FI RST DI VI SI ON

BA RNES, P. J.

, M I LLER, P. J.

, and M ERCI ER, 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.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

M ar ch 10, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 9 A1 97 1 . ANDERSON v . THE STATE.

B A R N E S , Pres i d i n g J ud g e.

P r o ceed i n g pro s e, J av o ri s e An d ers o n ap p eal s fro m t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o r d e r

d en y i n g h i s m o t io n fo r an o u t -o f-t i m e ap p eal

. On ap p eal

, An d ers o n co n t en d s

, am o n g

o t h er th i n g s t h at p l ea co u n s el was i n effect i v e, an d t hat h e h ad n o t b een ad v i s ed o f h i s

ri gh t t o wi t h draw h i s g u i l t y p l ea o r t o ap peal

. Fo r t h e reas o n s t hat fo l l o w, we v acat e

t h e t ri al co urt ’ s o rd er an d rem an d t h e cas e fo r fu rt h er p ro ceed in g s

.

In 2 0 1 5

, An ders o n was i n d i ct ed i n M org an Co un t y on ch arge s of f el o n y m u rd er

an d ag g rav at ed as s au l t. 1 On Ju n e 2 7

, 20 1 6

, wh i l e rep res e n t ed b y co u n s el

, h e p l ed

g u i l ty t o t he les s er i ncl u d ed o ffen s e o f v ol u n t ary m an s l au g ht er an d ag g rav at ed

1 Th i s cas e was t ran s ferred t o t h is Co u rt fro m o u r Su p rem e Co u rt b ecau s e

al t h o u g h i n d i ct ed fo r fel on y m u rd er, An d e r s o n p l ed gu i l t y t o t h e l es ser i n cl u d ed

o ffen s e o f v o l u n t ary m an s l au g h t er.as s au l t

. In J u ne of 2 0 1 8, An d ers o n fi l ed t h e s u b ject pro s e m o t i o n fo r an o u t -o f-t i m e

a p p e a l

, an d as s ert ed

, am on g o t h er t h i n g s

, t h at h i s cas e h ad n ot b een “ s u b ject ed t o

ap p el l at e rev iew,” b ecau s e o f th e i neffect i v en es s o f h i s p lea co un s el

. Th e tri al co u rt

d en ied t h e m o ti o n , an d i t i s fro m t h at o rd er t h at An d ers o n ap p eal s

.

Li k ewi s e i n Co l l i er v. S t a t e

,

_ _ G a.

__ (1 ) (8 3 4 SE2 d 7 6 9 ) ( Cas e No

.

S1 9 A0 65 8

, d eci d ed Oct

. 2 1

, 2 0 1 9 ), Co ll i er h ad as s ert ed t hat t h e t ri al co u rt ab u s ed i t s

d i s cret i o n i n d e n yi ng h is m o t i o n fo r an o ut -o f-t i m e ap peal fro m t h e ju d g m en t o f

co n vi ct i o n en t ered o n h i s gu i l t y p l ea wi t h o u t c o n d u ct i n g a h eari n g i nq u iri n g i n to

wh et h er hi s co u n s el ’ s al l eg ed i n e f f e ct iv e as s is t an ce dep ri v ed h i m o f h i s ap p eal o f

ri gh t

. 8 3 4 SE2 d at 7 7 3. Reco gn i zi n g t h at “ w h en co u ns el ’ s co n s t it u t i o n al l y d efi ci en t

p erfo rm an ce d ep ri v es a defen d an t of an ap peal t h at h e o t h erwi s e wo u l d h av e t ak en

