# 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 8 A1 71 1 . CHRI STOPHER FLEMI NG v . THE STATE.

In 2 01 2

, Ch ri s to p h er Fl em i n g p l ed g u i l t y t o ch i ld m o l es t at i on an d p o s s es s i o n

o f a fi rearm b y a co n v i ct ed fel o n

. Th e t ri al co u rt s en t en ced h i m t o th e m ax i m u m 2 0

y ear s en t en ce o n t h e ch i l d m ol es t at i o n co u n t

. He s u b s eq uen tl y fi l ed a m o t i o n to

wi t h d raw h i s g u il t y p l ea. Th e t ri a l c o u r t d e n i e d h i s m o t i o n t o wi t h d raw hi s g ui l t y

p l ea an d we affi rm ed t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er o n ap p e a l i n a n u np u b l i s h ed o p i n i o n.

Cas e No . A1 3A1 7 4 8 (d eci d ed J an u ary 7 , 2 0 1 4).

In 2 0 1 7

, Fl em i n g fi led a p ro s e m o t i o n t o co rrect a v o i d an d i l l eg al sen t en ce,

arg u i n g t h at t h e t r i a l c o urt was req u i red t o i s s u e a s p l i t sen t en ce fo r t h e ch i ld

m o les t at i o n co u nt u n d er OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -6

. 2 (b ). T he t ri al co urt g ran t ed t h e m o t i o n

an d ap p o i n t ed co u ns el t o rep res en t Fl em in g at t h e re-s en t en ci ng h eari n g

. A ft er t h e

h eari n g , t h e co u rt re-s en t en ced Fl em i n g o n t he ch il d m o l es t at i o n co u n t t o 2 0 y ears

,

wi t h th e fi rs t 1 9 y ears t o be s erv ed i n co n fi n em en t

, an d t h e b al an ce o n p ro b at i o n.

Fl em i n g s u b s eq u en tl y fi l ed a p ro s e n o ti ce o f ap p eal wi t h i n 3 0 d ay s o f t h e sen t en ce.

W e, h o wev er, l ack ju ri s d i ct i o n

.

Pro s e fi l i n g s b y rep res en t ed p art i es are leg al n u l li t ies

. W h it e v. S ta t e

, 3 0 2 Ga.

3 1 5

, 3 1 9 (2 ) (8 0 6 SE2 d 4 8 9 ) (2 0 1 7 ). In t h i s cas e, co un s el rep res en t ed Fl em i n g at t h e

re-s en t en ci n g h eari n g, an d t here i s n o i n d i cat i o n i n t he reco rd t h at co u n s el fi l ed a

m o ti o n t o wi t h d r a w

. See i d

. at 3 1 8 (2 ) (“ [D] efen s e co u ns el ’ s d u ti es t oward t h ei r

cl i en ts ex t en d fo r at leas t t h e 30 d ay s aft er t h e en t ry o f ju d g m e n t wh en a n o t i ce o f

ap p eal m ay b e fi l ed ). Acco rd i n g l y

, o n l y co u n s el was au th o ri z e d t o fi l e a n o t i ce o f

ap p eal

. See S

o ber an i s v. S t a te

, No

. A1 7 A1 5 7 8 (d eci ded Mar. 2 6

, 2 0 1 8 ) ( p ro s e

n o t i ce o f ap peal was a l e g a l n ul l i t y ). Th u s

, wi t h ou t t he p ro p er fi l i n g o f a n o t i ce o f June 15, 2018ap p eal , t h i s cas e i s h ereb y DISM ISSED fo r l ack o f ju ri s d i ct i o n . See i d

.

To t h e ex ten t th at Fl em i n g ’s ri g h t t o ap p eal h as been fru s t rat ed b y erro rs o f

co u ns el

, he m ay b e en t i t l ed t o an o ut -o f-t i m e ap peal

. See Ro wl an d v. St a t e

, 2 6 4 Ga.

8 7 2

, 8 75 -8 7 6 (2 ) (4 5 2 SE2 d 7 5 6 ) (1 9 9 5 ). He t h erefo re i s i n fo rm ed o f t he fo l l o wi n g

i n acco rd an ce wi t h R o wl a nd

, 2 6 4 Ga. at 8 7 5 -8 76 (2 ): Th i s ap p eal h as b een d i s m i s s ed

b ecau s e y o u fai l ed t o fi l e a p ro p er n o t i ce o f ap p eal

. If y o u s t i ll wi sh t o ap p eal , y o u

m ay pet it i o n t h e t ri al co urt fo r l eav e t o fi l e an o u t -o f-t i m e ap peal

. If t h e t ri al co u rt

g ran t s y o u r req u es t

, y o u wi l l h av e 3 0 d ay s fro m t h e en t ry o f t hat o rd er t o fi l e a n o t i ce

o f ap p eal referen ci n g y o ur co nv i ct i o n

. If t h e tri al co u rt den i es y o ur req u es t

, y o u wi l l

h av e 3 0 d ay s fro m t h e en t ry o f t h at o rd er t o fi le a n ot i c e o f a p p e a l referen ci n g t h e

d en ial o f y o u r req u es t fo r an ou t -o f-t i m e ap p eal

. Th e cl erk o f co u rt is DIRECTED to

s e n d a co p y o f t h i s o rd er t o Fl em i n g as wel l as t o Fl em i n g ’ s at t o rn ey

, w h o i s a l s o

DIRECTED t o s en d a co p y t o Fl em i n g

.

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

. 06/15/2018