# 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 A0 65 6 . POPE et a l. v

. EADS et a l

.

Th o m as W

. Ead s, D ary l M

. Ev an s, Vi v i an A s bel l

, Jo h n W

. Sm i th

, an d Vi rg i n i a

Herri ck fi l ed t h i s act io n ag ai n s t Bu t t s Co u n t y , Bu tt s Co u n t y Sh eri ff J o s ep h Eu g en e

Po p e, t h e s h eri ff’ s offi ce, an d t h ree d ep u t i es (co ll ect i v el y t h e “ Co u n t y Defen d an t s ”),

as wel l as an i nfo rm an t i n a cri m i n al i n v e s t i g a t i o n

. Th e p l ai n t i ffs al l eg ed t h at t h e

d efen d an t s co n s pi red t o h av e th em u n lawfu l ly arres t ed

, i m p ri s o n ed

, an d p ro s ecu t ed

fo r g am b l i n g an d to d ri ve t h em o u t o f t h e T ex as Ho l d’ Em To u rn am en t b u s i n es s

. Th e

Co u n t y Defen d an t s fi l e d a m o t i on fo r s u m m ary ju d g m en t o n vari o u s g ro u n d s , i n cl u d i n g o ffi ci al an d s ov erei g n i m m u ni t y

. Th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed t h e m o t i on , fi n d i n g

t h at t he Co u n t y D e f

e nd an t s were n o t en t i t l ed t o o ffi ci al i m m u n i t y

. Th e Co u n t y

Defen d an t s fi l ed t h is di rect ap p eal

, arg u i n g t h at offi ci al an d s o v erei g n i m m u n i t y b ars

t h e p l ai n t i ffs ’ cl ai m s

.

On M arch 2 5, 20 1 6

, aft er t h e o p en i n g b ri efs were fi led i n t h i s cas e, t h e

Su p rem e Co u rt o f G e o r g i a i s s u e d a n o p i n i o n h o l d i n g t h a t t h e c o l l a t e r a l o r d e r

d o ct ri n e, wh i ch p ro v id ed a ri g h t o f d i rect ap peal fro m cert ai n i n t erl ocu t o ry

ru l i n g s ,

n o lo n ger ap p l i es t o cas es of s o v erei g n , offi ci al

, q ual i fi ed

, o r o th er i m m u n i t y

. Ri ver a

v. W as h i n g t o n , 2 98 Ga. 77 0

, 7 7 8 n. 7 (7 8 4 SE2 d 7 7 5 ) (2 0 16 ). “ Su ch a ju d i ci al

d et erm i n at i o n p res u m

p t i v el y ap p l i es ret ro act i v el y t o al l cas es i n th e ‘ pi pel i n e’

. . . .”

Mu r p h y v. Mu r p h y , 2 9 5 Ga. 3 7 6

, 3 7 9 (7 6 1 SE2 d 5 3) (2 0 1 4 ) (ci t at i o n o m i t t ed ). Th u s ,
t h e Co u n t y Defen d an t s in th is cas e are req u i red t o fo l l o w t h e i n t erl o cu t ory ap p eal

p ro ced ures o f OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (b ) t o o b t ai n im m ed i at e ap p el l at e rev i ew o f t h ei r

i m m u n it y arg u m en t s

. Becau se t h e Co un t y Defen dan ts fai l ed t o fo l l o w t h e req u i red June 30, 2016ap p el l at e p ro ced u re, t hei r ap p eal i s h ereb y DISM ISSED fo r l ack o f ju ri s d i ct 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 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

. 06/30/2016