# C o u rt o f

A p p ea ls

o f t h e S t a te o f

G eo rg ia

ATLANTA,_

_ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _

Th e Co u rt

o f Ap p ea l s h er eb y p a s s es t h e f

o ll owi n g o r der :

A2 2 A0 77 9 . W I LLI AM BERRY v . THE STATE.

In 2 0 1 4

, W i l l i am Berry p l ed g u i l t y t o t h ree co u nt s o f arm ed ro b bery

, t h ree

co u nt s o f ag g rav at ed as s au l t

, t h ree co u n t s o f p o s s es si on o f a fi rearm du ri n g t h e

co m m i s s io n o f a fel o n y , an d t wo co u n t s o f p o s s es s i o n o f a f i r e arm b y a co n v i ct ed

fel o n

. Fo r th e p u rp o s e o f s en t en ci n g , t h e t ri al co urt m erg ed each ag g rav at ed as s au l t

ch arg e i n t o i ts rel at ed arm ed ro b b ery ch arg e. In 2 0 21

, Berry fi l ed a m o t i o n t o co rrect

an i l leg al sen t en ce, arg ui n g t h at t h e t ri al co u rt h ad i m p ro perl y m e r g e d h i s a rm ed

ro b b ery an d fi rearm po s ses s i on ch arg es

. Rel at ed t o t h i s m o t i o n, Berry s u bs eq u en t l y

fi led m o t i o n s fo r a cal en d ar dat e, t o “ ceas e cas e t ran s fer,” fo r “ al t ered p l ea rel i ef,” an d

fo r res en t en ci ng

. Th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed t h es e m o t i o n s , fi n d i n g t h at Berry ’ s s en t en ce

was n ot v o id

. He ap p eal s

. Un d er OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -1 (f), a co u rt m ay m o d ify a s en t en ce d u r i n g t h e y ear

aft er it s i m

p o s i t i o n o r wi t h i n 1 2 0 d ay s aft er rem i t t i t u r fo l lo wi n g a di rect ap p eal

, wh i ch ev er i s l at er. Fr az i er v. S t a t e , 3 0 2 Ga

. A p p

. 3 4 6

, 3 4 7 -3 4 8 (6 91 SE2 d 2 4 7 )

(2 0 1 0); Bu r

g v. S t a t e , 2 9 7 Ga. Ap p

. 1 1 8

, 11 8 (6 7 6 SE2 d 4 6 5 ) ( 2 0 0 9 ). O n ce t h i s

s t at u to ry p eri o d ex p i res , as it h ad h ere wh en Berry fi l ed h is m o t i o n, a t ri al co u rt m ay

m o di fy a s en t en ce on ly i f i t is v o i d

. Jo n es v. S t a t e , 2 7 8 Ga. 6 6 9

, 6 7 0 (6 0 4 SE2 d 4 8 3 )

(2 0 0 4). An d a s en t en ce i s v oi d on l y wh en t h e t ri al co u rt im p o s es p u ni s h m en t t h at t h e

l aw d o es n o t al l o w , “ m o s t ty p i cal l y b ecau s e i t ex ceed s t h e m o st s ev ere p u n i s h m en t

fo r wh i ch t h e ap p l i cab le p en al s t at u t e p ro v i d es .” vo n Th o ma s v. S t a t e , 2 9 3 Ga. 5 6 9,

5 7 2 (2 ) (7 4 8 SE2 d 4 4 6 ) (2 01 3 ). A d i rect ap pe a l d o e s n o t l i e fro m t h e d en i al o f a

m o ti o n to v acat e a v oi d s en t en ce fi led o ut s i d e t h e s t at u t ory t i m e p eri o d u n l e s s t h e

m o ti o n rai s es a c o l o r a b l e cl ai m t h at t h e s en t en ce i s , in fact

, v o i d. Fr a zi er , 3 0 2 Ga. February 10, 2022Ap p . at 3 4 8

.

Here, Berry h as fai l ed to rai s e a co lo rab l e c l a i m t h at hi s s en t en ce i s v o i d.

Al t h o u g h h e as s ert s t h at t h e t ri al co u rt i m p ro p erl y m erg ed h i s arm ed ro b b ery an d

fi rearm p o s s es si o n ch arg es , t h e s en t en ce s heet s h o ws t hat t h e co u rt act u al l y m erg ed

h i s arm ed ro b b ery an d ag grav at ed as s au l t ch arg es

. Th us , Berry ’ s fact u al p rem i s e i s

i n co rrect

. Becau s e h e h a s n o t rai s ed a co l o rab l e v o i d s en t en ce cl ai m , t h i s ap p eal i s

h ereb y DISM ISSED. See Fr a z i er , 3 0 2 Ga. Ap p . at 3 48 -3 4 9

.

C o u r t o f A p p e a l s o f t h e S t a t e o

f G e o r g ia

C le r k ’ s O f f i c e

, A t la n t a

,

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I c e r ti fy t h a t t h e a b o v e i s a t r u e e x t r a c t f r o m

t h e m i n u t e s o

f t h e C o u r t o

f A p p e a l s o f G e o r g i a

.

W i t n e s s m y s i g n a t u r e a n d th e s e a l o

f s a i d c o u r t

h e r e t o a f f i x e d t h e d a y a n d y e a r l a s t a b o v e w r i t t e n

.

, C l e r k

. 02/10/2022