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Clark v. KarrhClark v. Karrh

Supreme Court of Georgia
Jan 4, 1968
24396
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Duckworth
Duckworth, Chief Justice.

This action for declaratory judgment and injunctive relief shows that the petitioners ‍​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‍are charged with a violation of a criminal statute which they seek to have declared unconstitutional and their prosecution restrained and enjoined. Since the purpose of ‍​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‍the declaratory judgment procedure is not to delay the trial of cases of actual controversy but to guide and protect the parties from uncertainty and insecurity with ‍​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‍respect to the propriety of some future act or conduct in order not to jeopardize their interest —the pleadings showing the alleged criminal act has already occurred ‍​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‍— and equity will not take part in the administration of the criminal law, the court did not err in denying the prayers for relief and ‍​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‍in dismissing the action. Code § 55-102; Butler v. Ellis, 203 Ga. 683 (47 SE2d 861).

Judgment affirmed.

All the Justices concur.

Case Details

Case Name: Clark v. Karrh
Court Name: Supreme Court of Georgia
Date Published: Jan 4, 1968
Citations: 223 Ga. 851; 159 S.E.2d 75; 1968 Ga. LEXIS 984; 24396
Docket Number: 24396
Court Abbreviation: Ga.
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