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McDowell v. Roberts

Supreme Court of Georgia
Oct 29, 1980
272 S.E.2d 320 (Ga. 1980)

Opinion

36743.

SUBMITTED OCTOBER 3, 1980.

DECIDED OCTOBER 29, 1980.

Mandamus. Clayton Superior Court. Before Judge Ison.

Ronald McDowell, pro se. Robert E. Keller, District Attorney, Arthur K. Bolton, Attorney General, for appellees.


This appeal is from the order denying the appellant's petition for the writ of mandamus, which sought to require the appellee justice of the peace to issue an arrest warrant for two persons who had allegedly converted the appellant's property.

"The right to extraordinary aid of mandamus exists only where the applicant has a clear legal right to the relief sought and there is no other adequate remedy." Ungar v. Mayor c. of Savannah, 224 Ga. 613 (1) ( 163 S.E.2d 814) (1968) and cits. "The principle is firmly established that for mandamus `to enforce a ministerial duty, as contradistinguished from one which is merely discretionary, the obligation must be both peremptory and plainly defined; the law must not only authorize the act, but it must require the act to be done.'" Aspinwall v. Harris, 217 Ga. 485, 486 ( 123 S.E.2d 652) (1962) and cit. "Mandamus shall not lie to control the acts of a `public officer who has an absolute discretion to act or not, unless there is a gross abuse of such discretion ...' Code § 64-102." Bailey v. Dobbs, 227 Ga. 838 (1) ( 183 S.E.2d 461) (1971).

The duty of a justice of the peace, in determining whether an affidavit for an arrest warrant shows probable cause, is discretionary. The affidavit in this case, though specified in the notice of appeal to be transmitted in the record, is not included in the record because it has been determined not to be on file in the trial court. The appellant has not complied with this court's order to file an enumeration of errors and brief, nor has the petitioner shown a clear legal right to the relief sought. For the above reasons, we cannot say that the denial of the petition for mandamus, on the ground of failure to state a claim, was error.

Judgment affirmed. All the Justices concur.

SUBMITTED OCTOBER 3, 1980 — DECIDED OCTOBER 29, 1980.


Summaries of

McDowell v. Roberts

Supreme Court of Georgia
Oct 29, 1980
272 S.E.2d 320 (Ga. 1980)
Case details for

McDowell v. Roberts

Case Details

Full title:McDOWELL v. ROBERTS et al

Court:Supreme Court of Georgia

Date published: Oct 29, 1980

Citations

272 S.E.2d 320 (Ga. 1980)
272 S.E.2d 320