SECOND DI VI SI ON

BA RNES, P. J.

, BOGGS and RI CKM A N, 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.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

A ugust 12, 2016



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 6 A1 03 4 . FLOYD v . BROW N.

B A R N E S , Pres i d i n g J ud g e.

Sh au n t i a Fl o y d ap p eal s fro m t h e ord er of t h e t ri al co u rt award i n g s o l e l eg al an d

p h y s i cal cu s t o d y o f h er t wo ch i l d ren t o t h e ch i l dren ’ s fat h er, J erm ai n e Bro wn

. Up o n

o u r rev i ew, we affi rm

.

A p et i t i on t o ch an g e ch i l d cu s to dy s h ou l d b e g ran t ed o n l y i f th e

t ri al co u rt fi n ds t h at t h ere h as b een a m at eri al ch an g e o f co n d i t i o n

aff e c t i n g t h e wel fare o f t h e ch i l d si nce t h e l as t cu s t o d y award

. If t h ere

h as b een s uch a ch an g e, t h en t h e co u rt s ho u l d b as e it s n ew cu s t o d y

d ec i s i on o n t h e b es t in teres t o f t he ch i l d

. Th e ev i den ce s uffi ci en t t o

warran t a m o d i fi cat i o n o f cu st o dy can co n s i s t o f a c h an g e in m at eri al

co n d i t i o n s wh i ch h av e a p o s i t i v e effect o n t h e ch i l d ’ s wel fare as wel l as

ch an g es wh i ch ad v ers el y affect t h e ch i l d

.

( C i t at i on s an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed .) Vi s ku p v. Vi s ku

p

, 29 1 Ga. 1 03

, 1 0 5 ( 1 ) ( 7 2 7

SE2 d 9 7 ) (2 0 1 2). See al s o OCGA § 1 9 -9 -3 (b ). “ A t ri al co u rt faced wi t h a pet i t i o n fo r

m o di fi cat i o n o f ch i l d cu s t o d y i s ch arg ed wi t h ex erci s i n g i t s d i s cret i o n t o d et erm i n ewh at i s i n t h e ch i l d’ s bes t i n t eres t .” (Ci t at i o n an d pu n ct uat i on o m i t t ed

. ) Bl u m en s h i n e

v. Ha l l , 3 2 9 Ga. Ap p . 4 4 9 , 4 5 0 (1 ) (7 65 SE2 d 6 4 7 ) (2 0 1 4 ). M oreo v er,

[a] co u rt ’ s d et erm i n at i o n t h at t h ere h as b een a m at eri al ch an ge i n

c o nd i t i o n s up p o rt i n g a m o d i fi cat i o n o f cu s t o d y wi l l b e affi rm e d o n

ap p eal ab s en t ab u s e of d i s cret i o n, an d wh ere t h ere i s a n y e v i d e n ce t o

s u p p o rt t h e t ri al co urt ’ s ru l i n g

, a rev i ewi n g co u rt can n o t s ay t h ere w as

an ab u s e o f d i s cret i o n

.

(Ci t at i o n an d p u nct u at io n o m i tt ed .) Id

.

Th e reco rd refl ect s th at Bro wn an d Fl o y d were m arri ed i n 2 0 0 9, an d d i v o rced

i n 2 01 0

. A ft er t h e d i v o rce, Fl o y d was award ed s o le leg al an d p h y s i cal cu s t o d y o f t h ei r

t wo ch i ld ren wh o were b o rn b efo re t h e co u p le m arri ed

. 1 Th e t wo ch i l d ren were p l aced

i n Bro wn ’ s t em

p orary cu s t od y a f

t er Fl o y d w as i n carcerat ed fo r ag grav at ed as s au l t

,

ag g rav at ed b at t ery

, an d cru el t y t o ch i l dren aft er al l eg ed l y break i n g th e arm o f o n e o f

h er o t h er ch i ld ren

. 2 On J ul y 2 8

, 2 0 14

, t h e ch i l d ren were ret u rn ed t o Fl o y d’ s cu s t o d y

,

aft er wh i c h

, o n Sep tem

ber 3 0

, 2 0 1 4

, Bro wn fi l ed a co m p l ai n t fo r m od i fi cat i o n o f

cu s t o d y an d ch i l d s up p o rt fo r pri m ary p h y s i cal cu s t od y o f t h e ch i l dren

. Bro wn l at er

1 Bro wn ’ s pet i t i o n to l eg i t i m at e t h e t wo ch i l dren was g ran t ed i n No v em b er o f

2 0 0 9

.

