Tommy Phillips IV v. Venetia Lewis

Opinion

Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia

ATLANTA,____________________ August 24, 2026

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A27D0044. TOMMY PHILLIPS IV v. VENETIA LEWIS.

In July 2026, the trial court entered both an order confirming the arbitration award in the dispute between Tommy Phillips IV and Venetia Lewis, and a final judgment in Lewis’s favor. Phillips, who is proceeding pro se, filed a timely application for discretionary appeal.

No provision of OCGA § 5-6-35(a), the discretionary appeal statute, appears to apply here. Rather, it appears that the trial court’s order entering final judgment is directly appealable under OCGA § 5-6-34(a)(1). Under OCGA § 5-6-35(j), this Court will grant a timely application for discretionary review if the lower court’s order is subject to direct appeal. City of Rincon v. Couch, 272 Ga. App. 411, 412 (612 SE2d 596) (2005). Accordingly, this application is hereby GRANTED. Phillips shall have ten days from the date of this order to file a notice of appeal in the superior court, if he has not already done so. See OCGA § 5-6-35(g). The clerk of the superior court is DIRECTED to include a copy of this order in the record transmitted to the Court of Appeals.

Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________ 08/24/2026

I certify that the above is a true extract from the minutes of the Court of Appeals of Georgia.

Witness my signature and the seal of said court hereto affixed the day and year last above written.

, Clerk.