FOURTH D I VI SI ON

DI L LA RD, P. J.

, RI C KM A N, P. J.

, and BROWN, J.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be

ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n

da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

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. ga a ppe a ls .us /r ule s

D E A D LIN E S A R E N O LO N G E R TO LLE D IN T

H I S

C O U R T. A LL FILIN G S M U ST B E S U B M I TTE D WITH IN

TH E TIM E S S E T B Y

O U R C O U R T R U LE S

.

Januar y 19, 2021



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 0 A2 08 3 . J A COBO v . THE STATE.

B R O W N , J u d g e.

H ect o r J aco bo ap p eal s fro m th e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er di s m i s s i ng fo r l ac k o f

ju ri s d i ct i o n h i s ex t rao rd in ary m o t i o n t o wi t h d raw g ui lt y p lea an d v acat e co n v i ct i o n.

Th e reco rd s h o w s t h a t i n J an u ary 2 0 1 0

, J aco b o wai v ed h i s ri g h t t o co u n s el an d

p l e a d e d g u i l t y t o p o ss es s i n g l es s t h an on e o u nce o f m ari ju an a. On M ay 5

, 2 0 2 0

,

J aco b o fi l ed h i s ex t rao rd i n ary m o t i o n t o wi t h d raw gu i l t y p l ea an d v acat e co n v i ct i o n,

al l eg in g t h at h e was p res en t l y jai l ed an d i n “ rem o v al p ro ceed i ng s ,” an d t hat h i s g ui l t y

p l ea h ad co n tri b u ted g reat l y t o h i s i m m i g rat i o n d i l em m a. As g ro u n d s fo r hi s m o t i o n,

J aco b o as s ert ed t h at n o th i n g i n t h e reco rd

, i ncl u d in g t h e wai v er o f co u n s el fo rm

,

i n d i cat ed t h at t h e t ri al co urt warn ed h i m t h at h e co u l d s uffe r n eg at i ve i m m i g rat i o n

co n seq u en ces as a res u l t o f h i s g u i lt y p l ea, an d t h at

, t h erefo re, hi s Si x t h Am en d m en tri gh t t o c o u n s el an d h i s s u b s t an t i ve an d p ro ced ural du e p ro ces s ri g h t s u n d er t h e

Fo u rt een t h Am en d m en t were v i o l at ed

. Co n cl u d i n g t h at t h e m o t i o n was fi led o u t s i d e

t h e t erm o f co u rt an d t hat Jaco b o h ad m ad e n o co nt en t io n t h at h i s s en t en ce w as v o i d,

t h e t ri al co urt d i s m i s sed t h e m o t i o n fo r l ack o f ju ri s di ct io n

.

On ap p eal

, J aco b o

, wh o al l eg ed l y en t ered i n t o a n ag reem en t fo r v o l u n t ary

d ep art u re an d i s n ow l i v i n g i n h is n at i v e M ex i co

, as s ert s t h at t hi s Co u rt s h o u ld

es t ab l i s h a new s t an d ard i n s i t uat i o n s su ch as h is wh ere i t ap pears t h e t ri al co u rt fai l ed

t o “ fo ll o w th e ru l es ” wh en t ak i n g h i s p l ea. 1 He co n t en d s t hat t h e “ ‘ v o id ’ / ‘ vo i d ab l e’

d i s t i n ct i o n i n t hi s s i tu at i o n h as led t o a m an i fes t i nju st i ce” an d th at “ [a] rg ui n g t h at t h e

co n vi ct i o n i n t h i s cas e i s ‘ v o id [,] ’ o r m erel y ‘ v o i d ab l e’ i s an ex erci se i n s o ph i s t ry .”

1 Th es e ru l es are OCGA § 1 7 -7 -9 3 (c), an d Un i fo rm Su p eri o r Co u rt Ru l e 3 3

. 8

(D) (2 ). OCGA § 17 -7 -9 3 (c) p ro v id es t h at “ [i ] n ad d i t i o n t o an y o t h er i n q u i ry b y t h e

co u rt p ri or t o accep t an ce o f a p l ea o f g ui l t y

, t h e co u rt s hal l det erm in e wh et h er t h e

d efen d an t i s freel y

en t eri n g t h e p l ea wi t h an u n ders t an d in g t h at i f h e o r s he i s n o t a

ci t i zen o f t h e U n i t ed St at es

, t h en t he p l ea m ay h av e an i m p act o n h i s o r h er

i m m i g rat i o n st at us .” USCR 3 3

. 8 (D) (2 ) pro v i des t h at “ [t ] h e j u d ge s h ou l d n o t accep t

a p lea o f g u i l t y

. . . fro m a defen d an t wi t h o u t fi rs t

. . . [i ] n fo rm i n g th e defen d an t o n

t h e reco rd :

. . . t h at a p l ea o f g u i l ty m ay h av e an i m p a c t o n h i s o r h er i m

m i g rat i o n

s t at u s i f t h e defen d an t i s n o t a ci t i zen o f t h e U n i t ed St at es [.] ” See S mi t h v. S t a t e

, 2 8 7

Ga. 3 9 1

, 4 0 3 (3 ) (6 9 7 SE2 d 1 7 7) (2 0 1 0 ) (ex p l ai n i n g t h at pu rs u an t t o OCGA § 1 7 -7

-

9 3 (c) an d U SCR 3 3.8 (D) (2 ), fo rm erl y USCR 3 3.8 (C) (2 ), a tri al co u rt i s req u i red

t o ad v i s e al l d efen d an ts wh o are n o t Un i t ed St at es ci t izen s an d wh o w i s h t o p l ead

g u i l t y t h at t h e p l ea m ay h av e an i m p act o n th ei r i m

m i g rat i o n s t at u s ), o v erru l ed o n

o t h er g ro u n d s

, Co l l i er

v. S t a t e , 3 0 7 Ga. 3 6 3 (8 34 SE2 d 7 6 9 ) (2 0 1 9 ).

