Thursday March 28th, 2024 9:01AM

Georgia Supreme Court to hear Hart County case Monday

ATLANTA - A woman seeking to visit the father she claims is in poor health in Hart County is scheduled to have her appeal heard next week by the Georgia Supreme Court.
 
Tamara Williford claims her stepmother, Mary Ann Brown, won't allow her to visit her father, Tommy Brown, who lives in Hart county, according to a Supreme Court of Georgia summary for the case.
 
In February of last year, Williford asked the Hart County Superior Court for an injunction to stop the stepmother from allegedly preventing her from seeing her father.  Williford had also asked the court to appoint a guardian ad litem for her father to determine his wishes.
 
Mary Ann Brown asked the superior court to dismiss the petition, and it did.  Williford appealed to the state's high court.
 
Williford's attorney, Douglas Kidd, argues that superior courts do have the power to hear equity cases, or cases where the remedies include injunctions or decrees and not monetary damages.
 
"If Tommy Brown is destitute, then Williford can be legally responsible for his bills under (Georgia Code) 36-12-3. Because Mary Ann Brown is impeding Williford’s ability to gather information to fulfill her duty under 36-12-3, then Williford should be able to access the court system and get an injunction against Brown from impeding Williford’s access to her father," Kidd argued.
 
Mary Ann Brown has disputed that Williford is the biological daughter of Tommy Brown.  She also disputed that Tommy Brown is in poor health or that she interfered with any relationship between Williford and Tommy Brown, according a brief from Mary Ann Brown's attorney.
 
He also said Williford failed to alleged that Tommy Brown is destitute.
 
"Williford has no right to visit her alleged biological father and without a right to protect, equity should not interfere.  There is no authority in Georgia law which provides that an adult child has a right to visit a parent," L. Lee Hicks, II, Mary Ann Brown's attorney argued.
 
The state's high court is scheduled to take up the case on Monday.
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