Court Opinion

ID: 9605205
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:31:42.369127+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:27:35.032780
License: Public Domain

Hill, Justice,
concurring specially.
In 1965, the General Assembly enacted a modern, comprehensive revision of appellate practice and procedure insofar as appeals from the superior and constitutional city courts to the Court of Appeals and this court were concerned. Ga. L. 1965, pp. 18-40. The stated purpose of that Act was to provide a new procedure for appeals "... so as to bring about a decision on the merits of every case appealed, and to avoid dismissal of any case...” Ga. L. 1965, p. 18 at p. 40. (A similar revision of trial practice in courts of record was enacted by the Civil Practice Act of 1966, Ga. L. 1966, p. 609). To date there has been no comparable revision applicable to appeals from inferior judicatories to the superior courts and consequently much confusion continues as regards review *735by the superior courts of lower court decisions. Yield, Inc. v. City of Atlanta, 241 Ga. 593 (247 SE2d 764) (1978); What It Is, Inc. v. Jackson, 242 Ga. 204 (1978).
In 1968 the City of Rockmart’s charter was completely revised. Ga. L. 1968, pp. 3224-3261. The recorder’s court was established and, there being no modern Act for appeals to the superior courts, it was provided that (Ga. L. 1968 at p. 3258) "The right of appeal to the Superior Court of Polk County from the recorder’s court shall lie in the same manner and under the same procedure as generally prescribed for appeals from the Court of Ordinary [now Probate Court].”
Following the charter of the City of Rockmart, appellant took an appeal to the superior court. There the City of Rockmart challenged its own charter (a dangerous if not prohibited practice), saying in effect to this citizen: "You can’t trust our city charter.”
The superior court and this court find the charter provision attacked by the city to be invalid as a special law as to which provision has been made by a general law, to wit: the general law providing for certiorari, Code § 19-101 et seq. Actually the charter provision simply provided for review by a different general law, to wit: the general law providing for appeals from the court of ordinary (now the probate court). Code § 6-201. Since the majority have not seen fit to consider the question of whether a special law which chooses one general law over another is invalidated by the other general law, neither will I because this whole problem needs solution rather than further analysis of peculiarities.
What does one do after losing a case in an inferior judicatory, probate court, recorder’s court, city council court, police court, magistrate’s court, mayor’s court, justice of the peace court, etc.)?1 Appeal? Seek a writ of certiorari? Seek mandamus or prohibition? Seek an injunction? In Toole v. Edmondson & Seay, 104 Ga. 776, *736783-785 (31 SE 25) (1898), Justice Cobb set out 14 rules to be considered in deciding whether to seek certiorari or to appeal. He did not compare certiorari or appeal to mandamus, prohibition, or injunction.
Appellant here was tried and convicted in the Recorder’s Court of violating a city ordinance. In view of this court’s decision in Edmonds v. City of Albany, 242 Ga. 648 (1978), if it is now too late to seek certiorari (see Code § 19-209), then habeas corpus (see Code § 50-101) may be available as a means of review.

According to the Third Annual Report of the Administrative Office of the Courts of Georgia, pp. 24, 28 (1975-1976), there are more than 2,350 of these courts (probate and courts not courts of record).