PUBLIC NOTICE

IN THE STATE COURT OF
TROUP COUNTY
STATE OF GEORGIA
DONOVAN LEACH AND
NADINE GEORGE-LEACH, PLAINTIFFS, V. LATHAN
PATTERSON, DEFENDANT
CIVIL ACTION FILE NO.:
25-CS-350
ORDER GRANTING MOTION
FOR SERVICE BY
PUBLICATION

Having read and considered Plaintiff’s Motion for Service by Publication, this Court finds as follows:
1. Defendant LATHAN PATTERSON cannot, after due diligence, be found within the state;
2. Defendant has knowledge of the subject lawsuit and is purposefully concealing himself to avoid service
3. Defendant LATHAN PATTERSON is a proper party to this action, whose last known address is 510 Alford Street, LaGrange 30240, which is within the jurisdiction of this Court;
4. Plaintiffs have exercised reasonable diligence in attempting to locate and serve Defendant and have demonstrated that Defendant LATHAN PATTERSON cannot, after due diligence, be found within this state and Defendant LATHAN PATTERSON is concealing himself from service;
5. Service by publication is proper pursuant to O.C.G.A. §§9-11-4(f)(1) and 33-7-11(e).
WHEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiffs’ Motion is GRANTED.
The Clerk is instructed to publish notice of this action in the paper in which Sheriff’s advertisements are printed. The notice shall contain the names of all parties (DONAVAN LEACH, NADINE GEORGE-LEACH, and LATHAN PATTERSON), the name of this Court (State Court of Troup County), the character of the action (automobile collision), the dates on which the Complaint was filed (July 15, 2025), and the date of this order, with the Clerk’s signature and the name of the Judge in the matter, and notice directed at Defendant LATHAN PATTERSON commanding him to file with the clerk and serve on the Plaintiffs’ attorney an answer within sixty (60) days of the date of this Order. This notice must appear four (4) times within the next sixty (60) dates and all publications must be at least seven (7) days apart.
Plaintiff shall bear the cost of publication.
The last known address of Defendant LATHAN PATTERSON is 510 Alford Street, LaGrange 30240. The clerk shall have fifteen (15) days after the filing of this Order to mail a duplicate copy of the above-described notice, the order of service, and Complaint to Defendant LATHAN PATTERSON’s last known address.
Finally, because Defendant LATHAN PATTERSON is willfully secreting himself in order to frustrate all reasonable efforts to effect personal service, this Court finds that service by publication as prescribed by O.C.G.A. 9-11-4(f)(1)(C) affords sufficient due process and confers personal jurisdiction over Defendant LATHAN PATTERSON.
SO ORDERED this 17 day of February, 2026.

/s/Wesley Leonard
Honorable Wesley Leonard
Judge, State Court of Troup County

Presented by
/s/Kenneth P. Raley, III
Kenneth P. Raley, III
Georgia Bar No. 131776
Attorney for Plaintiffs
KAUFMAN INJURY, LAW P.C.
12 Beck Street, N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 355-4000 (T)
(404) 350-0909 (F)
kr@kaufmanlawfirm.com

LaGrange Daily News: Feb. 28, Mar. 7, 14 and 2,1 2026
25-CS-350