o f y o u h a v in g h a n dle d c a se s a g a in st p ro se

d e fe n da n ts in th e p a st. Th a t is my p o lic y

. I do it a s p ro te c tio n o f a ll

p a rtie s a n d i n fu rth e ra n c e o f d u e p ro c e ss o f la w.

. . . T he Co u rt

g o e s o n its re c o lle c tio n, a s h a v e c o u nse l in t h i s c a se

, a s to th e p ro

s e w a r n i n g s I g iv e to a ll d e fe n d a n ts in th e c a se

. . . . I’m g o i n g t o

d e n y th e m o tio n a t th is tim e

.

Th e c o u rt sa id n o th in g

, ho we v e r, a b o ut w h e th e r it ru le d o n th e ta k e d own issu e

a t th e b e g in n in g o f t h e tria l. On Au g u st 2 2

, 2 0 1 4

, th e c ou rt e n te re d a n o rd e r

su m m arily d e ny in g H u sb a n d ’ s m o tio n to c om p e l. Hu sb a n d file d a n o tic e o f

a p p e a l d ire c te d to th e Co u rt o f Ap p e a ls, wh ic h d ism isse d th e a p p e a l o n Ja n u a ry

1 4

, 2 0 1 5

, d u e to Hu sb a n d ’s fa ilu re to c o m p ly with th e in te rlo c uto ry a p p e a l

p ro c e d u re s. 1

1 The Court of Appeals initially transferred the case to this Court, b u t we returned it because

the takedown issue on interlocutory appeal did not involve d ivorce or a lim o n y

. See Case No.

2On Ma y 4

, 2 0 1 5

, th e tria l c o u rt h e ld a h e a rin g o n Hu sb a n d’ s m o tio n fo r

n e w tria l, a n d o n Ma y 2 2

, th e c o urt d e n ie d th a t m o tio n

. Hu sb a n d file d a tim e ly

a p p lic a tio n fo r d isc re tio n a ry a p pe a l in th is Co urt, wh ic h we g ra n te d u n d e r o u r

Ru le 3 4 (4 ), in d ic a tin g th a t we we re p a rtic u la rly c o n c e rn e d with th e fo llo win g

q u e stio n :

Did th e tria l c o u rt e rr in d e ny in g H u sb a n d ’ s m o tio n to c om p e l

p ro d u c tio n o f th e tria l tra n sc rip t in th e a bse n c e of a fin d in g th a t th e

c o u rt m a d e a ru lin g a t th e sta rt of th e tria l th a t Hu sb a n d re fu se d to

p a rtic ip a te in p a

y in g ta k e do wn c o sts?

Hu sb a nd th e n file d a

tim e ly n o tic e o f a

p p e a l.

In Ke n t v

. Ke n t, 2 8 9 Ga

. 8 2 1 (7 1 6 SE2 d 2 1 2 ) (2 0 1 1 ), th is Co u rt re ite ra te d

th e lo n g -sta n d in g

, b rig h t-lin e p ro c e d u ra l ru le th a t a p a rty ’s rig h t to a tra n sc rip t

o f a c iv il p ro c e e d in g is n o t wa iv e d “ un le ss th e [tria l] c o u rt m a k e s a ru lin g ‘a t th e

c o m m e n c e m e n t o f th e h e a rin g ’ th a t th e p a rty ‘e x p re ssly re fu s e d

, ’ b y ‘“ d ire c t a n d

a p p ro p ria te la n g u a g e ,” ’ to sh a re in th e c o s t s o f th e ta k e d o wn

. ” Id

. a t 8 2 4

(q u o tin g Gid d in gs v. S ta rk s, 2 4 0 G a

. 4 9 6

, 4 9 6 -4 9 7 (2 4 1 S E2 d 2 0 8 ) (1 9 7 8 )).

S e e a lso id

. a t 8 2 6 & n .1 (o v e rru lin g se v e ra l C o u rt o f Ap pe a ls c a se s to th e e x te n t

th a t th e y a ffirm e d th e d e nia l of a m o tio n fo r a tra n sc rip t wh e re th e a pp e lla n t h a d

S15A0337 (Dec. 2, 2014).

