Court Opinion

ID: 9897111
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-14 19:07:17.245833+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:14:52.756541
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                        ATLANTA,____________________
                                                 November 13, 2023

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24A0470. TONY SIMS v. BRIA MADDOX.

      In this civil action arising under the Family Violence Act, OCGA § 19-13-1 et
seq., the trial court entered a temporary protective order on May 18, 2023, followed
by a 12-month protective order on June 6, 2023. Respondent Tony Sims later filed a
motion to set aside the June 6 order; the trial court dismissed that motion in an order
entered on July 11, 2023. On July 31, 2023, Sims filed this direct appeal, seeking
review of the May 18 and June 6 orders.1 We lack jurisdiction for multiple reasons.
      First, a notice of appeal must be filed within 30 days of entry of the judgment
or trial court order sought to be appealed. OCGA § 5-6-38 (a). The proper and timely
filing of a notice of appeal is an absolute requirement to confer appellate jurisdiction
on this Court. See Kelly v. State, 311 Ga. 827, 828 (860 SE2d 740) (2021). Sims’s
July 31 notice of appeal was untimely filed 74 days after the May 18 order and 55
days after the June 6 order.
      Second, appeals of orders in domestic relations cases — including actions
arising under the Family Violence Act — must be initiated by filing an application
for discretionary review. See OCGA § 5-6-35 (a) (2), (b); Schmidt v. Schmidt, 270 Ga.
461, 461-462 (1) (510 SE2d 810) (1999), disapproved in part on other grounds by
Gilliam v. State, 312 Ga. 60, 64 (860 SE2d 543) (2021). “Compliance with the

      1
         In his initial notice of appeal, Sims states that he seeks to appeal an order
entered on May 16, 2023, but no such order appears in the record on appeal. We
presume that Sims intended to identify the May 18 order, which is the order entered
closest in time to May 16.
discretionary appeals procedure is jurisdictional.” Smoak v. Dept. of Human
Resources, 221 Ga. App. 257, 257 (471 SE2d 60) (1996). Sims’s failure to follow the
required appellate procedure deprives us of jurisdiction over this direct appeal, which
is hereby DISMISSED.2

                                        Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                               Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                         11/13/2023
                                               I certify that the above is a true extract from
                                        the minutes of the Court of Appeals of Georgia.
                                                Witness my signature and the seal of said court
                                        hereto affixed the day and year last above written.

                                                                                       , Clerk.

      2
         We express no opinion on whether an appeal from the May 18 order also
would be subject to the interlocutory appeal requirements under OCGA § 5-6-34 (b).
To the extent that Sims also seeks to appeal the July 11 dismissal of his motion to set
aside the June 6 order, the appeal remains subject to the discretionary review
procedures under OCGA § 5-6-35 (a) (2) & (b) as a domestic relations matter. For
that reason, we express no opinion on whether any such appeal also is subject to the
discretionary review procedures under OCGA § 5-6-35 (a) (8) & (b) (providing that
“[a]ppeals from orders under subsection (d) of Code Section 9-11-60 denying a
motion to set aside a judgment” must be initiated by filing an application for
discretionary review.