2 Fl o y d h as fi v e o l d er ch i l d ren wh o are n o t Bro w n ’ s ch i ld ren

.

2am en d ed t h e co m pl ai n t to s eek “ s o l e l eg al an d p h y s i cal cu s to d y ” o f t h e ch i l d ren

. On

M arch 31

, 2 0 1 5

, aft er Fl o y d fai l ed t o ap p ear fo r a 3 0 -d ay s t at u s co nferen ce, t h e t ri al

co u rt en t e r e d a tem

p o rary o rd er fi n d i n g t h at “ [u ] p o n ev i den ce p res en t ed

. . . i t i s in

t h e b es t i n t eres t o f t h e

. . . c h i l d ren

. . . t h at [Bro wn ] h av e s ol e l eg al an d p h y s i cal

cu s t o d y o f t h e m i n o r ch i l d ren .”

Fo l l owi n g a h eari n g

, wh i ch i s n o t i n cl u d ed i n t h e reco rd

, t he t ri al co u rt g ran t ed

Bro w n s o l e l eg a l an d p h y s i cal cu st o dy o f t h e ch i l d ren i n a fi nal o rd er en t ered o n

No v em b er 1 8

, 2 0 15

. 3 In i t s fi n al o rd er, t h e t r i al co u rt n o t ed t hat Fl o y d h ad b een

arres t ed “ m

u l t i p l e ti m es ” si n ce t h e o ri g i n al cu s to d y d et erm i n at i o n

, i n cl u d i n g arres t s

fo r b at t ery

, h aras s i n g p h o n e cal l s , cri m i n al tres p as s

, reck l es s co nd u ct

, an d h er m o s t

recen t arres t f

o r a g g r a v at ed as s au l t

, ag g rav at ed b at t ery

, an d cru el t y t o ch i l d ren

. It

fu rt her fo u n d t hat

, i n co n t ras t

, Bro wn h ad a s afe an d s t ab l e h o m e fo r t h e ch i l d ren

, n o

h i s t o ry o f arres t s , an d was em p l o y ed wi th a s t ab le jo b an d i nco m e.

1

. Th i s Co u rt h as co n s i s t en t l y warn ed p ro s e ap p el l an ts ab o u t t h e h azard s

i n h eren t i n p ro ceed i n g p ro s e o n ap p eal

. Cen t ral t o t h os e w arn i n g s i s t h at

“ [p ] ro ceed i n g p ro s e d o es n o t rel i ev e [Fl o y d ] o f [h er] o b l i g at i o n t o co m pl y wi t h t h e

ru l es o f th i s Co u rt .” Go o d ma n v. S t a t e

, 3 1 3 G a. Ap p. 2 9 0, 2 9 1 (7 1 7 SE2 d 4 9 6 )

3 Fl o y d was p res en t at t h e h eari ng an d rep res en t ed h ers el f.

3(2 0 1 1). “ Ou r req u i rem en t s as t o t h e fo rm of ap p el l at e bri efs were creat e d

, n o t to

p ro v id e an o b s t acl e, bu t t o ai d p art i es i n p res en t i n g t h ei r arg um en t s i n a m an n er m o s t

l i kel y t o b e fu l l y an d effi ci e n t l y c o m p reh en d ed b y th i s Co u rt .” A l d al a s s i v.

Dr u m mo n d , 2 2 3 Ga. Ap p

. 1 9 2 (1 ) (4 7 7 SE2 d 3 7 2 ) (1 9 9 6).

