Matthew Broughman v. Ricky Jason Jerrell
Docket: A22D0021
Court: Court of Appeals of Georgia; September 7, 2021; Georgia; State Appellate Court
Original Court Document: View Document
In the case MATTHEW BROUGHMAN v. RICKY JASON JERRELL et al., the petitioners, Ricky and Brooke Jerrell, sought to adopt a minor child, while the child's biological father, Matthew Broughman, filed motions for the appointment of a guardian ad litem and for sanctions against the petitioners. The superior court granted the petitioners' motion for a protective order but denied Broughman's motions. Broughman subsequently filed an application for discretionary review without a prior order from the superior court terminating his parental rights or allowing the adoption. The Court of Appeals ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to hear the appeal as the case was still pending in the lower court. It noted that Broughman was required to follow interlocutory appeal procedures, including obtaining a certificate of immediate review from the superior court. The Court cited precedents indicating that the discretionary appeal statute does not exempt parties from complying with these requirements. Consequently, Broughman's application for discretionary review was dismissed.