Court Opinion

ID: 9589606
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:46:44.674663+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:52.564175
License: Public Domain

*868Pannell, Judge,
dissenting. I must dissent from the final conclusions reached in Division 2 of the opinion. There was no waiver of the right of privacy here prior to the institution of the habeas corpus action by the father of the child, a defendant here. While the superior court, as stated in the majority opinion, has continuing jurisdiction “of the subject matter” as it relates to the custody of children, and a different award of custody may be made upon a petition therefor and upon a showing of a change in circumstances, no such situation exists here. The decree awarding the custody to the mother and plaintiff was final between the parties until a new case was filed showing a change of condition. Accordingly, there was no waiver on the part of the plaintiff prior to the habeas corpus action brought by the defendant father.
However, even should I assume, for the purpose of argument only, that all' of the acts committed were done pending the habeas corpus case, I would still be unable to concur with the majority. The spying activities here were done mostly at night and in secret and at times upon the premises of the plaintiff. This type of activity is a crime under the criminal statutes of this State, which prohibit any person going upon or about the premises of another or any private place for the purpose of invading the privacy of another by eavesdropping or secretly observing his activities. Code § 26-2002 (c) (Ga. L. 1967, pp. 844, 846; Code Ann. § 26-2002 (c)). The plaintiff here, even under the rules which the majority apply, is not privileged to waive a violation of the criminal laws of this State. What was carried on here was not a reasonable investigation, but a criminal act under the laws of this State.
If the majority be correct, then in every case of a divorce or separation where there is a final decree granting custody of children to one of the parties, both parties (because of the “continuing jurisdiction”) are given a license to secretly and clandestinely spy upon each other, either for the purpose of proving the one having custody is unfit (for the purpose of bringing a future action) or for the purpose of proving the one not having custody is unfit to be granted custody in case of future litigation on the subject.