# 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 3 A0 03 4 . HECTOR BAUTI STA v . THE STATE.

Fo l l owi n g a J a n u a r y 20 1 8 ju ry tri al o n a ch arg e o f m al i ce m u rd er, Hect o r

Bau t i st a w as co n v i ct ed o f v o l u n t ary m an s l au g h t er as a l es s er i n cl ud ed o ffen s e an d

was s en t en ced t o s erv e 2 0 y ears i n co n fi nem en t

. In 2 0 2 0

, t h i s C o u rt affi rm ed

B a u t i st a’ s co nv i ct i on

. Ba u ti s t a v. S t at e , Cas e No

. A1 9A2 1 2 5 (d eci d ed Jan u ary 1 6

, 2 0 2 0 ). Ov er t wo y ears lat er, i n J u n e 2 0 2 2

, Bau t i s t a fi l ed a p ro se p lead i n g t i t l ed “ Pl ea

i n Ab s en t i a.” I n t h i s p l ead i ng , Bau t i s ta p u rp o rt ed t o accep t t h e St at e’ s p ret ri al p l ea

o ffer o f a reco m

m en d ed s en t en ce o f 1 0 y ears t o s erv e i n co n fi n em en t i n ex ch an g e fo r

Bau ti s t a’ s g u i lt y p lea t o a red u ced ch arg e o f fel o n y i n v o l u n tary m an s l au g h t er. Th e

t ri al co u rt d i s m i s sed t h e fi li n g as an i n v al i d at t em p t b y Bau t i s t a t o ch al len g e h i s

co n vi ct i o n an d s en t en ce. Bau t i s t a t h en fi l ed t hi s d i rect ap p eal fro m t h e o rd er o f

d i s m i s s al . As ex pl ai n ed b el o w , t h i s ap p eal m u s t al s o b e d i sm i s s ed

. Th e p lead i n g fi led b y Bau t i s t a s h ows th at reg ard l es s of i t s n o m en cl a t u r e , i t

s o u g ht t o s et as i de o r v acat e h i s co nv i ct io n an d sen t en ce fo r vo l u n t ary m an s l au g h t er.

See S t a t e v. Bel l

, 2 74 G a. 7 1 9

, 7 1 9 ( 1 ) ( 5 5 9 S E 2 d 4 7 7) (2 0 0 2 ) (wh en a co u rt

co n si d ers p l ead i n gs , s u b s t an ce co n t ro l s o v er n o m en cl at u re); S l ed g e v. S t a t e , 3 1 2 Ga.

Ap p

. 9 7, 9 8 (1 ) (7 1 7 SE2 d 68 2 ) (2 0 1 1 ) (“ [c] o u rt s s h o u l d e x a m i n e t h e s u b s t an ce o f

a m o t i o n , rat h er th an i t s n o m en cl at u re, t o d et erm i ne wh at s o rt o f rel i ef is so u gh t ”). As

t h e Su p rem e Co u rt o f G eo rg ia h as m ad e cl ear, h o wev er, a p o s t -co n v i ct io n m o t i o n

ch al l en g i n g t h e v al i d it y o f a co n v i ct i o n an d s eek i n g t o set as i d e or v acat e t h e s am e

i s n o t a v al i d p ro ced u re i n a cri m i n al cas e. See R o b er t s v. S t a t e , 2 8 6 G a

. 5 3 2

, 5 3 2

(6 9 0 SE2 d 1 5 0 ) (2 0 1 0 ); W i l li a ms v. S t a te

, 28 3 Ga. 9 4

, 9 4 (6 5 6 S E 2 d 1 44 ) (2 0 0 8 ).

Th u s, an y e f

f o rt t o ap p eal fro m t h e d en i al o f s u ch a m o t i o n m u s t b e d i s m i s s ed

. August 11, 2022R o b e r t

s , 2 8 6 Ga. at 5 32 ; Ha r

p er v. S t a t e , 2 8 6 Ga. 2 1 6

, 2 1 8 (2 ) (6 86 SE2 d 7 8 6 )

(2 0 0 9). Acco rd i n gl y , t h i s ap peal i s h ereb 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 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

. 08/11/2022