3e x p re ssly re fu se d to p a rtic ip a te in th e ta k e d o wn

, b ut th e re w a s no ru lin g b y th e

tria l c o urt to th a t e ffe c t a t th e b e g in n in g o f th e p ro c e e d in g); Be rin g e r v

. Em o ry

,

3 2 6 G a

. Ap p

. 2 6 0, 26 2 -2 6 3 (7 5 6 S E2 d 3 2 9 ) (2 0 1 4 ) (re ly in g o n Ke n t to re v e rse

th e d e nia l o f th e m o th e r’s m o tio n to c o m p e l th e tra n sc rip t o f a c on te m p t he a rin g

,

wh e re th e re c o rd sh o w e d th a t sh e e x p re ssly re f u s e d to p a rtic ip a te in th e

ta k e d o wn

, b u t d id n o t sh o w th a t th e tria l c o u rt m a d e a ru lin g o n th e issu e a t th e

sta rt o f th e h e a rin g ). Th e b u rd e n is o n th e pa rty se e kin g to b e ne fit fro m th e ru le

to sh o w th a t its re q u ire m e n ts we re m e t. S e e Ke nt, 2 8 9 Ga

. a t 8 2 3

. B e c a u se th e

tria l c o urt’s e rro r in d e n y in g th e h u sb a nd ’s m o tio n fo r a tra n sc rip t p re v e n te d h im

fro m c itin g th e tra n sc rip t to su p po rt h is c h al l e n g e s to th e d iv orc e d e c re e

, th is

Co u rt re m a n d e d th e c a se “ to a llo w e ntry o f an a p p ro p ria te o rd e r g ra n tin g

Hu sb a nd a tra n sc rip t, a fte r wh ic h h e m a y se e k re v ie w o f th e d e c re e .” Id

. a t 8 2 6

.

In th is c a se

, th e r e c ord o n a p p e a l wo uld su p p o rt a fin d in g th a t Hu sb a n d

re fu se d to p a rtic ip a te in th e re p o rtin g o f th e d iv o rc e tria l. Bu t th e re c o rd d oe s

n o t in c lu d e o r su p po rt a fin d in g th a t th e tria l c o u rt ru le d o n th e ta k e d own c o sts

issu e a t th e sta rt o f th e tria l. Th us, Wife fa ile d to sh o w th a t Hu s b a nd wa s n o t

e n title d to a tra n sc rip t, a n d th e tria l c o urt’s o rd e r d e n y in g Hu sb a n d ’s m o tio n to

c o m p e l p ro d u c tio n o f th e tria l tra n sc rip t m u st b e re v e rse d

. S e e Ke n t, 2 8 9 G a

.

4a t 8 24 -8 25 ; Be rin g e r, 3 2 6 G a

. A p p

. a t 2 6 2-2 6 3

. Mo re o v e r, a s a re su lt o f th e

tria l c o u rt’s e rro n e o u s d e n ia l o f Hu sb a n d ’s m o tio n to c o m p e l, h e wa s un a

b le to

c ite th e tria l tra n sc rip t in ra isin g c h a lle n g e s to th e d iv o rc e d e c re e in h is m o tio n

fo r n e w tria l. We th e re fo re v a c a te th e tria l c ou rt’s d e nia l o f Hu sb a n d’s m o tio n

f o r n e w tria l a n d re m a nd th e c a se with dire c tio n to e n te r a n a p p ro p ria te o rd e r

g ra n tin g Hu sb a n d a tra n sc rip t a t h is e x p e n se

, a fte r w h ic h h e m a y se e k re v ie w o f

th e d iv o rc e d e c re e b y a m e n d in g h is n e w t r i a l mo tio n to re fle c t th e c o n te n ts o f

th e tria l tra n sc rip t. S e e Ke n t, 2 8 9 Ga . a t 8 2 6

.

Ju d g m e n t re v er s e d in pa rt a n d v a c a te d in p a rt, a n d c a se re m a n d e d with

d ire c tio n . All th e Ju stic e s c on c u r.

5