SECOND DI VI SI ON

M I LLER, P. J.

, BROWN and GOSS, 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

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Febr uar y 7, 2019



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 8 A1 56 0 . HERBERT v . J O RDAN.

A1 8 A1 56 1 . HERBERT v . GOODEN.

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

In t h es e co n s ol i d at ed ap p eal s

, Dam y era Herb ert ap peal s fro m t h e t ri al co urt ’ s

g ran t o f t we l v e-m o n t h pro tect i v e o rd ers t o M el i s s a J o rd an an d Ch arl es Go o d en

(co l l ect i v el y “ p et i t i o n ers ”). Sh e as s ert s t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred fo r i d en t ical reas on s

i n bo t h cas es b y : (1 ) m o v i n g fo rward wi t h a h eari n g aft er th e cas e h ad b een d i s m i s s ed

as a m at t er o f l aw; (2 ) refu s in g t o p erm i t h er t o m o v e fo rward wi t h h er co u n t ercl ai m

i n t h e s am e h ear i n g ; ( 3 ) g ran t i n g p ro tect i v e o rd ers t h at p ro h i b i t co n t act wi t h t h e

p et i t i o n ers ’ u n i d en ti fi ed ch i l d ren ; an d (4 ) gran t i n g p ro t ect i v e o rd ers t h a t p ro h i b i t

co n tact wi t h t h e p et it i o n ers ’ i m m ed i at e fam i l y m em

b ers

. Bas ed u p o n t h e t ri al co urt ’ sfai l u re t o h o l d a heari n g wi t h i n 3 0 d ay s as req ui red b y O CGA § 1 9 -1 3 -3 (c), we m u s t

rev ers e i ts g ran t o f t w el ve-m o nt h p ro t ect iv e o rd ers t o t h e p et i t i o ners

.

Th e reco rd sh o w s t h at o n No v em ber 2 1

, 2 0 17

, Jo rd an an d Go od en fi l ed

s ep arat e p et i t io n s fo r en t ry o f a “ St al k i n g Tem p o rary Pro t ect i ve Ord er” u n d er OCGA

§ 1 6-5 -9 4

. Th e t ri al co u rt g ran ted t h e ex p art e p et i t i o ns o n t h e sam e day

, an d o rd ered

Herb ert t o ap p ear fo r a h eari n g o n Decem b er 2 0

, 2 0 1 7 (2 9 d ay s l at er). On th e d at e o f

t h e s ch ed u l ed h eari ng

, t h e t ri al co u rt en t ered an o rd er co n t i n u i ng th e h eari n g o n b o th

p et i t i o n s t o Decem

b er 2 6

, 20 1 7 ; t h e o rd er al s o p ro v i d ed th at th e pro v i s i on s o f t h e “ Ex

Part e Pro t ect i v e Ord ers ” wo u l d co n t i n u e i n fu l l effect th ro u g h Decem ber 2 6

, 2 0 1 7.

Th e reco r d co n tai ns n o ev i d en ce t h at t h e p art i es ag reed t o t h i s co n t i n u an ce. On t h e

d ay o f t h e res ch ed u l ed heari n g

, Herb ert fi l ed m o ti on s as ki n g t h e t ri al co u rt to

co n cl u d e t h at th e pet i t i o n s had b een d i s m i s s ed as a m at ter of law p urs u an t t o OCGA

§ 1 9 -1 3 -3 (c). Th e t ri al co u rt n o n et h el es s h el d t h e s ch ed u l ed h eari n g an d i ss u ed t h e

t wel v e-m o n th p ro t ect i v e o rd ers at i s s ue i n t h i s cas e.

1

. St al k i n g p ro t ect i v e o rd ers i s su ed u n d er OCGA § 16- 5-9 4 an d § 1 9 -1 3 -3 m u s t

co m p l y wi t h t h e req u i rem en t t h at a h eari n g b e h el d wi t h i n 3 0 d ay s o f t h e fi l i n g o f a

p et i t i o n fo r a pro t ect i v e o rd er. In t h i s heari n g

, “ th e p et i t i o n er m u s t p ro v e t h e

al l eg at i o n s o f t h e p et i t i o n b y a p rep o n d eran ce o f t h e ev i d en ce as in ot h er ci v i l cas es .”

2OCGA § 1 9 -1 3 -3 (c). See al s o OCGA § 1 6 -5 -9 4 (e); W hi t e v. Ra i n es

, 3 31 Ga. Ap p.

8 5 3

, 8 5 5 -8 5 6 (1 ) (7 7 1 SE2 d 5 0 7 ) (2 0 1 5 ) (p h y s i cal preced en t on l y ). “ If a heari n g i s

n o t h el d wi t h i n 3 0 day s of t h e fi l i n g o f t h e p et i t io n

, t h e p et i t i on s h al l s t an d d i s m i s s ed

u n l es s t h e p art i es o t h erwi s e ag ree.” OCGA § 1 9 -1 3-3 (c). In t h i s cas e, t h e t ri al co urt ’ s

fai l u re t o m eet t h e 3 0 -d ay h eari n g req u i rem en t res u l t ed i n a d i s m i s s al o f t h e pet i t i on s

as a m at t er o f l aw. W

h i t e

, s u p ra, 3 3 1 Ga. Ap p

. at 8 5 6 (1 ); Peeb les v. Cl a xt on

, 3 2 6 Ga.

Ap p

. 5 3

, 5 5 (1 ) (7 5 5 SE2 d 8 6 1 ) (2 0 1 4 ) (p h y s i cal preced e n t o n l y ). Acco rd i n g l y

, i t

l ack ed au t h o ri t y t o is s u e t h e t wel v e-m o nt h p ro tect i v e o rd ers fo l l owi n g a h eari n g h el d

3 5 d ay s aft er t h e p et i ti o n s w ere fi l ed

. W h i te

, s u p ra, 3 3 1 Ga. Ap p

. at 8 5 6 (1 ). Cf. In t h e

In t er es t o f I. L. M.

, 30 4 Ga. 1 1 4 (8 1 6 SE2 d 6 2 0 ) (2 0 18 ) (rev ers i n g t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er

p l aci ng ch il d i n cu st o d y o f t h e D e p a rt m en t o f Fam i l y an d Ch i l d ren Serv i ces b as ed

u p o n th e t ri al co u rt ’ s fai l ure t o co m p l y wi t h a s t at u t ory m a n d a t e to ho l d a h eari n g

wi t h i n 6 0 d ay s an d s t at u t e p ro v i d i n g t h at p et i t i o n al leg i n g d ep en d en cy m ay b e

d i s m i s s ed i f h eari ng n ot t i m el y ).

2

. Bas ed u p on o ur h o l d i n g i n Di v i s io n 1

, we n eed n o t ad d r e s s Herb ert ’ s

rem ai n i n g cl ai m s o f erro r.

Ju d g men t s r ever s ed . Mi l l er , P. J., a n d Go s s , J., co ncu r

.

3