,

t h e defen d an t i s en ti t led t o an ap p eal b ecau s e h e effect i v el y h as b een dep ri v ed o f an

ap p el l at e p ro ceed i n g al t o get h er,” t h e Co u rt h el d t h at “ [t ] h i s s t an d ard ap p l i es wh et h er

a d efen dan t s eek s an o u t -o f-t i m e ap p eal fro m a fi n al ju d g m en t o f co n v i ct i o n en t ered

fo l l o wi n g a t ri al o r fo ll o wi ng a g u i l t y p l ea.” Id

. at 7 7 4 (1 ). Th e Co u rt fu rt h er

o v erru l ed a l i ne o f cas es wh i ch h el d t h a t a c r i m i nal d efen dan t ’ s ri g h t to ap p eal

d i rect l y fro m a ju d g m en t en t er e d o n a g u i l t y p l ea is l i m i t ed t o t h o s e cas es i n wh i ch

2t h e i s s u e o n ap peal can be res o l v e d b y fact s ap p eari n g i n t he reco rd

, o r t h at a

d efen d an t m

u s t s h o w t h at h i s ap p eal wo u l d h av e h ad m eri t

. Id . at 7 7 4 -7 7 6 (1 ).

Here, as pre v i o u s l y n o t ed

, An d ers o n req u es t ed th e t ri al co u rt t o g ran t h i s

m o ti o n fo r o ut -o f-t i m e ap p eal i n p art b ecau se hi s at t o rn ey was in effect i v e i n fai l i n g

t o i n fo rm h i m o f hi s p o st -co n v i ct i o n o p t i o n s fo r rel i ef, i n cl u d in g fi l i n g an ap p eal fro m

h i s g u i l t y p l ea. Su b s eq u en t l y, t h e t ri al co u rt d en ied An d ers o n’ s m o ti o n wi t h o u t an

ev i d en t i ary

h eari n g

. 2

Becau s e t h e t ri al co u rt d en i ed [An ders o n ’ s ] m ot i o n fo r an

o u t -o f-t i m e ap peal wi t h o u t h o ld i ng an ev i d en t i ary h eari n g

, w e c a n n o t

d et erm i ne fro m t h e ap p el l at e r e c o r d wh et h er [h i s ] fai lu re t o t i m el y

p u rs ue a n a p p eal was act u al l y t he res u lt of hi s co un s el ’ s d efi ci en t

p erfo rm an ce. Mo reo v er, we reco g ni ze t h at

, g i v en th e cl e a r

, t ho u g h

i n co rrect

, m an d at e o f t h e ca s e law ov erru l ed b y [t h e Co l l i er ] o p i n i o n

,

[An d ers on ] h as n ot h ad a fu ll an d fai r o p p o rt u n i ty t o pu rs u e hi s m o t i o n

fo r an o u t -o f-t i m e ap peal b efo re th e t r i a l co u rt

, t h e St at e h as n o t h ad a

fu l l an d fai r o p po rt u n i t y t o rai s e d efen s es

, an d t h e tri al co u rt h as n o t h ad

t h e b en efi t o f t h i s o p i n i o n t o g u id e i t s c o n s i d e rat i on o f t h e p art i es ’

ev i d en ce an d arg u m e n t s

. Co n s eq uen t l y

, w e v acat e t h e o rd er d en y i n g

[An d ers on ’ s ] m o t i o n fo r an o u t -o f-t i m e ap p eal

, an d we rem an d th e cas e

t o t h e t ri al co u rt fo r p ro ceed i ng s co n s is ten t wi t h t h i s o p i n i on

.

2 Th e reco rd on ap p eal i n cl u d es o nl y t h e p lea tran s cri p t ; it d o es n o t ap p ear t h at

a h eari n g o n An ders o n ’ s m ot i o n fo r an o u t -o f-t i m e ap p eal was ev er co n d u ct ed

.

3Co l li e r, 8 3 4 SE2 d at 7 8 1 (3 ).

On rem an d t h e t ri al co u rt s h o ul d reco ns i d er An d ers o n ’ s m o t i o n i n a m an n er

co n si s t en t wi t h t h e Su p rem e Co u rt o f Geo rg i a’ s d eci si o n i n Co l l i er

.

Ju d g men t va ca t ed a nd ca s e r ema n d ed wi t h d i r ect i o n

. M

i l ler

, P. J., a n d

Mer ci er , J., co n cu r

.

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