### FI LED U.S. COURT O F APP EALS ELEVENTH CIRCUIT APRIL 2, 20 03 THO MAS K. KAH N CL ERK [PUBLIS H] IN THE UN ITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FO R T HE EL EV EN TH CIRC UI T

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ N o. 02- 1544 8 Non-A rgum ent Calendar

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ D. C. Dock etNo. 9 8- 02 37 3- CV-ODE CONTINENTAL CASUALTY COMPANY, Plaintiff-Appellee,
ve rs us BARBARA F. ADAMO, Individ ually

and in her capacity

as Adm inistrator of the Estate of SHANA SLAKMAN, SH ERW IN GL AS S, D ef en dants -Appe lle es , BARRY S. SLAKMAN, D ef en dant- Appe llant.

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ Appeal f rom the United State s District Court fo r the N orthe n D istri ct

of G eo rg ia

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _ (A pr il 2, 200 3) Be fo re A N D E RS O N , BL A CK

a nd W IL SO N , Ci rc uit

Jud ge s.2

PE R CU RIA M: Barr y S
. S la km an , pr oc ee din g pr o se , appe al s th e dis tr ic t c ourt’ s gr an t of
summ ary j udgm ent in favor of Bar bara F . A dam o, Sher

win G lass, and Continental Casualty Co. in Continental’ s interpleader ac tion. The district court found that Sl akm anw as pr ohi bit ed

f ro m r ec ove ri ng l if

e ins ur an ce be ne fi ts unde r se ct ion33- 25-13 of the Code of Georgia, because he w as convicted of m urdering his wife, the ins ur ed
. S la km an , how ev er , a sse rt s th at se ct ion33- 25- 13 d oe s no t pr ohi bit
re co ve ry unt il his c onvi ct ionbe co m es “ fi na l” und er state law . A s th is c as e tur ns on an im portant que sti on o f state lawf or w hic h th er e is n o c ontro lli ng p re ce de nt,
w e ce rt if y the que sti on t o th e G eo rg iaS upr em e Co urt f or r es olu tio n. Shana Slakm an, S lakm an’ s wife and Adam o and Glass’ s daught er, wa s insured un der a life insurance policy issued to Slakm an by

Continental, under
w hic h S la km anw as the be ne fi ci ar y . A ft er S la km anw as ind ic te d f

or the m ur de r of his w if e, Co nti ne nta l i nit ia te d th is i nte rp le ad er a ct ionin the dis tr ic t c ourt t o r e s o l v e c o n f

l i c t i n g c l a i ms t o t h e b e n e f i t s u n d e r t h a tp o l i c y. Sl akm anini tia lly

w as c onvi ct ed

of m ur de ri ng h is w if

e in 1 994. S hortly the re af te r, the dis tr ic t c our

t gr an te d su m

m ar y j udgm en t i n f

av or of Co nti ne nta l, A da m o, a nd G la ss, f

ind ing that se ct ion33- 25- 13 b ar re d S la km an ’ s r ec ove ry

of be ne fi ts unde r the pol ic y . W e, how ev er , r ev er se d th e dis tr ic t c ourt’ s gr an t of3

s u m m ar y ju d g m en t , b ec au s e, du ri n g t h e p en d en cy o f t h e ap p ea l , S l ak m an ’s
co nv ic ti on was v acat ed
. See Co nt ’l C as . Co. v. Ad

amo , 11th C ir
. 200 0, __ F . 3d _

_ (N o. 00- 1059 4, A ug. 29, 200 0)
. O n r em an d, the dis tr ic t c ourt st ay ed the c as e pe ndi ng S la km an ’ s r etri al f or the m ur de r, a nd, a ft er

S la km anw as r etri ed

a nd reconvicted, the par

ties renew ed their m otion for sum m ary j udgm ent. T he district
co urt, a gr ee ing that S la km anf or fe ite d a ll ri ght s un de r the pol ic y , gr an te d th e m oti on. T his appe al f

oll ow ed
.

“ Indiv er sity

c as es , af ed er al c ourt a

ppl ie s th e lawof

the f or um in w hic h it sits.” La To rre v . Co nn. M ut. L ife I ns. Co
. , 38 F.3d 53 8, 5 40 (11 th Cir . 19 94 ).

“ Where[, however, ] there is any doub t as to the application of state law , a feder al
co urt sh oul d c er

tif y the que sti on t o th e state sup re m e co urt t o a voi d m ak ing
u n n e c e s s a ry Erie gue sse s and t o of fe r the state c ourt the opp ortun ity to int er pr et or change existing law .” Ke en er v . Co nv er

gy s C orp. , 312 F. 3d 12 36, 1241 (11t h Cir. 2002 ) (per

curiam ) (internal quotation m arks om itted). Se ct ion33- 25- 13 p ro vid es , N o pe rs on w ho c om

m its m ur de r or vol unt ar y m an sla ught er or w ho c onsp ir es . . . to co m m it m ur de r sha ll re ce ive a ny

be ne fi ts f

ro m an y ins ur an ce pol ic y

on the li fe of

the de ce as ed , e ve n th oughthe person so k illing or conspiring be nam ed beneficiar y in the insu rance policy
. A plea of guiltyor a ju dic ial fi ndi ng o f gu ilt not re ve rse d or otherwise set aside as to an y of suc h c ri m es sha ll be pr im a fa ci e ev ide nc e of

gui lt in d et er

m ini ng r igh ts unde r thi s C ode se ct ion
. A ll4

ri ght , int er es t, e state , a nd p ro ce ed s insuc h an in sur an ce pol ic y sha ll go t o th e oth er

he ir s of the de ce as ed

w ho m ay be e nti tle d th er et o by the laws of desc ent and distrib ution of this state, unless secondary beneficiarie s be nam ed in the poli cy , in w hich event such secon dary beneficiarie s shall take. O. C.G .A . § 33-25-13 (em phasis add ed). U nder that statute, it is unclear w hether an indiv idual m

ust be giv en the oppo rtunity to challenge his conv iction on direct ap pe al or by c oll at er al ly

a tta ck ing his se nte nc e be fo re he is barr ed f ro m r ec ove ri ng lif e ins ur an ce be ne fi ts. Mo re ove r, ar ev ie wof G eo rg iac as e lawind ic at es that this iss ue ha s no t be ena ddr es se d di re ct ly by the c ourts. As this case pre sents an im portant issu e of G eorgia lawthat has not been ad dr es se d by

the G eo rg iaS upr em e Co urt, w e ce rt if y the f oll ow ing que sti on t o th e Geo rg ia Supr em e Co ur t: W HETHER SECTION 33 -2 5- 13 OF THE CODE OF GEORGIA BARS AN INDIVIDUAL FROM RECEIVI NG BENEFITS UNDER A MU RDE R V ICT IM’ S L IFE IN SU RAN CE PO LI CY BE FO RE HI S CONVICTION AND SENTEN CE BECOME “ FINAL” UNDER STATE L AW
. Inso d oin g, w e do n ot i nte nd t o r es tr ic t the c ourt’ s c onsi de ratio n of the iss ue pr es en te d. “ T his la tit

ude e xte nds to the S upr em e Co urt’ s r es ta te m en t of the iss ue or issues and th e m anner in which the answ ers ar e given.” W ashb urn v. R abun , 755 F. 2d 1 404, 140 6 ( 11th C ir
. 198 5)
. T o a ssi st the c ourt i n c onsi de ri ng this5

que sti on, the r ec or d inthi s c as e an d th e part ie s’ br ie fs sha ll be tr an sm itt ed to the
co urt. QUESTION CERTIFIED.