Court Opinion

ID: 9900821
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-20 16:03:50.507623+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:21:18.826172
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                         ATLANTA,____________________
                                                  November 20, 2023

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24D0128. THE RETAIL PROPERTY TRUST v. TYREESE RASHUN
    BROWN et al.

      Tyreese Rashun Brown and Shakeria King were arrested and charged with a
shooting at Lenox Square Mall. In the pending criminal case, the owner and operator
of the mall, The Retail Property Trust, filed a non-party motion to unseal records
relating to the defendants. See OCGA § 42-8-62.1. On August 10, 2023, the trial
court entered an order denying the motion to unseal, and Retail Property Trust
thereafter filed this discretionary application on October 25, 2023. We lack
jurisdiction.
      As a threshold matter, no provision of the discretionary application statute
applies to the trial court’s order. See OCGA § 5-6-35 (a).1 Ordinarily, this Court will
grant a timely discretionary application if the lower court’s ruling is subject to direct
appeal. See OCGA § 5-6-35 (j). However, the application for a discretionary appeal
must be filed within 30 days of the order being appealed. See OCGA § 5-6-35 (d).
      Here, Retail Property Trust filed its application more than two months after
entry of the order it seeks to appeal. Uniform Superior Court Rule 21.5 provides that

      1
         Pursuant to Uniform Superior Court Rule 21.4, an order limiting access to
court files “may be reviewed by interlocutory application to the appellate court that
has jurisdiction to hear the appeal.” However, the Georgia Supreme Court has
explained that this language does not “import the full procedural structure” of
interlocutory appeals, such that “there is no need for a certificate of immediate
review,” and the expedited time limits imposed by our interlocutory appeal procedure
set forth in OCGA § 5-6-34 (b) do not apply. In re Motion of Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, 269 Ga. 589, 589 (502 SE2d 720) (1998).
“an order limiting access may be reviewed . . . by the appropriate appellate court at
any time[.]” To the extent that Retail Property Trust relies on Uniform Superior Court
Rule 21.5 to provide a more generous deadline for filing an application, the court rule
conflicts with OCGA § 5-6-35 (d) and must yield to the statute. See Coastal Plains
Trucking Co. v. Thomas County Fed. S & L Assn., 224 Ga. App. 885, 886 (482 SE2d
493) (1997); see also Uniform Superior Court Rule 1; Boyle v. State, 190 Ga. App.
734, 734 (380 SE2d 57) (1989) (“The requirements of OCGA § 5-6-35 are
jurisdictional and this court cannot accept an appeal not made in compliance
therewith.”).
      Because this application was not filed within 30 days of the trial court’s order,
it is untimely, and this Court is without jurisdiction to consider it. See Crosson v.
Conway, 291 Ga. 220, 220 (1) (728 SE2d 617) (2012). Accordingly, this application
is hereby DISMISSED.

                                        Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                               Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                         11/20/2023
                                               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.