FOURTH D I VI SI ON

DI L LA RD, P. J.

, RI C KM A N and BROWN, JJ.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

P le a s e r e fe r to the S upr e m e C our t of G e or gia Judic ia l

E m e r ge nc y Or de r o f M a r c h 1 4

, 2 0 2 0 for fur the r infor m a tion a t (https ://w w w

. ga a ppe a ls .us /r ule s ).

M ay 1, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 0 A0 15 7 . W ILLIAM S v . DEKALB COUNTY et al

.

B R O W N , J u d g e.

Ed ward W i l l i am s , p ro ceed i ng p ro s e, a p p eal s t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s ord er d en y i n g

h i m pau p er s t at u s , co n t en d i n g t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred i n d en y i n g h i s m o t i o n to

p ro ceed i n fo rm a p au p eri s (OCGA § 9 -1 5 -2 ) wi th o u t fi rs t h o l d i ng a h eari n g. Fo r t h e

reas on s t h at fo l l o w, we rev ers e an d rem an d

.

Th e rel ev an t back g ro u n d o f t h is cas e i s l ai d o u t in W i l li a ms v. DeKa lb Co u n t

y ,

_ _ Ga.

_ _ (Cas e N o

. S1 9 A1 1 63

, d eci d ed M ar. 1 3

, 2 02 0 ), t he Su p rem e Co u rt o f

Geo rg i a’ s o p i n i on ad d res s i n g t h e m eri t s o f W i ll i am s ’ u nd erl y i n g ap peal :

Act i ng p ro s e , Wi l l iam s s u ed DeKal b Co u n t y an d m em b ers o f i t s

g o v ern i n g au t h o ri t y , t h e Ch i ef Ex ecu tive O f f ic e r a nd the D e K al b Co u n t y

Bo ard o f Co m

m i s si o n e r s , i n t hei r o ffi ci al an d i nd i v i d u al cap aci t i es (co l l ect i v el y , “ Ap p el l ees ”). In h i s co m pl ai n t

, W i l l i am s ch al l en g ed i n av ari et y o f way s t h e l eg al i ty o f a DeKal b Co u n ty ord i n a n c e, wh ich

i n creas ed t h e s al ari es o f th e m em b ers o f t he co u nt y g o vern i n g au t h o ri t y ,

s et t i n g fo rt h cl ai m s fo r m an d am u s , d ecl arat o ry an d in

ju n ct i v e r e li ef,

cri m i n al an d ci vi l p en al t i es fo r v i o lat i n g th e Op en M eet i n g s Act

, an d

at t o rn ey fees an d co s t s o f l i t i g at i o n

. Fo ll o wi n g a h eari n g , t h e t ri al co u rt

d en i ed W i l l i am s’ p et i t i o n fo r m an d am us an d gran t ed Ap p el l ees ’ m o t i o n

t o d i s m i s s W i l li am s ’ rem ai ni n g cl ai m s , ru l i n g t h at h i s cl ai m s fo r

d ecl arat o ry an d i n

ju n ct i v e rel i ef ag ai n s t t h e Co u nt y were b arred b y th e

d o ct ri n e o f s ov erei g n i m

m u n i t y , t h at h e h ad fai l ed t o st at e a cl ai m fo r a

d ecl arat o ry ju d g m en t o r fo r i n ju n ct iv e rel ief ag ai n st t h e Ch i ef Ex ecu t iv e

Offi cer an d t he co m

m i s s io n ers i n t h ei r i n d iv id u al cap aci t i es , an d th at he

fai l ed t o s tat e a cl ai m u n d er t h e Op en M eet i n gs Act ag ai n s t th e

co m m i s s i o n ers i n t h ei r i n d i vi d u al cap aci t i es an d t hat t ho s e cl ai m s were

b arred b y t he d o ct ri n es o f o ffi ci al an d l eg i sl at i ve i m m un i t y

.

(Fo o tn o te o m i t t ed .) Id

. W il l i am s fi l ed an ap p l i cat i o n fo r d i s cret i o n ary rev i ew i n t h e

Su p rem e Co urt

, wh i ch was g ran t ed o n M arch 1 5

, 20 1 9. On M arch 2 1, 2 0 19

, W i l l i am s

fi led a n o t i ce o f ap peal t o th e Su p rem e Co u rt al o n g w i t h an affi d av i t o f p o v ert y

. Th e

ap p el l ees d i d n o t t rav ers e th e affi d av i t

. Th e t ri al co u rt

, wi t h o u t a h eari n g , d en i ed

p au per s t at u s t o W i l l i am s o n Ap ri l 3

, 2 0 1 9

, an d o rd ered h i m t o p ay co s t s

. O n Ap ri l

1 9

, W i l l i am s fi l ed a m o t i on t o reco n s i d er t he den i al of p au p er s t at u s , wh i ch t h e t ri al

2co u rt al s o d en ied

. On M ay 2

, 2 0 1 9

, W i l l i am s fi l ed a n o t i ce o f ap p eal to t h is Co u rt

,

ch al l en g i n g t h e d en i al o f h i s p au p er’ s affi d av it

. 1

W h i l e a t ri al co urt ’ s d et erm i n at i on reg ard in g t he v al id i t y o f a pau p er’ s affi d av i t

g en eral l y i s n o t s u b

ject t o rev i ew, t h e p ro ced u re u s ed b y t h e tri al co u rt wh en m ak i n g

an i n d i g en ce ru l i n g i s a p p e a l a b l e. Bo yd v. Jo h n G a l t Ho l d i n g

s

, LLC

, 3 1 8 Ga. Ap p.

