Newberry v. Georgia Department of Industry & Trade

Cureton, Judge:

This case presents a single issue: May an agency of the State of Georgia, sued in the courts of this state for an alleged tort committed in this state, avail itself of the doctrine of sovereign immunity from liability. The circuit court decided that it could not. We agree and affirm.

The facts are simple. The respondent, Martha Newberry, a resident of Maryland, brought an action in the Richland County Court of Common Pleas against several entities including the appellant, Georgia ‘Department of Industry and Trade (Georgia), which is a unit of the Georgia government. She alleged…