Wade v. Hopper
Wade v. Hopper
Opinion of the Court
The instant case is a suit brought under Georgia’s Nonresident Motorist Act, Ga. L. 1937, p. 732, as amended by Ga. L. 1947, p. 305, and codified as Code, Ann. Supp., § 68-803. A verdict was returned in favor of the plaintiff in the court below, and the defendant carried his bill of exceptions to the Court of Appeals, assigning error on certain pendente lite rulings and on the judgment denying a motion for new trial. The Court of Appeals transferred the case to this court as béing a case within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court because the constitutionality of a statute of the State of Georgia was drawn into question. See Code, Ann., § 2-3704. Held:
1. Plaintiff in error here made two contentions in the court below in a special plea to the jurisdiction and plea in bar to the effect that the . Superior Court of Houston County had no jurisdiction in this cause. It is first contended that Ga. L. 1947, p. 305, amending Ga. L. 1937, p. 732, is unconstitutional because it violates certain specified provisions of the Constitution of Georgia in certain ways. The relevant portion of the 1937 act, supra (p. 734), reads as follows: “Be it further enacted that all courts in the counties of this State now having jurisdiction of tort actions and criminal actions, shall have jurisdiction of all such nonresident users in actions arising under this Act.” This court held in Lloyd Adams Co. v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., 190 Ga. 633 (10 S. E. 2d, 46), that a suit under the above act could be brought in
2. It is then contended that the act of 1937, supra, was “not intended to apply, and does not apply to actions such as involved in plaintiff’s petition in this matter, between parties both of whom are non-residents of the State of Georgia . . and that to “permit the Georgia courts to take jurisdiction over his person and his property ... in this proceeding, would be contrary to and in contravention of Article XIV of the United States Constitution . .” and would “abridge his privileges and immunities guaranteed by said Article XIV and would be denying him due process of law, guaranteed to him by said Article XIV of the United States Constitution.” These allegations do not attempt to attack the constitutionality of any law of this State. It is simply alleged that, if the courts of Georgia exercise jurisdiction in this case, the defendant will be deprived of certain constitutional rights guaranteed to him by the United States Constitution. Such allegations do not make a case that is within the jurisdiction of this court. See Atlanta & West Point R. Co. v. Hemmings, 192 Ga. 724 (16 S. E. 2d, 537).
3. Since the constitutionality of no law of this State is drawn into question in the instant case, and since there is no other reason why this court has jurisdiction of the writ of error, the Court of Appeals and not this court has jurisdiction of this case.
Transferred to the Court of Appeals.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting. I dissent upon the ground that I think that, while a decision on the constitutionality of the 1947 amendment is not necessary to a decision in the case, yet, since that constitutional question has been raised, it is for this court and not the Court of Appeals to decide that a decision can be made without deciding the constitutional question. Burke v. State, 205 Ga. 520 (54 S. E. 2d, 348).
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