8 6 6

, 8 6 8 (1 ) (7 3 6 SE2 d 45 9 ) ( 2 0 1 2 )

. “ W h ere a p art y fi l es an affi d av i t o f in d i g en ce

p u rs u an t t o OCGA § 9 -1 5 -2

, an d ei t h er t h e o pp o s i n g p art y fi l es a t rav ers e o r t h e co u rt

i n q u i res i n t o th e t ru t h o f t h e affi d av i t o n i t s o wn , a h eari n g i s req u i red o n t h e m at t er.”

(Ci t at i o n an d p u n ct uat i o n om it t ed .) Co l l i er v. Co l f i n AI GA I, LLC

, 3 3 2 Ga. Ap p

. 4 8 6,

4 8 7 (7 7 3 SE2 d 4 4 0 ) (2 0 1 5). As we h av e prev i o u s l y s t a t e d

, “ t h e p l ai n lan g u ag e o f

OCGA § 9 -1 5 -2 (b ) req ui res a h e a ri n g b efo re a co u rt m ay o rd er co s t s t o b e p ai d.”

1 Acco rd i n g to h is b ri ef, W i l l i am s w as ab l e t o rai se an d bo rro w en o u g h m o n ey

t o p ay t h e c o s t s a s s o ci at ed w i t h hi s ap p eal t o t h e Su p rem e Co u rt

, an d t h at Co u rt
i s su ed an o p i n i o n o n M arch 1 3, 2 0 2 0

, ad dres s i ng t h e m eri t s o f W i l l iam s’ ap p eal

. Sp eci fi cal l y , th e Su prem e Co u rt affi rm ed t h o s e p ort i on s o f t h e co u rt ’ s o rd er d i s m i s s i n g W i l l iam s ’ cl ai m fo r d ecl arat ory j u d gm en t ag ai n s t t h e m em b ers o f t h e

g o v ern i n g au th o ri t y an d fo r i n ju n ct i v e rel i ef ag ai n s t t h e co m m i s si o n ers ; v acat ed t h e

p o rt i on o f t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er di s m i s s i n g W i ll i am s ’ cl ai m fo r i n j u n ct iv e rel i ef

ag ai n s t t h e Dek al b Co u n t y Ch ief Ex ecu t i v e O ffi cer; an d rev ers ed t h e p o rt i o n o f t h e

c our t’ s or der d is m i s s i ng W i l l i am s ’ cl ai m ag ai n s t th e co m m is s i o n ers fo r ci v i l p e na ltie s

u n d er t he Op en M eet i ng s Act ; an d rem an d ed t h e cas e t o t h e t ri al co u rt

. W i l l i a ms ,

_ _ Ga. at

_ _. W e n ot e t h at bo t h t h i s Co u rt an d t h e Su p rem e Co u rt al l o w ed W i ll i am s t o

p ro ceed on ap peal i n fo rm a p au p eri s

.

3(Ci t at i o n a n d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed .) Lee v. B at ch el o r , 3 45 Ga. A p p

. 5 59

, 5 6 1 (8 1 4

SE2 d 4 1 6 ) (2 0 1 8 ). Her e , “ [ a ]l t h o u g h t h e t ri al co u rt m ay h av e at t em p ted t o i n q u i re

i n t o t h e v al i d i t y o f t h e affi dav i t

, i t fai l ed t o h o l d t h e req u i red h eari n g

. ” (Ci t at i o n an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m it t ed .) Co l l i er , 3 3 2 Ga. Ap p

. at 48 7

. Th u s , “ wi t h ou t a t rav ers e o r a

h eari n g , [W i l l i am s ’ ] affi d av i t st an ds u n reb u t ted i n t h e reco rd

, an d [W i l l iam s] s h o u ld

h av e b een rel i ev ed fro m p ay i n g co st s wi t h o u t an y ad v ers e i m p act o n hi s ri g h t to

p u rs u e a l eg al rem ed y .” (Ci t at i o n an d p u n ct u at io n o m i tt ed .) Lee

, 3 4 5 G a. Ap p

. at 5 6 1.

Acco rd i ng l y , we rev ers e t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er d e n y in g W i l l i am s ’ i n d i g en t

s t at u s an d rem an d t h e cas e to t h e t ri al co u rt t o ho l d an ev i d en t i ar y heari n g o n t h e

q u es ti o n o f W i l l i am s ’ i n d i gen ce. See Co l li er , 33 2 Ga. Ap p. at 4 8 7

. Th e p os t u re o f t h i s

cas e i s s om ewh at un u s u al g i v en t h at W i l l i am s h as pai d t h e co s t s o f h i s ap p eal t o t h e

Su p rem e Co u rt

, an d th at Co u rt al read y h as ad dres s ed th e m eri t s o f h i s ap p eal

.

No n et h el es s , t h e i s su e i s no t m o o t as W i l l i am s co u l d b e refu n d ed t h e am o u n t p ai d i f

t h e t ri al co urt s an ct i o n s t h e affi d av i t , aft er a h eari n g

. 2

2 W e al s o n ot e t h at W i l l i am s fi l ed an affi d av i t o f p o v ert y i n co n n ect i o n wi t h h i s

ap p eal t o t h i s Co u rt

, an d as far as th i s Co u rt can d et erm i n e, th e t ri al co u rt al s o d en i ed

W i ll i am s i n d i g en t st at us wi t h o u t a heari n g

. W e can n o t d et e r m i n e fro m t he reco rd

b efo re us wh et h er W i l l i am s fi l ed a n ot i ce o f ap p eal fro m t h e t ri al c o u r t ’s d en i al o f

t h at p et i t i o n

.

4Ju d

g men t r ever

s ed an d ca s e r ema n d

ed

. Di l l a r d

, P. J., a nd Ri ckma n

, J., c on cu r

.

5