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

De c id e d : Ju n e 1 6 , 2 01 4

S 1 4 A0 6 3 1

. S ELKE, e t a l. v . CARS ON, e t a l.

THOMP S O N, Ch ie f Ju stic e

.
Th e q u e stio n fo r d e c isio n in th is a p p e a l is w h e th e r a

p p e lla n ts we re

re q u ire d to fo llo w th e d isc re tio n a ry a p p e a l p ro c e d u re se t fo rth in OCGA § 5 -6

-
3 5

. We ho ld th a t th e y we re so re q u ire d a n d g ra nt a p p e lle e s’ m o tio n to d ism iss

th e a p p e a l.
Ap p e lla n ts, fo rm e r F o rsy th Co un ty d e p u ty sh e riffs, we re te rm in a te d fro m

th e ir e m p lo y m e nt with o u t n o tic e

. Th e sh e riff c la im e d a p p el l a nts we re

te rm in a te d d u e to a re d u c tio n in fo rc e

. Ap pe lla n ts a sse rte d th e ir te rm in a tio n wa s

a su b te rfu g e fo r p o litic a l re ta lia tio n a n d a g e d isc rim in a tio n

. Ap p e lla n ts’ jo bs we re c o v e r e d b y th e F o rsy th Co u nty Civ il S e rv ic e

S y ste m

. Th e Civ il S e rv ic e Ha n d b o o k re qu ire s th e Bo a rd “to c on du c t h e a rin g s

a n d a p p e a ls a n d re n d e r d e c isio n s a s to a m e m b e r o f th e c iv il se rv ic e sy ste m wh o

c la im s to h a v e b e e n im

p ro p e r l y d e mo te d , su sp e n d e d o r dism isse d .” He a rin g s

a re n o t re q u ire d du e to a

re d u c tio n in fo rc e

.Ap p e lla n ts te n d e re d fo rm a l a p pe a ls to a

p p e lle e C a rso n , th e F o rsy th

Co u n ty P e rso n n e l S e rv ic e s Dire c to r, a n d re q u e ste d th e a p p e a ls b e fo rwa rd e d to

th e Fo rsy th Co u n ty C iv il S e rv ic e B o a rd

. C a rso n d e nie d th e a p p e a ls, o n th e

g ro u n d th a t a la y off is n o t a n a p p e a la b le e v e n t, a n d re fu se d to fo rwa rd th e m to

th e Bo a rd fo r c o n sid e ra tio n

. Ap p e lla n ts file d a p e titio n fo r writ o f ma n da m u s a g a in st a

p p e lle e s,

Ca rso n, th e Bo a rd a n d th e Co u n ty , to c o m p e l Ca rso n to fo rwa rd th e a pp e a ls to

th e Bo ard

. Ap p e lle e s file d a m o tio n to d ism iss th e p e titio n a n d t h e s u p e rio r

c o u r t gra n te d th e m o tio n

. Th e re u p o n , a p p e lla n ts file d a d ire c t a

p p e a l to th is

Co u rt.
Ap p e lle e s h a v e m o v e d to d ism iss th e a p p e a l, a sse rtin g it wa s in c u m b e n t

u p o n a p p e lla n ts to p ro c e e d via d isc re tio n a ry a p p lic a tio n u n d e r OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5

.
We a g re e

.
Ge n e ra lly sp e a kin g , ju d g m e n ts o r o r d e rs g ra n tin g o r re fu sin g to g ra n t

m a n d a m u s a re a p p e a la b le d ire c tly

. OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a ) (7 ). H o we v e r, OCGA
§ 5 -6 -3 5 (a ) (1 ) re q u ire s a n a p p e lla n t to file an a

p p lic a t i o n f

o r a d isc re tio n a ry

a p p e a l fro m a d e c isio n o f a su p e rio r c o u rt re v ie win g th e de c isio n o f a sta te o r

lo c a l a d m in istra tiv e a g e nc y

. Th u s, if t h e u n d e rly in g su b je c t m a tte r o f a

2m a n d a m

u s p e titio n c on c e rn s a n a d m in istra tiv e ru lin g wh ic h is r ev i e w e d b y a

su p e rio r c o u rt, a d ire c t a

p pe a l will n o t lie

. Fe rg u so n v

. Co m p o site S ta te Bo a rd

o f Me dic a l E x a m in e rs, 2 7 5 Ga

. 2 5 5 , 2 5 7 (5 6 4 S E 2 d 7 1 5 ) (2 0 02 ). A n d th is ru le

“ a p p lie s t o a

p p e a ls o f lo c a l g o v e rn m e n ta l d e pa rtme n t d e c isio n s e v e n if n o

a d m in istra tiv e a

p p e a l w a s ta k e n .” Du n la

p v. City of Atla n ta , 2 7 2 G a

. 5 23 , (5 3 1

S E2 d 7 02 ) (2 0 0 0 ) (e m

p h a sis su p p lie d ).

In th is c a se , C a rso n , th e P e rso n ne l S e rv ic e s D ire c to r, m a d e a n

a d m in istra tiv e d e p a rtm e n t de c isio n re fu sin g to fo rwa rd a p p e lla n ts ’ a

p p e a ls to

th e Civ il S e rv ic e Bo a rd

. Be c a u se C a rso n ’s de c isi o n w a s re v ie we d b y th e

su p e rio r c o u r t , it wa s in c u m b e n t u p o n a

p p e lla n ts to p ro c e e d b y d isc re tio n a ry

a p p e a l. Co m

p a re Stro h e c k e r v

. Gwin n e tt Co

. Po lic e De pt., 1 8 2 Ga

. A p p

. 8 5 3 ,
8 5 4 (2 ) (3 5 7 S E2 d 3 0 5) (1 9 8 7 ) ( s up e rio r c o urt re v ie w o f p olic e d e pa rtm e n t

d e c isio n d e n y in g re q u e st to e x p u n g e c rim in a l a n d fin ge rp rin t re c o rd s re q u ire d

d isc re tio n a ry a

p p lic a tio n ) with F u l t o n C o. v

. T-Mo b ile S ou th , 3 0 5 Ga

. Ap p

.
4 6 6 , 4 6 8 -4 6 9 (6 9 9 S E2 d 8 0 2 ) (2 0 1 0 ) (d ire c t a p p e a l wa s p r o p e r b e c a

u se ,

a lth ou g h c o u n ty a tto rn e y d e te rm in e d c la im wa s n o t c o g n iz a b le , th e m a tte r wa s

n e v e r su b m itte d to a n a d m in istra tiv e a ge n c y ).
Ap p e a l d ism isse d . All th e Ju stic e s c on c u r.

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