# 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 9 A2 10 4 . KANLI CA v . THE STATE.

In Feb ru ary 2 0 1 5, Tan s u Kan l i ca p lead ed g u il t y t o t wo co un t s o f h o m i ci d e by

v eh icl e an d s eri o u s i nju ry b y v eh i cl e, an d t h e t ri al co u rt s en t en ced h i m t o a 1 5 -y ear

t erm o f co n fi n em en t

, fo ll o wed b y a co ns ecu t i v e 5 -y ear t erm o f co n fi n em en t fo r t h e

se co n d h om i ci d e b y v eh i cl e an d co n cu rren t 5 -y ear t erm o f co nfi n em en t fo r t he s er ious

i n ju ry b y v eh i cl e ch arg e. Kan l i ca fi l ed a m o t i o n fo r red u ct i o n of s en t en ce, wh i ch

m o ti o n th e t ri al co u rt g ran t ed

, o n J u n e 28

, 2 0 1 7

. 1 Kan l i ca t h en fi l e d a m o t i o n to

v acat e a v o i d s en t en ce, wh i ch t h e t ri al co u rt d en i ed

. Kan l i ca ap peal s t h i s ru l i n g

.

A d i rect ap peal m ay l i e fro m an o rd er den y i n g a m o t io n t o v acat e o r co rrect a

v o id s en ten ce o n l y i f t he defen d an t rai s es a co l o rab l e cl ai m th at t h e sen t en ce i s

, i n

fact

, v o id

. 2 “ M o t i on s t o vacat e a v o id s en t en ce g en eral l y are l i m it ed t o cl ai m s t h at

—

ev en as s u m i n g t he ex is t en ce an d v al i d i t y of t h e co n v i ct io n fo r wh i ch t h e s en t en ce was

i m p o s e d

— t h e law d o es no t au t h o ri ze t h at s en t en ce, m o s t t y p i cal l y becau s e i t

ex ceed s t h e m o s t s ev ere p u n ishm e nt f or w hic h t h e ap p l i cab l e pen al st at ut e p ro v i d es

. ” 3

1 Th e co urt m o di fi ed Kan l i ca’ s s en t en ce t o a 1 0 -y ear t erm o f co n fi n em en t fo r

co u nt 1, a 1 5 -y ear t erm t o b e s e r v e d on p ro b at i o n fo r co u n t 2 (ru n ni n g co ns ecu t i v e

t o co u nt 1 ), an d a 1 5 -y ear t erm t o b e s erv ed o n p ro b at i o n fo r co u n t 3 t o b e s erv ed

co n cu rren t t o co u n t 2

.

2 See Ha r per v. S t a t e

, 2 8 6 Ga. 2 1 6

, 2 1 7, n

. 1 (6 8 6 SE2 d 7 8 6 ) (2 0 0 9 ); Bu rg v.

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

. 1 1 8 , 1 1 9 (6 7 6 SE2 d 4 6 5) (2 00 9 ).

3 vo n Th o m a s v. S ta t e , 2 9 3 Ga. 5 6 9 , 5 7 2 (2 ) (7 4 8 SE2 d 4 4 6 ) (2 0 13 ). January 28, 2020W h en a s en t en ce i s wi t h in t h e s t at u t o ry ran g e o f p u n i s h m en t , i t i s n o t v oi d

. 4

Kan l i ca arg u es th at hi s t en -y ear s en t en ce fo r t h e f i r s t co u n t o f h o m i ci d e by

v eh icl e s h o u l d i n st ead b e t hree y ears b ecau se t h at is t h e m i n i m u m s en ten ce an d n o

ag g rav at ed fact o rs ex is t ed i n hi s cas e. Nev ert h el es s

, t en y ears fo r h o m ici d e b y v eh i cl e

i s a p erm i s s i b l e s en t e n c e

, an d t h ere i s n o s t at u t o ry req u i rem en t fo r ag grav at i o n

i m p l i cat ed b y t h e offen s e at is s u e. 5 Bec a u s e Kan li ca’ s sen t en ce fal l s wi t h i n t h e

a p pl i cab le ran g e o f p u n i s h m en t

, h e has 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

.

Acco rd in g ly , t h i s ap p eal i s h ereb y DI SMI SSED

.

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 t i f y th 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 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

.

4 See 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 ).

5 See OCGA § 4 0 -6 -3 9 3 (a) (s en t en ce fo r h o m i ci d e b y v eh i cl e i s “ n o t l es s t h an [3 ] n o r m o re t han 1 5 y ears ”). 01/28/2020