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2018 Georgia Code 15-3-1 | Car Wreck Lawyer

Link to State of Georgia Official Statute 2018 Georgia Code Annotated (sourced from legal.resource.org)
O.C.G.A. 15-3-1 Case Law from Google Scholar Amendments to OCGA 15-3-1

TITLE 15 COURTS

Section 3. Court of Appeals, 15-3-1 through 15-3-13.

ARTICLE 2 CLERK OF THE SUPREME COURT

15-3-1. Composition; divisions; how case is heard; decisions as precedent; oral arguments; assistance of other judges.

  1. Composition. The Court of Appeals shall consist of 15 Judges who shall elect one of their number as Chief Judge, in such manner and for such time as may be prescribed by rule or order of the court.
  2. Divisions. The court shall sit in divisions composed of three Judges in each division. The assignment of Judges to each division shall be made by the Chief Judge, and the personnel of the divisions shall from time to time be changed in accordance with rules prescribed by the court. The Chief Judge shall designate the Presiding Judges of the divisions and shall, under rules prescribed by the court, distribute the cases among the divisions in such manner as to equalize their work as far as practicable.
  3. How cases heard.
    1. Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, each division shall hear and determine, independently of the others, the cases assigned to it. Two Judges shall constitute a quorum of a division.
    2. The Court of Appeals may provide by rule for certain cases to be heard and determined by more than a single division and the manner in which those Judges will be selected for such cases. When a case is heard and determined by more than a single division, nine Judges shall be necessary to constitute a quorum.
  4. Decisions as precedent. The Court of Appeals shall provide by rule for the establishment of precedent and the manner in which prior decisions of the court may be overruled.
  5. Oral arguments. The Court of Appeals may hear oral arguments at places other than the seat of government. Reasonable notice shall be given of such hearings.
  6. Assistance of other judges; procedure. Whenever the court unanimously determines that the business of the court requires the temporary assistance of an additional judge or additional judges or one additional panel, the court may request the assistance of senior appellate judges as provided in Chapter 3A of this title or senior superior court judges. The Judge whose case assignment is transferred to the additional judge shall not vote on the case.

(Ga. L. 1916, p. 56, § 1; Code 1933, § 24-3501; Ga. L. 1945, p. 232, §§ 1-3; Ga. L. 1960, p. 158, § 1; Ga. L. 1961, p. 140, § 1; Ga. L. 1967, p. 538, § 1; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 15; Ga. L. 1987, p. 291, § 1; Ga. L. 1995, p. 916, § 2; Ga. L. 1996, p. 405, § 1; Ga. L. 1998, p. 513, § 4; Ga. L. 1999, p. 10, § 1; Ga. L. 2015, p. 919, § 1-2/HB 279; Ga. L. 2016, p. 883, § 2-1/HB 927.)

The 2015 amendment substituted "15 Judges" for "12 Judges" near the beginning of subsection (a); and, in subsection (e), substituted "eight" for "seven" in the first and last sentences and substituted "15 Judges" for "12 Judges" in the middle of the last sentence. See editor's note for effective date.

The 2016 amendment, effective July 1, 2016, in subsection (b), deleted the former second sentence, which read: "Two Judges shall constitute a quorum of a division."; rewrote subsection (c); substituted the present provisions of subsection (d) for the former provisions, which read: "How decision overruled. It being among the purposes of this Code section to avoid and reconcile conflicts among the decisions made by less than all of the Judges on the court and to secure more authoritative decisions, it is provided that when two divisions plus a seventh Judge sit as one court the court may, by the concurrence of a majority, overrule any previous decision in the same manner as prescribed for the Supreme Court. As precedent, a decision by such court with a majority concurring shall take precedence over a decision by any division or two divisions plus a seventh Judge. A decision concurred in by all the Judges shall not be overruled or materially modified except with the concurrence of all the Judges."; deleted former subsection (e), which read: "Quorum. When all the members of the court are sitting together as one court, eight Judges shall be necessary to constitute a quorum. In all cases decided by such court as a whole by less than 15 Judges, the concurrence of at least eight shall be essential to the rendition of a judgment."; redesignated former subsections (f) and (g) as present subsections (e) and (f), respectively; and, in subsection (f), deleted "as provided in Code Section 47-23-101" following "court judges" at the end of the first sentence.

