# 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 5 A1 70 9 . TERRY USHER v . THE STATE.

A ju ry fo u nd Terry Us h er g u i l t y o f m u l t i p l e o ffen s es , i ncl u d in g arm ed ro b b ery ,

ag g rav at ed as s au l t an d ki d n ap p i n g

. Us h er ap p eal ed fo l l o wi n g t he de nia l of h i s m o t i o n

fo r n ew t ri al

, an d th i s Co u rt affi rm ed h i s co n v i ct i o n s i n an un p ub l i sh ed o p i n i o n

. See

Us h er v. St a te

, Cas e Nu m b er A 1 1 A0 7 0 5

, d eci d ed J u n e 2 0

, 20 1 1

. Sev eral y ears l at er,

Us h er fi l ed a p ro s e m o t i o n t o v a c a t e a v o i d s en t en ce, arg u i n g t h e t ri al co u rt

i m p ro p erl y s en t en ced h i m as a reci d i vi s t

. Sp eci fi cal l y , Us h er as s ert ed t h at two earl i er

co cai n e co n v i ct i o ns s h o u ld h av e been co n s i d ered a s i n g l e o ffen se fo r p u rp o s es o f

reci di v i s t s en t en ci n g . Th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed t h e m o t i o n , an d Us h er ap p eal s.

U n d e r O C G A § 1 7

- 1 0

- 1 ( f ), a co u rt m ay m o d i fy

a s en t en ce d u r i n g t h e ye a r

aft er it s i m

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

,

w h i ch ev er i s l at er. Fr a z i er v. S t a t e , 30 2 Ga. Ap p

. 3 4 6

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

(2 0 1 0) ; B u r

g v

. S t at e , 2 9 7 Ga. Ap p

. 1 1 8

, 1 1 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 pi res , as i t had wh e n U s h e r fi led h i s 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 o n l y i f i t i s v o i d

. Jo n es v. S t a te

, 2 7 8 Ga. 66 9

, 67 0 (6 0 4 SE2 d 4 8 3 )

(2 0 0 4). A s en t en ce i s v oi d o n l y i f i t i m p o s es p u n is hm en t t h at t h e law d oes n o t al l o w.

vo n Th o m a s v. S t a t e , 2 9 3 Ga. 5 6 9

, 5 7 1 (2 ) (7 4 8 SE2 d 44 6 ) (2 01 3 ). “ Mo t i on s to v acat e

a v o id s en t en ce g en eral l y are l i m i t ed t o cl ai m s t h at

– ev en as s u m i n g t he ex i s t en ce an d

v al i d i t y o f t h e co nv i ct i o n fo r wh i ch t h e s en t en ce was i m po s ed

– t h e law d o es n ot

au t h o ri ze t h at s en t en ce, m os t ty p i cal l y b ecau s e i t ex ceed s th e m o s t 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 l e p en al s t at u t e p ro v i d es .” Id . at 5 7 2 (2 ).

Here, Us h er h as fai l ed t o rai s e a v al i d v o i d s en ten ce cl ai m

. As n o t e d b y t h e

t r i al co u rt

, Us her h ad fi v e p rev i o u s fel o n i es u s ed i n ag g rav at i o n o f s en t en ci n g. June 03, 2015Acco rd in g ly

, t h e t ri al co u rt was au t h o ri zed t o s en t en ce h i m as a reci d i v i s t

n o t wi t h s t an d i n g an y al l eg ed erro r in fai li n g t o co n s ol i d at e t w o o f t h e co n v i ct i o n s

. See

OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -7 (c) (h ol di n g t h at a p ers o n h av i n g b een co n vi ct ed o f t h ree o r m o re

fel o n i es s h al l b e s en t en ced to s erv e th e m ax i m u m t im e p ro vi d ed ). Th u s , t h e t ri al

co u rt ’ s d i s m i s s al o f h i s m o t i o n i s n o t s u b ject t o d i rect ap p eal

. U n d er t h es e

c i rcu m st an ces , we l ack ju ri s d i ct i o n t o co ns i d er t h i s ap p eal

, wh i ch i s h e r e b 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 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

. 06/03/2015