2“ [I] t i s wel l s et t l ed t h at wh en t h e t erm o f co u rt h as ex p i red in wh i ch a

d efen d an t was s en t en ced p u rs u an t t o a g u il t y p l ea th e t ri al co u rt l ack s ju ri s di ct i o n to

al l o w t h e wi t h d rawal o f th e p lea.” (Ci t at i o n an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed .) Per ez v. S t a t e

,

3 3 3 Ga. Ap p

. 7 1 6 (7 7 6 SE2 d 3 1 2 ) (2 0 1 5 ). See al so Ba n ks t on v. S t a t e , 3 07 Ga. 6 5 6,

6 5 7 (2 ) (8 3 7 SE2 d 7 8 8) (2 0 2 0) (d efen d an t ’ s m o ti o n t o wi th d raw g u i l t y p l ea p ro p erl y

d i s m i s s ed fo r l ack o f

ju ri s di ct i o n wh ere term o f co urt in wh i ch defen d an t en t ered p l ea

ex p ired d ecad es ag o ); S

mi t h

, 2 8 7 G a. at 4 0 3 (3 ) (wh i l e t i m el y m o t i o n t o wi t h d raw

g u i l t y pl ea m ay l ead t o ev i d en t iary h eari n g

, t ri al co u rt ’ s au t h o ri ty t o wi t h d raw g ui l t y

p l ea en d s wi t h ex p i rat i o n o f t h e t erm o f co u rt i n wh i ch t h e p l ea was en t ered ). Des p i t e

J aco b o ’ s cl ai m of m an i fes t i n ju s t i ce b ecau s e o f t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s al l eg ed fai l u re to

i n fo rm h i m o f t h e i m

p act on h i s i m

m i grat i o n s t at u s

, an d h i s u rg i ng t hat we es t ab l i s h

a n ew s t an d ard

, h e “ h as s ho wn n o b as i s t o d i s t u rb 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 ti o n t o w i th d raw gu i l t y p l ea.” P er ez

, 3 3 3 G a

. Ap p

. at 7 1 7 (1 ), ci t in g Hen d er so n

v. S t a t e

, 29 5 Ga. 3 3 3

, 3 3 6-3 37 (2 ) (7 5 9 SE2 d 8 2 7 ) (2 0 1 4 ) (u p ho l d i n g t ri al co urt ’ s

d en ial o f d efen d an t ’ s m o t i o n t o wi t h d raw g u i l t y p lea, b ecau s e

— d es p it e d efen d an t ’ s

cl ai m o f “ m an i fes t i n

ju s t i ce i n t h e fo rm of i n effect iv e as s i s t an ce o f co u n s el ” — t h e

t ri al co urt h ad n o ju ri s d ict i o n t o en t ert ai n t h e m o t i o n fi led aft er t h e t erm o f co u rt

d u ri n g wh i ch t he defen d an t h ad b een s en t en ced ), an d D u p ree v. S t a t e

, 2 7 9 Ga. 6 1 3,

36 1 4 (6 1 9 SE2 d 6 0 8 ) (2 0 0 5) (reject i n g t h e d efen d an t ’ s cl ai m t h at m an i fes t i n ju s t i ce

fro m i n effect i v e as s i s t an ce o f co u n s el p erm it t ed h i m t o p urs u e a m o t i o n t o wi t h d raw

h i s g ui l t y p l ea, wh ere t h e m o t i on was u nt i m el y fi l ed ). Cf. S mi th

, 28 7 Ga. at 4 0 2 -4 0 3

(3 ) (o n d i rect ap p eal

, a d efen d an t w h o s eek s t o s h o w m an i fes t i n ju s t i ce b as ed o n a

v i o l at i o n o f OCGA § 1 7 -7 -9 3 (c) o r U SCR 3 3 .8 ( D ) ( 2 )

, an d w ho fi l es a t i mel y

m o ti o n to wi t h d raw g u il t y p l ea aft er s en t en ci n g

, m ay b e en t i t l ed t o an ev i d en ti ary

h eari n g t o ex p an d t h e r eco rd to es t ab l i s h t h ree fact s rel at i n g t o t h e i m p act o n h i s

i m m i g rat i o n s t at u s). Gi v en t h e ci rcu m s t an ces h ere, th e t ri al co u rt co rrect l y d i s m i s s ed

J aco b o ’ s m o t i o n t o wi th d raw h i s g u il t y p l ea.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Di l l ar d

, P. J., a n d

Ri ckma n , P. J., co n cu r

.

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