Cross references.

- Divisions, Rules of the Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia, Rule 18.

Editor's notes.

- Ga. L. 2015, p. 919, § 4-1(b), not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: "(b)(1) Part I of this Act shall become effective only if funds are appropriated for purposes of Part I of this Act in an appropriations Act enacted at the 2015 regular session of the General Assembly.

"(2) If funds are so appropriated, then Part I of this Act shall become effective on July 1, 2015, for purposes of making the initial appointments of the Court of Appeals Judges created by Part I of this Act, and for all other purposes, Part I of this Act shall become effective on January 1, 2016.

"(3) If funds are not so appropriated, then Part I of this Act shall not become effective and shall stand repealed on July 1, 2015." Funds were appropriated at the 2015 session of the General Assembly.

Ga. L. 2016, p. 883, § 1-1/HB 927, not codified by the General Assembly, provides that: "This Act shall be known and may be cited as the 'Appellate Jurisdiction Reform Act of 2016.'"

Law reviews.

- For article, "Eleventh Circuit Survey: January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013: Special Contribution: Open Chambers: Demystifying the Inner Workings and Culture of the Georgia Court of Appeals," see 65 Emory L. J. 831 (2014). For article, "Division of Labor: The Modernization of the Supreme Court of Georgia and Concomitant Workload Reduction Measures in the Court of Appeals," see 30 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 925 (2014). For article, "Researching Georgia Law," see 34 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 741 (2015). For article, "Annual Survey of Georgia Law: June 1, 2015 - May 31, 2016: Special Contribution: Open Chambers Revisited: Demystifying the Inner Workings and Culture of the Georgia Court of Appeals," see 68 Mercer L. Rev. 1 (2016). For article on the 2016 amendment of this Code section, see 33 Georgia St. U.L. Rev. 205 (2016).

JUDICIAL DECISIONS

Constitutionality.

- This section does not violate Ga. Const. 1976, Art. VI, Sec. II, Para. VIII (see now Ga. Const. 1983, Art. VI, Sec. V) on grounds that the General Assembly did not have power to provide for the appointment of additional judges, or power to divide the court into two divisions giving each division power to decide cases independently of the other division, or to assign all criminal cases to one of the divisions. Joseph v. State, 148 Ga. 166, 96 S.E. 229 (1918); Fountain v. State, 149 Ga. 519, 101 S.E. 294 (1919); McCall v. State, 150 Ga. 81, 103 S.E. 428 (1920).

Quo warranto denied challenging appointment of judges.

- Trial court's denial of the challenger's petition for a writ of quo warranto was affirmed because the newly created positions on the Georgia Court of Appeals qualified as vacancies under Ga. Const. 1983, Art. VI, Sec, VII, Para. III; thus, the governor had the authority to appoint judges to the vacancies created by amended O.C.G.A. § 15-3-1(a). Clark v. Deal, 298 Ga. 893, 785 S.E.2d 524 (2016).

Under this Code section, the rule of stare decisis applies, which means that older case law must control. Sharpe v. Seaboard Coast Line R.R., 528 F.2d 546 (5th Cir. 1976).

Power of judges to decide case.

- Since two (now five or six) judges constitute a quorum, the judges may decide cases pending before the judges. Fountain v. State, 149 Ga. 519, 101 S.E. 294 (1919).

Dissent requires consideration by full court.

- This section requires that full court consider any case in which one of the judges of a division may dissent. Fortson v. Caudell, 74 Ga. App. 276, 39 S.E.2d 579 (1946); Jones v. Cannady, 78 Ga. App. 453, 51 S.E.2d 551 (1949); Irvindale Farms, Inc. v. W.O. Pierce Dairy, Inc., 78 Ga. App. 670, 51 S.E.2d 712 (1949); Hall v. Beavers, 78 Ga. App. 722, 51 S.E.2d 879 (1949); Atlanta & W. Point R.R. v. Gilbert, 82 Ga. App. 244, 60 S.E.2d 787 (1950); Dorsey v. Georgia R.R. Bank & Trust Co., 82 Ga. App. 237, 60 S.E.2d 828 (1950).

