Court Opinion

ID: 9586339
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:09:40.798155+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:29:46.422130
License: Public Domain

Hill, Chief Justice,
dissenting.
We deal here with the rights of a putative father of a child born in wedlock. One of the Code sections upon which the majority relies to establish this father’s right to counsel, OCGA § 15-11-52 (b), applies to children “born out of wedlock.” In my view, we make a serious mistake by expanding this Code section and declaring that putative fathers of children born in wedlock are entitled to the appointment of counsel at state expense. I therefore would affirm the decision of the Court of Appeals.
I am authorized to state that Presiding Justice Marshall and Justice Weltner join in this dissent.