Here, th ere i s n o s t at em en t o f t h e p ro ceed i n g s b el o w, n o s t at em en t o f fact s

, n o r

i s th ere o n e s p eci fi c referen ce t o t h e reco rd o r t ran s cr i p t i n t h e en t i ret y o f Fl o y d ’ s

ap p el l at e b ri ef. Th e b ri ef d o es n o t co n t ai n an y ap preci a b l e e n u m erat ed erro rs

,

arg u m en t o r su b s t an t iv e l eg al an al y s i s

. Es p ec ial l y t ro ub l i n g i n t h is cas e i s t h at

Fl o y d ’ s ap p el l at e “ b ri ef” i s a t wo -p ag e fo rm d o cu m en t wh i ch

, al t h o u g h p u rp o rt ed l y

fo l l o w i n g t h e s t r u ct u re p res cri b ed fo r ap p el l at e b ri efs as o u t l i n ed i n o u r ru l es

, fai l s

t o p ro v id e t h e req u ired co n t en t o f an ap p el l at e bri ef. 4 See Co urt o f A p p eal s Ru l es 2 5

(a), (c). Th e fi rs t l i n e o f t h e d o cu m en t

, d en o t ed as “ Fo rm 7 ” an d t i tl ed

, “ Bri ef o f

Ap p el l an t ,” s t at es

, “ COM ES NOW Ap p el l an t

_ _ _ _ __ _ [Pl ai n t i ff/ Defen d an t ] b el o w,

an d fi l es t h i s b ri ef o n ap peal .” Th e fo rm h as fo u r d i v i s io n s : “ Part On e Fact s ,” “ Part

Two En u m erat i o n s o f Erro r,” “ Part Th ree St an dard Rev i ew,” an d

, l a s t

, “ Arg u m en t

an d Ci t at i o n o f Au t h o ri t i es .” Th ere i s a s p ace wi t h bet ween fi v e o r s i x l in e s u n d er

each d iv i s i on

, an d Fl o y d han d wro t e i n fo rm at i o n i n t h e s p ace al l o tt ed fo r each s ect i o n.

4 Th e s eco n d p ag e o f t h e d o cu m en t i s t h e cert ifi cat e o f s erv i ce.

4In t h e s p ace p ro vi d ed fo r t h e s ect i o n en t i t led “ Part On e Fact s ,” t h e b ri ef s t at es

i n t ot al :

On t h e 2 8 t h d ay o f J u l y 2 0 1 4

. . . Fl o y d was award ed back cu s t o d y o f m y

t wo ch i l d ren

. . . fro m t h em l i v i n g t em p o rari l y w i th

. . . Bro wn fro m m e

b ei n g i n carcerat ed o n fel o n y ch an g es fro m m y d au g h t er [K. F.]

. Th ere

was an g er m an ag e m e n t i n p l ace, p s y ch o l o g ical

, p aren t al fi t n es s

ev al uat io n, d om es t i c v i o l en ce ev al u at i on , et c.

Un d er t h e s ect io n en ti t l ed “ Part Two En u m erat i o n o f Erro rs ” i s wri t t en :

J e r m a i n e Bro wn fat h er o f m y t wo ch i l d ren

. . . fi l ed a m o d i fi cat i o n o f

cu s t od y b ack o f h i s t wo ch i l d ren becau s e h e d i d n ’ t l i ke o r accep t t h e fact

t h at cu s to d y w a s ret u rn ed b ack to m e

. . . . So u n fai rl y h e fi l es al l t y pe

o f p ap er fro m Dek al b t o Fu l t o n Co u n t y w i t h al l t hes e [i l l eg i b l e] ex cu ses

t o wi n cu s t o d y

o f m y b ab i es

.

In t h e s p ace p ro v i d ed fo r t h e “ Part Th ree St an d ard o f Rev i ew” Fl o y d s t at es :

Du e t o s u b st an t ial reas o n s o f cu s t o d y b ei n g t u rn ed ov er t o t h e fat her. .