Overruling by a single division of court.

- Prior decision of the Court of Appeals was overruled in part by a single division of the Court after consultation with the other nondisqualified judges. Temple v. Hillegass, 344 Ga. App. 454, 810 S.E.2d 625 (2018).

Cited in Gainesville Midland R.R. v. Allen, 72 Ga. App. 736, 35 S.E.2d 12 (1945); Smith v. Swann, 73 Ga. App. 144, 35 S.E.2d 787 (1945); Hicks v. Hicks, 73 Ga. App. 561, 37 S.E.2d 418 (1946); Jacobs v. State, 73 Ga. App. 550, 37 S.E.2d 438 (1946); Commercial Auto Loan Corp. v. Baker, 73 Ga. App. 534, 37 S.E.2d 636 (1946); Southern Ry. v. Brackett, 73 Ga. App. 648, 37 S.E.2d 642 (1946); Progressive Life Ins. Co. v. Archer, 73 Ga. App. 639, 37 S.E.2d 713 (1946); Hoxie v. Americus Auto. Co., 73 Ga. App. 686, 37 S.E.2d 808 (1946); Murphy v. Hunt, 73 Ga. App. 707, 37 S.E.2d 823 (1946); Georgia Power Co. v. Roper, 73 Ga. App. 826, 38 S.E.2d 91 (1946); Murray v. Anderson, 73 Ga. App. 771, 38 S.E.2d 131 (1946); Monroe Motor Express v. Jackson, 74 Ga. App. 148, 38 S.E.2d 863 (1946); American Fid. & Cas. Co. v. Jackson, 74 Ga. App. 159, 38 S.E.2d 871 (1946); Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Milton, 74 Ga. App. 160, 38 S.E.2d 885 (1946); Western & Atl. R.R. v. Gardner, 74 Ga. App. 599, 40 S.E.2d 672 (1946); Martin v. Gurley, 74 Ga. App. 642, 40 S.E.2d 787 (1946); Northern Freight Lines v. Ledford, 75 Ga. App. 508, 43 S.E.2d 757 (1947); Grand Trunk W.R.R. v. Barge, 75 Ga. App. 646, 44 S.E.2d 281 (1947); Jones v. Blackburn, 75 Ga. App. 791, 44 S.E.2d 555 (1947); Phillips v. Sinclair Ref. Co., 76 Ga. App. 34, 44 S.E.2d 671 (1947); Southeastern Newspapers, Inc. v. Walker, 76 Ga. App. 57, 44 S.E.2d 697 (1947); Glens Falls Indem. Co. v. Gottlieb, 76 Ga. App. 70, 44 S.E.2d 706 (1947); Roberson v. State, 76 Ga. App. 25, 44 S.E.2d 924 (1947); Clarke v. Woodward, 76 Ga. App. 181, 45 S.E.2d 473 (1947); Gill v. Skinker, 76 Ga. App. 315, 45 S.E.2d 818 (1947); Auld v. Colonial Stores, Inc., 76 Ga. App. 329, 45 S.E.2d 827 (1947); Dodd v. Callaway, 76 Ga. App. 629, 46 S.E.2d 740 (1948); Jackson v. Moultrie Prod. Credit Ass'n, 76 Ga. App. 768, 47 S.E.2d 127 (1948); First Nat'l Bank v. Southern Cotton Oil Co., 76 Ga. App. 779, 47 S.E.2d 288 (1948); Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Lathan, 77 Ga. App. 6, 47 S.E.2d 596 (1948); Presley v. Presley, 77 Ga. App. 99, 47 S.E.2d 647 (1948); Hughes v. Kistler, 76 Ga. App. 885, 47 S.E.2d 663 (1948); American Mut. Liab. Ins. Co. v. Benford, 77 Ga. App. 93, 47 S.E.2d 