Court Opinion

ID: 9571136
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:29:16.358332+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:28:38.749206
License: Public Domain

Deen, Presiding Judge,
dissenting.
This appeal was docketed in this court on October 5, 1988. Appellant did not file the required brief and enumeration of errors within 20 days of the docketing, but instead requested and obtained an extension to file such on November 14, 1988. Appellant, however, has failed to file any brief and enumeration of error, despite having been ordered to do so on February 3, 1989.
In Conyers v. State, 183 Ga. App. 591 (359 SE2d 454) (1987), this court declined to dismiss a criminal defendant’s pro se appeal, despite no enumeration of errors or brief having been filed. In Conyers, no extension of time to file was requested or granted, but this court did order the appellant to make the requisite filing after the original due date had passed. If four other judges stood ready to overrule Conyers, I would associate with this endeavor, as all should be fed out of the same spoon.
Nevertheless, the case under consideration differs from Conyers in that the appellant is represented by counsel and an extension to file was requested and granted. Because over seven months have passed since a second or extended due date for filing a brief and enumeration of errors (the first order to file being included in the docketing notice), the appellant’s failure to file works a forfeiture of his appeal. “A convicted party can, by his own conduct or by his conduct in concert with that of his attorney, forfeit his appeal. If a convicted party by his own conduct, or by his conduct in concert with that of *322his attorney, purposefully delays the appeal of his conviction to his own advantage, he forfeits appeal and review of his conviction on the merits by an appellate court.” State v. Denson, 236 Ga. 239, 240 (223 SE2d 640) (1976). Our State Supreme Court has held that where appellant has counsel, the latter may speak exclusively for the former, and his conduct likewise would seem to be the conduct of appellant. The appeal from the trial court should be dismissed.
I am authorized to state that Presiding Judge Banke joins in this dissent.