# 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 39 1 . J AEL GATES v

. THE STATE.

In 2 0 1 1

, J ael Gat es w as co n v i ct ed o f arm ed ro b b ery

, t h ree co un t s of ag g rav at ed

as s au l t

, an d p o ss es s i on o f a fi rearm d u ri n g co m m i ss i o n o f a fel o n y an d s en t en ced to

2 0 y ears

, wi t h 13 y ears t o serv e. Gat es fi led a m o t i o n fo r n ew tri al

, b u t at th e h eari n g

o n hi s m o t i o n, h e ab an do n ed h i s m o t i o n an d wai v ed h i s ri g h t s to ap p eal i n ex ch an g e

fo r a d o wn ward m o d i fi cat i o n o f h i s s en t en ce. 1 In 2 0 1 6

, Gat es was res en t en ced t o 1 5

y ears

, t o s erv e 1 1 i n co n fi n em en t a n d t h e rem ai nd er on p ro b at i o n

. Gat es fi l ed a

m o ti o n t o v acat e h i s s en t en ce as v o id

. Th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed t h e m o t i o n , an d Gat es

ap p eal s fro m t h at o rd er. W e, h o wev er, l ack ju ri s di ct i o n

.

Gat es arg u ed i n h is m o t i o n t o v acat e v o id s en t en ce t hat th e t ri al co u rt l ack ed

t h e au t h o ri ty t o im

p o s e t h e s en t en ce o n h i s ag g rav at ed as s au l t co n v ict i on s b ec a u s e

t h ey s h o ul d h av e m erg ed in t o h i s arm ed ro b b e r y c o n v ict i o n

. Gat es ’ s m erg er cl ai m

i s a ch al l en g e t o h i s c o n v i c t i o n s

, n ot h is s en t en ces

, an d t h u s d o es n o t st at e a v al id

v o i d

- s e n ten ce cl ai m

. See W il l ia ms v. S t a t e

, 2 8 7 Ga. 1 92

, 19 3 -1 9 4 (6 9 5 SE2 d 2 4 4 )

(2 0 1 0). Becau s e Gat es h as n o t r a i s ed a v al i d v o i d -s en t en ce cl ai m

, we l ack

ju ri s d i ct i o n t o co n s i d er h i s ap p eal

. See Ha r p er

, 2 8 6 Ga. at 21 8 (2 ). M oreo v er, t o t h e

ex t en t th at Gat es ’ s m o t i o n co u l d b e co n s t ru ed as s ee k i n g t o v acat e o r m o d i fy h i s

co n vi ct i o n s

, “ a p et i t i o n t o v acat e o r m od i fy a ju d g m en t o f co n v i c t i o n i s n o t an

ap p ro p ri at e rem ed y in a cri m in al cas e,” i d

. at 2 1 8 (1 ), an d an y ap p eal fro m an o rd er

1 Pret erm i t t i n g t h e v al i d i t y o f Gat es ’ s wai v er o f h i s ap p el l at e r i g h t s

, h e i s

n o n et h el es s en t i t l ed t o ch al l en g e a s en ten ce as v o i d o r i ll eg a l

. See Ho o ks v. S t a t e

, 2 8 4 Ga. 5 3 1

, 5 3 2 (1 ) (6 6 8 SE2 d 7 1 8 ) (2 0 0 8 ). May 10, 2017d en y i n g o r d i s m i s s i n g s uch a m o ti o n m u st b e d is m i s s ed

, s ee i d

. at 2 1 8 (2 ); s ee al s o

Ro b er t s v. S t a t e , 2 8 6 Ga. 5 3 2 , 5 3 2 (6 9 0 SE2 d 1 5 0 ) (2 0 1 0 ).

Fo r t h es e reas on s , 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 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 tn 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

. 05/10/2017