673 (1948); Davis v. Fulton Nat'l Bank, 77 Ga. App. 400, 48 S.E.2d 773 (1948); Ivey v. Hall, 77 Ga. App. 350, 48 S.E.2d 788 (1948); Buchanan v. Hieber, 78 Ga. App. 434, 50 S.E.2d 815 (1948); Lyons v. Georgia Power Co., 78 Ga. App. 445, 51 S.E.2d 459 (1949); Walker Elec. Co. v. Sullivan, 79 Ga. App. 13, 52 S.E.2d 477 (1949); Sumter Milling & Peanut Co. v. Singletary, 79 Ga. App. 111, 53 S.E.2d 181 (1949); Kimberly v. Reed, 79 Ga. App. 137, 53 S.E.2d 208 (1949); Stanley v. Amos, 79 Ga. App. 297, 53 S.E.2d 568 (1949); Barton v. State, 79 Ga. App. 380, 53 S.E.2d 707 (1949); Milton Bradley Co. v. Cooper, 79 Ga. App. 302, 53 S.E.2d 761 (1949); Baggett v. Jackson, 79 Ga. App. 460, 54 S.E.2d 146 (1949); Klein v. Maryland Cas. Co., 79 Ga. App. 560, 54 S.E.2d 277 (1949); Grogan v. Herrington, 79 Ga. App. 505, 54 S.E.2d 284 (1949); J.C. Pirkle Mach. Co. v. Lester, 79 Ga. App. 512, 54 S.E.2d 298 (1949); Grimes v. State, 79 Ga. App. 489, 54 S.E.2d 302 (1949); Atlantic Coast Line R.R. v. Brand, 79 Ga. App. 552, 54 S.E.2d 312 (1949); Ford v. S.A. Lynch Corp., 79 Ga. App. 481, 54 S.E.2d 320 (1949); Western & Atl. R.R. v. Burnett, 79 Ga. App. 530, 54 S.E.2d 357 (1949); Whitlock v. Wilson, 79 Ga. App. 747, 54 S.E.2d 474 (1949); Western & Atl. R.R. v. Wright, 79 Ga. App. 733, 54 S.E.2d 655 (1949); Westbrook v. Beusse, 79 Ga. App. 654, 54 S.E.2d 693 (1949); Wallace v. Virginia Sur. Co., 80 Ga. App. 50, 55 S.E.2d 259 (1949); Goforth v. Fidelity & Cas. Co., 80 Ga. App. 121, 55 S.E.2d 656 (1949); City of Griffin v. First Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass'n, 80 Ga. App. 217, 55 S.E.2d 771 (1949); McDowall Transp., Inc. v. Gault, 80 Ga. App. 445, 56 S.E.2d 161 (1949); McDade v. West, 80 Ga. App. 481, 56 S.E.2d 299 (1949); Gaines v. State, 80 Ga. App. 512, 56 S.E.2d 772 (1949); Landers v. Davis, 80 Ga. App. 766, 57 S.E.2d 459 (1950); Owens v. Maddox, 80 Ga. App. 867, 57 S.E.2d 826 (1950); Aetna Cas. & Sur. Co. v. Fulmer, 81 Ga. App. 97, 57 S.E.2d 865 (1950); Hall v. Kendall, 81 Ga. App. 592, 59 S.E.2d 421 (1950); Atlantic Coast Line R.R. v. Dupriest, 81 Ga. App. 773, 59 S.E.2d 767 (1950); Cromer v. Dinkler, 82 Ga. App. 227, 60 S.E.2d 482 (1950); Davis v. Atlanta Gas Light Co., 82 Ga. App. 460, 61 S.E.2d 510 (1950); Sylvania Cent. Ry. v. Gay, 82 Ga. App. 486, 61 S.E.2d 587 (1950); Melton v. Helms, 83 Ga. App. 71, 62 S.E.2d 663 (1950); Carter v. Rich's, Inc., 83 Ga. App. 188, 63 S.E.2d 241 (1951); Register v. Andris, 83 Ga. App. 632, 64 S.E.2d 196 (1951); Chastain v. L. Moss Music