. t h e cas e was n o t t ho ro u g h l y or co m p l et el y ev al u at ed

, n ei t h er w as

[t here] a m at t er t h at I was fo u n d o r d eem ed t o b e u n fi t t o p aren t m y

ch i l d ren

. He was ju s t g ran t ed l eg al

, p h y s i cal

. an d so l e cu s t o d y o f t h e t wo

o f o u r k i d s

. . . .

An d i n th e s p ace u n d er t h e s ect i o n en t i tl ed “ Arg u m en t an d Ci t at io n o f Au th o ri t y ,” t h e

b ri ef s im p l y s t at es :

5J erm ai n e’ s at t orn ey

. . . arg u ed t h at m y t wo s o n s an d I h ad cri m i nal

cas es

, wh i ch d i d n ’ t h av e an y t h i n g t o d o wi t h an y p h y s i cal h arm o r t h reat

t o t h e m i no r k i ds

. . . . [A] l s o t h e [g uard i an ] ad l it em u s ed m y

i n fo rm at i o n as h er fo rm

o f d eci s i o n b as ed o n o t h er al l eg at i o ns et c.

W h i l e cert ai n l y fo rm d o cu m en t s can s o m et i m es p ro v i d e h el p fu l g u i d an ce in

cert ai n ro u t i n e l eg al m at t ers

, es p eci al l y i f t h ere i s i n fo rm ed h el p i n fi l l in g o u t t h e

fo rm

, i t is cl ear t hat i n t h i s cas e, Fl o y d d i d n o t u n d ers t an d t h e act u al co n t en t req u i red

fo r each p art o f an ap p el l at e b ri ef. In s t ead

, s h e rel i ed on t h e fal s e as s um p t i o n t h at by

wri t in g s o m et h i n g in each sect i o n o f t h e “ Bri ef o f Ap p el l an t” fo rm

, s he was s at i s fy i n g

o u r ap p el l at e b ri ef req u i rem en t s

. W e rei terat e t h at p ro ceed i ng p ro s e d o es n ot rel i ev e

Fl o y d o f t h e o b l i g at i o n t o co m pl y wi t h ru les o f t hi s Co u rt

. Go o d ma n , 3 13 Ga. Ap p.

at 2 9 1

. See Co u rt o f Ap p eal s Ru l e 2 5 (a) (an ap p el lan t ’ s b ri ef “ s h al l co n t ai n a

s u cci n ct an d accu rat e s t at em en t o f t h e pro ceed i n g s bel o w an d th e m at eri al fact s

rel ev an t t o t h e ap p eal an d t h e c i t at i o n o f s u ch p art s o f t h e reco rd o r tran s cri pt

es s en t i al t o a co n s id erat i o n o f t h e erro rs co m p l ai n ed o f

”); Ru l e 2 5 (c) (2 ) (“ An y

en u m erat i o n o f erro r wh i ch is n o t s up p o rt ed i n th e b ri e f b y c i t at i o n o f au t h o ri t y o r

arg u m en t m ay b e d e e m e d ab an d o ned .”); an d Ru l e 2 5 (c) (2 ) (i ) (“ Each en u m erat ed

erro r s h al l b e s up p o rt ed i n th e b ri ef by s p eci fi c referen ce t o t h e reco rd o r t ran s cri p t

.

6In th e ab s e n c e o f s u ch referen ce, t he Co u rt wi l l n ot s earch fo r o r co ns i d er s u ch

en u m erat i o n .”).

Ho wev er, o u r Su p rem e Co u rt h as em ph as i zed t h at

[i ] n ad d i t io n to t h e s tat u t o ry m an d at e th at t h e [Ap pel l at e Pract i ce Act ]

b e “ l i b eral l y

co n s tru ed s o as t o b ri n g ab o u t a d eci s io n o n th e m eri t s o f

ev ery cas e ap p eal ed an d to av o i d

... refu s al t o co n s i der an y p o i n t s rai s ed

t h erei n ” (OCGA § 5 -6 -3 0 ), t h e l eg is l at ure, i n en act i n g OCGA § 5 -6 -4 8

(f), h as i m

p o s ed o n t h e ap p el l at e co u rt s a s t at u t o ry d u t y t o d is cern wh at

erro rs an ap p el l an t i s at t em p t i n g t o art icu l at e.

