# 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 0 A0 29 7 . RANDY PRI CE v . THE STATE.

On Au g u s t 2 2

, 2 0 0 8, Ran d y Pri ce was co n v i ct ed o f t wo cri m es : p o s s es s i o n

w i t h i n t en t t o d is t ri b u t e m ari ju an a, an d p o ss es s i o n wi th i n t en t t o d i s t ri b u t e

m et h y l en ed i ox y m et h am

p h et am i n e (“ M DM A”). Th e t ri al co u rt s en t en ced Pri ce t o t en

y ears ’ i m p ri s o n m en t fo r t h e m ari

ju an a cri m e an d fo rt y y ears ’ i m pri s o n m en t fo r t h e

M DM A cri m e, ru nn i n g t h e t erm s co n s ecu t i v el y

. A ft er Pri ce was g ran t ed an o u t -o ft i m e ap p eal

, th i s Co urt affi rm ed h i s ju dg m en t o f co n v ict i on i n 2 0 1 0

. S e e P r i c e v.

S t a t e , 3 0 3 Ga. Ap p

. 8 5 9 (6 9 4 SE2 d 7 1 2) (2 01 0 ). 1

In J u n e 2 0 1 8

, Pri ce fi l ed a m o t i o n t o v acat e, s et as id e, o r co rrect hi s sen t en ce.

In h i s m o t i o n

, Pri ce ap p ears t o h av e cl ai m ed t h at h i s s en t en ce wa s v o i d b ecau s e h e

h ad b een s en t en ced as a reci d i v i s t p u rs u an t t o OCGA § 1 7-1 0 -7 (c) b as ed o n t h e fact

t h at h e h ad t wo p ri o r fel on y co n v i ct i o ns

, b u t t h e st at ut e was am en d ed in 2 0 1 5 to

req u i re t hat a d efen d an t h av e t hree p ri o r fel o n y co nv i ct i o n s b efo re b ei n g s en t en ced

as a reci d i v i s t

, an d th e am en d m en t was ret ro act i ve. Th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed Pri ce’ s

m o ti o n

, an d Pri ce fi l ed t h is ap p eal . W e l ack ju ri s di ct i o n

.

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 uri 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 it 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. Ap p

. 3 4 6

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

1 See al s o Pr i ce v. S t a t e

, 3 0 0 Ga. Ap p

. 7 9 5 (6 8 6 SE2 d 4 0 6 ) (2 0 0 9 ) (affi rm i n g

t ri al co u rt ’ s d en i al o f Pri ce’ s m o t i o n to v acat e o r co rrect a v o i d s en t en ce, i n w h i ch h e

cl ai m ed t h e St at e fai l ed t o pu t h i m o n n o t i c e p r i o r to t ri al o f it s i n t en t t o s eek

reci di v i s t p u n i sh m en t). October 11, 2019( 2 0 1 0 ) ; Bu 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 p i res

, as i t h ad h ere wh en Pri ce fi l ed hi s m ot 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 G a. 6 69

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

(2 0 0 4). A n d a s en t en ce i s vo i d o n l y wh en t h e t ri al co u rt im po 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 lo w. Jo r d a n v. S t a t e

, 25 3 Ga. Ap p

. 5 1 0

, 5 1 1 (1 ) (5 59 SE2 d 5 2 8 )

(2 0 0 2). “ Mo ti o n s t o v acat e a v oi d s en ten ce g en eral l y are l im it ed t o cl ai m s t h at

– ev en

as s u m in g t h e ex i s t en ce an d v al i d i t y o f t h e co n v i ct io n fo r w h i c h t he s en t en ce was

i m p o s ed

– t h e l aw d o es no t au t h o ri ze t hat sen t en ce, m o s t t y p i cal l y b ecau s e i t ex ceed s

t h e m o s t s ev er e p u n i s h m en t fo r wh ich t he ap p l i cab l e pen al s t at u t e pro v id es .” Vo n

Th o ma s v. S t a te

, 2 9 3 Ga. 56 9

, 5 7 2 (2 ) (7 4 8 SE2 d 4 4 6 ) (2 01 3 ). A di rect ap p eal d o es

n o t l i e fro m t h e d en ial of a m o ti o n t o vacat e a v o id sen t en ce fi l ed ou t s i d e t h e st at u t o ry

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 c o l o r a b l e cl ai m t h at th e s en t en ce i s

, i n fact

,

v o i d

. Fr a z ier , 3 0 2 Ga. Ap p . at 3 4 8

. Here, Pri ce h as fai l ed t o rai s e a co l o rab l e cl ai m t h a t h i s s en t en ce i s v o i d.

