# 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 :

A1 7 A1 69 4 . FRANK BERMAN v . THE STATE.

In 2 00 5

, Fran k Berm an was co nv i ct ed o f t wo co u n t s of ch i l d m o l es t at i o n an d

o n e co u n t o f ag g rav at ed ch i l d m o l es t at i o n, fo r wh i ch h e was s en t en ced t o a t o t al o f

3 0 y ears wi t h 1 5 t o s erv e i n co n fi n em en t an d 1 5 t o serv e o n p ro b at i o n

. Berm an ’ s

co n vi ct i o n s were affi rm ed o n ap p eal

. Ber ma n v. S ta t e

, 2 7 9 Ga. Ap p

. 8 67 (6 3 2 SE2 d

7 5 7 ) (2 0 0 6 ). In 2 0 1 3

, Berm an fi led a m o t io n t o v ac a t e a v o i d s en t en ce, wh i ch was

d en ied b y t h e tri al co u rt

. Th i s Co u rt affi rm ed t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s ru li n g o n d i rect ap p eal

,

h o l d i n g t h at Berm an ’ s s en t en ce was wi t h i n th e s t at u t ory g u id el i n es

. Cas e No

.

A1 3 A1 43 7 (d eci d ed Oct o b er 3 1

, 2 0 13 ). In J a n u ary 2 0 1 7

, Berm an fi led a p ro s e

m o ti o n t o m od ify h i s s en t en ce, as s ert in g t h at h i s s en t en ce sh o u l d b e m o d i fi ed b as ed

o n a ch an g e i n t he l aw reg ard i n g m an d at o ry m in i m u m s

. 1 Th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed t h e

m o ti o n

, an d Berm an fi l ed t h i s d i rect ap p eal . W e, h o wev er, l ack ju ri s d i ct i o n

.

Un d er OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -1 (f )

, a c o urt m ay m o d i fy a s en t en ce d u ri 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 l o w i n g a di rect ap p eal

,

wh i ch ev er i s l at er. Fr a z ier v. St a t e

, 3 0 2 Ga. Ap p. 3 4 6

, 3 4 8 (6 9 1 SE2 d 2 4 7 ) (2 0 1 0 ).

On ce t hi s s t at u t o ry peri o d ex p i res

, a t ri al co u rt m ay m od i fy o n l y a v o i d s en t en ce. Id

.

A s en t en ce i s v o id i f t h e co u rt i m p o s es p u n i s h m en t t hat th e law d oes n o t al l o w

. Jo n es

1 Berm an p rev i o u s l y fi l ed a m o t i o n t o s et a s i d e a v o i d ju d g m en t

, wh i ch was

d en ied b y t h e t ri al co u rt . Berm an s o u g ht d i rect ap p eal o f t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er an d

t h i s C o u rt d i s m i s sed h i s ap p eal

. See Cas e No

. A1 4A0 9 1 3 (d eci d ed Feb ru ary 4,

2 0 1 4 ). Berm an al s o s ou g h t d i rect ap p eal fro m t h e tri al co u rt ’s d e n i a l o f h i s

ex t rao rd i n ary m o t io n fo r n ew t ri al

, wh i ch was al s o d i s m i s sed b y th i s Co u rt

. See Cas e

No . A1 6 A1 1 1 9 (d eci d ed Au g u s t 1 5 , 2 0 1 6 ). June 01, 2017v. St a t e

, 2 7 8 G a. 6 6 9

, 6 7 0 (6 0 4 SE2 d 4 8 3) (2 0 0 4 ). W h en a s en t en ce fal l s wi t h i n t h e

s t at u to ry ran g e o f p u ni s hm en t

, i t i s n ot v o i d an d is n o t s u bject t o p o s t -ap p eal

m o di fi cat i o n b ey o n d t h at p ro v id ed i n OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -1 (f). Id

. A d i rect ap p eal d o es

n o t l i e f r o m th e d en i al o f a m o t i o n t o m o d i fy a s en t en ce fi l ed o u t s i de t h e s t at u t o r y

t i m e p eri o d u n l es s t h e m o t i o n rai ses a co l o rab l e cl ai m th at t h e s en t e n c e i s

, i n fact

,

v o i d

. F r az i er , 3 0 2 Ga. Ap p . at 3 4 8

. Here, Berm an fi l ed h is m o t i o n t o m o di fy h i s s en ten ce m o re t h an 1 0 y ears aft er

t h e t ri al co u r t e n t ered h i s s en t en ce an d h e h as n o t as s ert ed h i s sen t en ce i s v o i d.

Fu rt h erm o re, “ a cri m e i s t o b e co n st ru ed an d p un i sh ed acco rd i n g to t h e p ro v i s i o n s o f

t h e l aw ex i s ti n g at th e t im e o f i t s co m m i s s i o n .” Fl emi ng

v. S t a t e, 2 7 1 Ga. 5 8 7

, 5 9 0

(5 2 3 SE2 d 3 1 5 ) (1 9 9 9 ).

M o reo v er, t h is Co u rt p rev i o u s ly ru l e d t h a t th e t ri al co u rt p ro p erl y s en t en ced

Berm an

. See Cas e No

. A1 3 A 1 4 3 7

. “ It is ax i o m at i c t h at t h e s am e i s s u e can n o t b e

rel i t i gat ed a d in

fi n i t u m

. Th e s am e i s t ru e o f ap p eal s o f t h e s am e i s s u e o n t h e s am e

g ro u nd s .” Ech o l

s v. S t a t e , 2 4 3 Ga. Ap p. 7 75

, 7 7 6 (5 3 4 SE2 d 4 6 4 ) (2 0 0 0 ); s ee al s o

Jo r d an v. S t a t e

, 2 53 Ga. Ap p

. 5 1 0

, 5 1 1 (2 ) (5 5 9 SE2 d 5 28 ) (2 0 0 2 ). O u r ru l i n g i n t h e

p ri o r ap p eal i s res ju di cat a

. S e e Ho ok v. Ber g en

, 2 86 Ga. Ap p

. 2 5 8, 2 6 1 (1 ) (6 4 9

SE2 d 3 1 3 ) (2 0 07 ). T h u s, Berm an i s es t o p p ed fro m s eek i n g fu rt h er ju d i ci al rev i ew o f

h i s s e n t en ce. See i d ; see al s o R o s s v. S t a te

, 3 1 0 G a. Ap p. 3 2 6

, 3 28 (7 1 3 SE2 d 4 3 8 )

(2 0 1 1) (l aw o f t h e cas e ru l e b ars s u cces s i v e v o i d s en t en ce ap p eal s ).

Acco rd i ng l y

, we l ack ju ri s d i ct i o n to co n s i d er t hi s ap p eal

, w h i c h i s h ereb y

DISM ISSED.

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 is a tr 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 tn e s s m y s i g n a t u r e a n d t h 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

. 06/01/2017