# 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 7 I 0 0 05

. DAVI D PATTON v . J OYCELYN VANTERPOOL.

J o y cel y n V a n t e r p o ol fi l ed a pat ern i t y act i o n ag ai n s t h er ex -h us b an d

, Dav id

Pat t o n

. Sh e l at er m o v ed fo r p art i al s u m m ary ju d g m en t, arg u i n g t h at un d er OCGA §

1 9 -7 -2 1

, 1 Pat t o n i s t h e l eg al fat h er o f h er ch i l d, wh o was co n cei v ed t h ro ug h i n v it ro

fert i l izat i o n u s i n g d o n o r eg g an d s p erm

. Pat t o n op p os ed t he m o t i o n , arg u i n g am o n g

o t h er t h i ng s t h at O CGA § 1 9 -7 -2 1 i s un co n s ti t u t io n a l

. T h e t ri al co u rt ru l ed t h at

Pat t o n ’ s co n s t i t u t i o n al ch al len g e h ad “ n o b as is ” an d g ran t ed Van t er p o ol ’ s m o t i o n.

Pat t o n n o w s eek s i n t erl o cu t ory rev i ew i n t h i s Co u r t

, r e n e wi n g h i s co n s t i t u t i o n al

arg u m en t

. Th e Su p rem e Co u rt “ h as ex cl u s i v e j u ri s d i ct i o n o v e r al l cas es i nv o l v i n g

co n st ru ct i o n of t h e Co n s t i tu t i o n o f t h e St at e o f Geo rg ia an d o f t he Un i ted St at es an d

al l cas es i n wh i ch t h e co n s ti t u t i o n al i t y o f a l aw, o rd i n an ce, o r co n s t i t u t i o nal p ro v i s i o n

h as b een cal l ed in t o qu es t io n .” At l an t a In dep en d en t S ch o o l Sys t em v. La n e , 2 6 6 Ga.

6 5 7 (1 ) (4 6 9 SE2 d 2 2 ) (1 9 96 ); G a. Co n s t

. o f 1 98 3

, Art

. VI, Sec. V I, Para. II. Th e t ri al

co u rt ’ s reject i o n of Pat t o n’ s co n s ti t u t i o n al ch al l en g e ap p ears t o b e “ eff ect i v el y a

d i s t i n ct ru l i n g o n t h e co n s t i tu t i o n al i ss u es .” Za ra t e-Ma rt i nez v. Ech emen di a ,

_ _ Ga.

_ _ (1 ) (Cas e No

. S1 5 G 14 4 6

, d eci d ed J u l y 5

, 2 0 1 6 ) (p u n ct uat i o n o m i tt ed ). T h u s , t h i s

cas e ap pears t o fal l wi t h i n t h e Su p rem e Co u rt ’ s ex cl u s iv e s u b ject -m at t er ju ri s d i ct i o n.

1 Th at s t at u t e p ro v i d es , “ Al l ch i l dren b o rn w i t hi n wed l o ck or wi t h in t h e u s u al

p eri o d o f g es t at i o n t h ereaft er wh o hav e been co n cei v ed b y m ean s o f a r t i fi ci al

i n s em i n at i o n are i rreb u t t ab ly p res um ed l eg i t i m at e i f b o t h s p ou s es hav e co n s en t ed in

wri t in g t o t h e u s e an d ad m i n i s trat i o n o f art i fi ci al i n s em i n at io n .” August 24, 2016We fu rt h er n o t e t h at t h e Su p rem e Co u rt h as “ u lt i m at e res p o n s i b i l i t y fo r co n s t ru i n g

t h e co n s t i t u t i o n al p ro v i s i o n s r e g a r d in g ap p el l at e j u ri s d i ct i o n.” S a xo n v. Co a s t al

Di a lys i s & Med i ca l Cl in i c , 2 6 7 Ga. 1 7 7

, 1 7 8 (4 7 6 SE2 d 5 8 7 ) (1 9 96 ). Acco rd i n g l y ,

t h i s ap p l i cat i o n i s h ereb y TRANSFERRED t o t h e Su p rem e Co urt fo r d i s po s i t i o n

.

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

. 08/24/2016