United States

Herediabravo v. State - Appeal Dismissed for Failure to File Brief

The Court of Appeals of Georgia dismissed German Herediabravo's appeal (Docket No. A26A1446) for failure to file his brief and enumeration of errors by the court-ordered deadline of March 27, 2026. Despite receiving an extension and explicit warning that non-compliance would result in dismissal, Herediabravo failed to timely submit the required documents. The court relied on Tolbert v. Tolbert, 234 Ga. 708 (1975) as precedent for this dismissal.

Rafael Santana Jr. v. State - Criminal Appeal Dismissal

The Georgia Court of Appeals dismissed Rafael Santana Jr.'s appeal (Docket No. A26A1416) on March 31, 2026 for lack of jurisdiction. Santana sought an out-of-time appeal after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony in 2021, receiving a 25-year sentence. The court found that OCGA § 5-6-39.1 did not apply because Santana neither filed within 100 days of the original deadline nor had an out-of-time motion dismissed under Cook v. State.

Piechoczek v. Jones - Child Custody Appeal Dismissed

The Georgia Court of Appeals dismissed appeal A26A1266 in Piechoczek v. Jones, a child custody dispute, for lack of jurisdiction. The court found that the appellant's pro se motion for new trial was a legal nullity because she was simultaneously represented by counsel, and therefore did not toll the 30-day deadline to file a notice of appeal under OCGA § 5-6-38(a).

Taylor Porter v. Obrianne Murphy - Discretionary Appeal Granted

The Court of Appeals of Georgia granted the discretionary appeal application in Taylor Porter v. Obrianne Murphy (Docket No. A26D0409). The appellant has 10 days from March 31, 2026 to file a Notice of Appeal. The case originated in juvenile court (LC No. 2500053).

Zachary Perritt v. Barbara S. Luke - Discretionary Appeal Denied

The Court of Appeals of Georgia denied the discretionary application for appeal filed by Zachary Perritt in Case No. A26D0440. The underlying matter originated as State Court of Fulton County Case No. SUCA2024000126. This routine procedural denial concludes the appellate review process without any substantive ruling on the merits.

Morrow v. Pac Green Park LLC - Dispossessory Case Transfer

The Georgia Court of Appeals transferred Jayla Morrow v. Pac Green Park LLC back to the Magistrate Court of DeKalb County for proper routing to state or superior court. The appellate court lacked jurisdiction because appeals from magistrate court dispossessory judgments must proceed via de novo appeal to state or superior court under OCGA § 15-10-41(b)(1), not discretionary appeal to the Court of Appeals.

Piechoczek v. Jones - Paternity Appeal Dismissal

The Court of Appeals of Georgia dismissed Julianna Piechoczek's direct appeal in her paternity and child custody case (Docket No. A26A1258). The dismissal was based on the procedural ground that Piechoczek's pro se notice of appeal was a legal nullity because she was represented by counsel at the time of filing. The court reaffirmed established Georgia precedent that parties cannot file pro se pleadings while simultaneously represented by counsel.

Ebony Wade v. Prcp-Atlanta Canopy Avondale, LLC D/B/A Canopy Glen - Eviction Appeal Jurisdiction

The Georgia Court of Appeals transferred Ebony Wade's eviction appeal (Case A26D0430) to the Magistrate Court of Gwinnett County for proper routing to state or superior court. The appellate court held it lacks jurisdiction over magistrate court judgments that have not been reviewed by a state or superior court first.

Georgia appeal dismissed, Portfolio Recovery Associates wins

Georgia appeal dismissed, Portfolio Recovery Associates wins

Physiological Parameter Sensing Alert System with Activity-Based Alert Adaptation

The USPTO granted Royal Philips N.V. Patent US12588875B2 for a physiological parameter sensing system that combines physiological sensor signals with activity monitoring to determine when additional measurements are recommended. The system generates alerts with characteristics adapted to the user's current activity type and level to ensure alerts are perceived without causing annoyance. The patent includes 12 claims and was filed December 10, 2019.