Fel i x v. S t a t e

, 2 7 1 Ga. 5 3 4

, 53 8 (5 2 3 SE2 d 1 ) (1 9 99 ). Fu rt h er O CGA § 5 -6 -4 8 (f)

d i rect s t h at

[ w ]h e r e i t i s ap paren t fro m t h e no t i ce o f ap p eal

, t h e reco rd

, th e

en u m erat i o n o f erro rs

, o r an y co m b i n a t i o n o f th e fo reg o i n g

, wh at

ju d g m en t or ju d g m en t s were ap p eal ed fro m o r wh at erro rs are s o u g h t t o

b e as s ert ed u p o n ap p eal

, t h e ap p eal s hal l b e co n s i dered i n acco rd an ce

t h erewi th n ot wi t h s t an d in g t h at

. . . t h e en u m er a t i o n o f e r r o rs f a i l s t o

en u mer at e cl ea r l

y t h e er r o r

s s o u g h t t o b e r evi ewed

.

(Em p h as i s s u p p li ed .)

M i n dfu l o f t h i s d i rect i o n, Fl o y d ap p ears t o as s ert o n ap p eal t h at t he tri al co u rt

erred i n g ran t i n g Bro wn ’ s p et i t i o n fo r m o di fi cat i o n o f cu s t o d y an d ch i l d s u p p o rt

.

7Ho wev er, an y cl ai m of erro r fo u n d t o b e u n su p p o rt ed b y au th o ri t y o r arg u m en t wi l l

b e d eem ed ab an d o n ed u n d er Ru l e 2 5 (c ) ( 2 )

. A dditiona ll y

, n o twi th s t an d i n g h er fai l u re

t o p ro v i d e an y co g n i zan t su p p o rt fo r t h i s cl ai m

, we al s o n o t e t h at “ [i ] n acco rd an ce

wi t h t h e pres u m

p t i on o f t h e reg u l ari t y

o f co urt p ro ceed i n gs , we m u s t as s u m e i n t h e

ab s en ce o f a t ran s cri p t t h at t h ere was s u ffi ci en t c o m p et en t ev i d en ce t o s u p p o rt t h e

t ri al co u rt ’ s fi n di ng s

. ” (Ci t at i o n s an d p u n ct u at i on o m it t ed .) Reed v. Reed

, 2 9 5 Ga.

5 7 4 , 5 7 8 (2 ) (7 6 1 SE2 d 3 26 ) (2 0 1 4 ).

Acco rd i ng l y

, b as ed u p on t h e ev i d en ce d es cri b ed i n i t s o rd er, t h e t ri al co u rt was

au t h o ri zed t o co n cl u d e t h at t here h ad b een a m at eri al ch an g e i n co n d i t i o n s i n ce t h e

p art i es ’ d i v o rce s u pp o rt i n g a m o d i fi cat i o n o f cu st o d y an d t h at i t w as i n t h e b es t

i n t eres t o f t h e ch il d ren fo r cu s to d y t o b e award ed t o Bro w n

. S e e B l u men s h i n e, 3 2 9

Ga. Ap p

. at 4 5 0 (1 ); s ee al s o Vi nes v. Vi n es

, 2 9 2 Ga. 55 0

, 5 5 2 (7 39 SE2 d 3 7 4) (2 0 1 3 )

(“ W h ere t h ere i s an y ev id e n c e t o s u p p o rt t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s ru l i ng

, a rev iewi n g co u rt

can n ot s ay

t h ere was an ab u s e o f d i s cret io n

. ”)

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Bo g

g s a n d Ri ckma n , JJ., co ncu r

.

8