Co., 83 Ga. App. 570, 64 S.E.2d 205 (1951); Goodwin v. Allen, 83 Ga. App. 615, 64 S.E.2d 212 (1951); American Mut. Liab. Ins. Co. v. Duncan, 83 Ga. App. 863, 65 S.E.2d 59 (1951); Hertz Driv-Ur-Self Stations, Inc. v. Benson, 83 Ga. App. 866, 65 S.E.2d 191 (1951); Consolidated Stores, Inc. v. Towler, 84 Ga. App. 28, 65 S.E.2d 419 (1951); St. Paul-Mercury Indem. Co. v. Alexander, 84 Ga. App. 207, 65 S.E.2d 694 (1951); Haswell v. Haswell, 84 Ga. App. 651, 67 S.E.2d 148 (1951); Troup v. State, 85 Ga. App. 138, 68 S.E.2d 195 (1951); Hurt & Quin, Inc. v. St. Malyon, 85 Ga. App. 164, 68 S.E.2d 213 (1951); Annis v. State, 85 Ga. App. 188, 68 S.E.2d 473 (1951); Wright v. Central of Ga. Ry., 85 Ga. App. 654, 69 S.E.2d 902 (1952); Domin v. State, 85 Ga. App. 676, 70 S.E.2d 39 (1952); Bibb Mfg. Co. v. Cowan, 85 Ga. App. 816, 70 S.E.2d 386 (1952); Wall v. First State Bank, 86 Ga. App. 118, 70 S.E.2d 917 (1952); Aderhold v. Zimmer, 86 Ga. App. 204, 71 S.E.2d 270 (1952); Albert v. Albert, 86 Ga. App. 560, 71 S.E.2d 904 (1952); Hall v. First Nat'l Bank, 87 Ga. App. 142, 73 S.E.2d 252 (1952); Craig-Tourial Leather Co. v. Reynolds, 87 Ga. App. 360, 73 S.E.2d 749 (1952); Gardner v. Celanese Corp., 88 Ga. App. 642, 76 S.E.2d 817 (1953); Banks County v. Stark, 88 Ga. App. 368, 77 S.E.2d 33 (1953); Hammond v. State, 88 Ga. App. 804, 77 S.E.2d 836 (1953); Fidelity & Cas. Co. v. Swain, 90 Ga. App. 615, 83 S.E.2d 345 (1954); Life Ins. Co. v. Lawler, 211 Ga. 246, 85 S.E.2d 1 (1954); Dennison v. State, 91 Ga. App. 143, 85 S.E.2d 179 (1954); Estes v. Collum, 91 Ga. App. 186, 85 S.E.2d 561 (1954); Adams v. Ricks, 91 Ga. App. 494, 86 S.E.2d 329 (1955); Hayes v. National Life & Accident Ins. Co., 92 Ga. App. 540, 88 S.E.2d 750 (1955); Pack v. State, 93 Ga. App. 737, 92 S.E.2d 824 (1956); Henderson v. Henderson, 94 Ga. App. 64, 93 S.E.2d 822 (1956); Logue v. State, 94 Ga. App. 777, 96 S.E.2d 209 (1956); Adams v. State, 95 Ga. App. 295, 97 S.E.2d 711 (1957); Henderson v. State, 95 Ga. App. 830, 99 S.E.2d 270 (1957); Henry & Hutchinson, Inc. v. Slack, 96 Ga. App. 56, 99 S.E.2d 465 (1957); Republic of Cuba v. Arcade Bldg. of Savannah, Inc., 104 Ga. App. 848, 123 S.E.2d 453 (1961); Godby v. Hein, 107 Ga. App. 481, 130 S.E.2d 511 (1963); Huddleston Concrete Co. v. Safeco Ins. Co. of Am., 186 Ga. App. 531, 368 S.E.2d 117 (1988); State v. Chambers, 194 Ga. App. 609, 391 S.E.2d 657 (1990).

RESEARCH REFERENCES

Am. Jur. 2d.

- 20 Am. Jur. 2d, Courts, § 32.

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