Court Opinion

ID: 9571441
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 20:31:48.359667+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:30:26.725307
License: Public Domain

Beasley, Judge,
concurring specially.
The court has adopted a policy of combing the record in criminal appeals which have not been pursued, rather than dismissing them, as is done in other cases. Then, instead of appointing counsel to represent the appellant in such cases, or even inquiring whether appellant is entitled to appointed counsel,1 the court undertakes to re*461present the appellant directly and then decides the case on at least the general grounds. This requires the State, as the opposite party, to file a responsive brief without even an enumeration of error to address. I disagree with this policy, as it casts the court in the additional role of advocate, which is not assigned to it, and it gives the appellant who takes no action an advantage which the appeal-pursuing appellant does not have. See Lee v. State, 203 Ga. App. 487, 489 (417 SE2d 426) (1992) (dissent); Allen v. State, 192 Ga. App. 320, 322 (385 SE2d 29) (1989) (dissent); Golden v. State, 190 Ga. App. 477, 480 (379 SE2d 230) (1989) (dissent); Conyers v. State, 183 Ga. App. 591, 592 (359 SE2d 454) (1987) (dissent); DeBroux v. State, 176 Ga. App. 81, 82 (335 SE2d 170) (1985) (dissent).
Decided November 24, 1992.
Susan I. Sarver, pro se.
Ralph T. Bowden, Jr., Solicitor, Andrew T. Rogers, Cliff Howard, *462Assistant Solicitors, for appellee.
*461If it is an attempt to avoid a habeas corpus action in the future, it very well may not do so, as it does not necessarily foreclose grounds not created by the court and ruled on in the direct appeal.
Appellant in this case has not only failed to pursue her appeal; she has also failed to obey court orders regarding it.
After the appeal was docketed in this court and appellant had gained an extension of time, she failed to file an enumeration of error or brief within the time extended by order. Consequently, the court ordered appellant, under Rules 14 (a), 23 and 27 (b), to file such by May 6. The order indicated that failure to do this, absent good cause, “may result in dismissal of the appeal and may subject the offender to contempt.”
Another extension was sought and given, to May 13, and still no required enumerations or brief were filed. Appellee sought dismissal, but the court denied it. Appellant was not required to show cause why she should not be held in contempt and/or why the appeal should not be dismissed.
Months later, on August 18, the court issued an order identifying three issues it “requested” the parties to brief within 20 days. Only the appellee responded. Thus it appears that, at the least, appellant abandoned the appeal.
Nevertheless, I am bound by the court’s policy and, upon the review of the record which the court undertakes, I agree that the evidence does not show “repeated” harassing phone calls on April 18 but rather only that the repeat call in this venue was on April 18, the date alleged in the accusation.

 Appellant expressly waived the services of the public defender below.