Co n t rary t o h i s c l a i m

, b o t h t h e v ers i o n o f OCGA § 1 7-1 0 -7 (c) i n effect wh en h e

co m m i t t ed h i s cri m es on Feb ru ary 2 4

, 2 0 0 6

, a n d t h e c u r ren t v ers i o n o f t h e s t at u t e,

req u i re t h at a d efen d an t h av e t h ree p ri o r fel o n i es b efo re b ei n g sen t en ced as a

reci di v i s t

. Co m

p are OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -7 (c) (2 0 0 6 ), wi t h OCGA § 1 7-1 0 -7 (c) (2 0 1 9 ). 2

In ad d i t i o n

, ev en i f t h e t ri al co urt s o m eh o w i m pr ope rl y ap p l ied OCGA § 1 7 -1 0

-

7 (c) at sen t en ci ng

, Pri ce’ s ag g reg at e 5 0 -y ear s e n t e n c e s t i l l fel l wi t h i n t h e ran g e o f

al l o wab le s en t en ces fo r h i s cri m es an d i s t h erefo re n o t v oi d

. See B ro wn v. S ta t e

, 2 9 5

Ga. Ap p

. 6 6

, 6 7 -6 8 (6 7 0 SE2 d 86 7 ) (2 0 0 8) (b ecau s e t h e av ai l ab l e pu n i s h m en t fo r t h e

d efen d an t ’ s cri m e in cl u d ed l i fe i m p ri s o n m en t

, t he defen d an t ’ s li fe s en t en ce was n ot

v o i d

, ev e n i f t h e t ri al co urt i m p ro p erl y co n s trai n ed i t s d i s cret i o n i n ap pl y i n g t h e

reci di v i s t s t at u t e). W hen Pri ce co m m i t t ed h i s cri m es

, th e m ax i m u m sen t en ce u p o n a

co n vi ct i o n fo r po s ses s i o n wi t h i n t en t t o d i st ri bu t e m ari ju an a was te n y e a r s

, s ee OCGA

§ 1 6-1 3 -3 0 (j ) (2 ) (2 00 6 ), an d t h e m ax i m u m s en t en ce u p o n a s eco n d o r s u b s eq u en t

2 Th e 2 0 1 5 am en d m en t t o OCG A § 1 7 -1 0 -7 (c) s i m p l y ad d ed l an g u ag e

referen ci n g t he p ro v i s i o n s o f OCGA § 4 2 -9 -4 5 ( b )

, wh i c h go v ern wh en an i n m at e

m ay b e el i g i bl e fo r p aro l e. See Ga. L. 2 0 1 5, p . 5 1 9 , § 2 -1 / HB 3 2 8

.co n vi ct i o n fo r p o s s es s i o n wi th i n t en t t o d is t ri b u t e a Sch ed u l e I or II co n t ro l l ed

s u b s t an ce, s u ch as M DM A, was fo rt y y ears

. See O CGA § § 1 6 -1 3-3 0 (d ) (2 0 0 6 ); 1 6

-

1 3 -2 5 (3 ) (A) (2 00 6 ); s ee al s o Br o wn

, 29 5 Ga. Ap p

. at 6 7 n

. 3 (“ W e ap p l y t h e

s en t en ci n g l aw i n effect at t h e t i m e t h e cri m e was co m m i t t ed .”).

Becau s e Pri ce h as fai l ed t o rai se a co l o rab le 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 fo r l ack o f ju ri s d i ct i o n

.

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 l a n ta

,

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 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

. 10/11/2019