In Re Lauraill Williams

Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia

ATLANTA,____________________ December 12, 2017

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A18D0219. IN RE LAURAILL WILLIAMS.

Attorney Lauraill Williams has filed a timely application for discretionary review from the trial court’s November 9, 2017 order finding her in criminal contempt for failing to follow the court’s rules during a hearing in a child dependency case. A discretionary application, however, was not necessary here. Judgments of contempt are directly appealable. OCGA § 5-6-34 (a) (2); In re Booker, 186 Ga. App. 614, 614 (367 SE2d 850) (1988).1 We will grant an otherwise timely discretionary application if the lower court’s order is subject to direct appeal. See OCGA § 5-6-35 (j). Accordingly, this application is hereby GRANTED. Williams shall have ten days from the date of this order to file a notice of appeal with the trial court. If, however, Williams has already filed a notice of appeal from the order at issue, she need not file a second notice. The

1 Although OCGA § 5-6-35 (a) (2) requires a discretionary application in domestic relations cases, we have held that dependency (formerly, “deprivation”) cases are not domestic relations cases within the meaning of that provision. See In the Interest of J. P., 267 Ga. 492 (480 SE2d 8) (1997) (1997).

clerk of the trial court is DIRECTED to include a copy of this order in the record transmitted to the Court of Appeals.

Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________ 12/12/2017 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.