FOURTH D I VI SI ON

DOYLE, P. J.

, M I LLER and DI LLA RD, JJ.

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 ls .us /r ule s /

Januar y 7, 2015



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 4 A1 64 4 . USM AN v . THE STATE.

M I LLE R , J u d ge.

J o rd an Us m an en t e r e d i nt o a n o n -n eg ot i at ed p l ea o f g u il t y t o t wo co u n t s o f

ch i l d m ol es t at i o n (OCGA § 1 6 -6 -4 (a) (1 )). Us m an a p p eal s fro m hi s co n v i ct i o n,

co n ten d in g t h at t h e t ri al co u rt err e d i n f a i l i n g t o p ro p erl y ad vi s e h i m o f h i s ri g ht to

wi t h d raw h i s p l ea. Fo r t h e reas o n s t h at fo l l o w, we affi rm

.

A d efen d an t h as n o u n q u al i fi ed ri gh t t o fi l e a d i rect ap p eal fro m

a ju d g m en t o f co n v i ct i o n an d s en t en ce en t ered o n a g u il t y p l ea, an d t h us

,

t h e m eri t s o f [Us m an ’ s ] a p p eal can b e ad d res s ed o nl y if t h e i s s u es he

s eek s t o rai s e can b e res o lv ed b y fact s ap p eari n g i n th e reco rd

, i n cl u d i n g

t h e t ran s cri pt o f t he g u il t y p l ea h eari n g

.

(Ci t at i o n o m i t t ed .) D en o va v. S t a t e

, 2 6 8 Ga. Ap p

. 1 6 (6 0 1 SE2 d 4 0 0 ) (2 0 04 ).

Us m an en t er e d h is g ui l t y p l ea o n No v em b er 5

, 2 0 12

. Th e reco rd s h o ws

, an d

Us m an co n ced es

, t h at h e en t ered a n o n -n eg o t i at ed p lea. Th e Su p eri o r Co urt o f Gl y n nCo u n t y hel d a s en t en ci n g h eari n g o n J an u ary 1 6

, 20 1 3

, an d t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s ju d g m en t

was en t ered t h at s am e d ay

. Two d ay s lat er, t h e t ri al co u rt cal l ed Us m an t o co u rt to

i n fo rm h i m o f h i s ri g ht t o ap p eal h i s co nv i ct i o n an d sen t en ce, wh i ch i t h ad fai l ed to

d o at t h e p rev i o u s h eari n g

. Th e t ri al co u rt al s o i n fo rm ed Us m an t h at h e h ad t h e ri g ht

t o an ap pel l at e at t orn ey i f h e was i n d i gen t. T h e t ri al co u rt

, h o wev er, d i d n o t i n fo rm

Us m an t hat he co u l d m o v e t o w i th d raw h i s g ui l ty p l ea. Us m an was rep res en t ed by

co u ns el at h i s pl ea an d s en t en ci n g h eari n g s

, i n cl u d i n g at t h e heari n g wh en t h e t ri al

co u rt ad v i s ed Us m an o f h i s ri g h t t o ap p eal h i s co n v i ct i o n

.

Us m an fi l ed a n o t ice o f ap p eal o n Feb ru ary 1 2

, 2 0 1 3

. T hereaft er, on J u n e 2 1,

2 0 1 3

, Us m an fi l ed a m o t i o n i n s u p eri o r co u rt t o wi th d raw h is g u i l t y p l ea, wh i ch t h e

t ri al co u rt d en i ed b ecau se Us m an fi l ed h i s m o ti o n o u t s i d e t h e t erm o f co u rt

.

On ap peal

, Us m an co n t en d s t h at t h e t ri al co u rt m i s l ed h i m t hat t he ap p ro p ri at e

p r o c e d ure fo r ch al l en g i n g hi s co n v i ct i o n s was t o fi le a d i rect ap peal rat h er t h an a

m o ti o n t o w i t h d raw hi s g u il t y p l ea wi t h i n t h e t erm o f co u rt

, an d h e rel i ed o n t h i s

ad v ice t o h i s d et ri m en t b ecau s e h i s m o t i o n t o wi t h d raw w as d en ied s i n ce i t w as fi l ed

o u t o f t erm . W e d i s ag ree.

OCGA § 17 -7 -9 3 (b ) p ro v id es , i n rel ev an t p art , t hat , at an y t i m e

b efo re ju d g m en t i s p ro n o u n ced

, th e accu s ed p ers o n m ay wi t h d raw th e

p l e a o f g ui l t y an d p l ead n o t g u il t y

. A d efen d an t d o es no t hav e an

2ab s o l u te s t at u t o ry ri g h t

, u n d er s ai d Co de s ect i o n

, t o wi t h d raw a g u i l t y

p l ea, aft er t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o ral an n o u n cem en t o f t he s en ten ce.

(Ci t at i o n s an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed .) S t even s v. S ta te

, 2 0 2 Ga. Ap p. 4 7 3

, 4 7 4 (3 ) (4 1 4

SE2 d 7 0 2 ) (1 99 2 ). M o reo v er, t h e t ri al co u rt i s o nl y o b l ig at ed t o p ers on al l y in fo rm t h e

d efen d an t o f t h e ri gh t t o wi th d raw h i s g u i lt y p l ea b efo re ju d gm en t i s p ro n o u n ced i f

t h e t ri al co u rt in t en d s t o reject a n eg o t i at ed p l ea ag reem en t. S t o r ch v. S t at e

, 2 7 6 Ga.

Ap p . 7 8 9 , 7 9 1 -7 9 2 (2 ) (6 2 5 SE2 d 7 0 ) (2 0 0 5).

In t h i s cas e, Us m an ’ s pl ea was n on -n eg o t i at ed , an d as a res ul t

, th e tri al co u rt

was n o t o b li g at ed t o i n fo rm h i m o f h i s ri g ht t o w i t hd raw t h e p l ea b efo re sen t en ci n g.

Ja mes v. S t a t e

, 3 2 6 Ga. A p p. 2 3 1

, 2 3 2 (7 5 6 SE2 d 3 1 2) (2 0 1 4). Us m an n ev ert h el es s

arg u es t hat t h e t ri al co u rt affi rm at i v el y m i s l ed h i m i n to b el i ev i n g t hat h e co u l d rai s e

an i n effect i v e as si s t an ce cl ai m o n ap p eal wi t h ou t fi rs t m o v i ng t o wi t h d raw h i s g ui l t y

p l ea o r d ev el o p i ng t h e reco rd t o ad d res s t h e i s s ue. See La mb v. S t at e , 2 8 2 Ga. Ap p.

7 5 6

, 7 5 8 ( 6 3 9 SE2 d 6 4 1 ) (2 0 0 6 ) (wh ere a d efen d an t h as n o t fi l ed a m o t i o n to

wi t h d raw h i s g ui l t y p l ea rai s i n g i n effect i v e a s s i s t an ce as an i s s u e, an d t h e o n l y

ev i d en ce i n t h e reco rd i s th e t ran s cri p t o f h i s gu i lt y p l ea h eari n g

, t h e d efen d an t can n ot

rai s e i n effect iv e as s i s t an ce o f co u n s el o n di rect ap p eal o f h i s co n v i ct i on ). Th ere i s n o

m eri t t o t h is arg u m en t b ecau s e t h e t ri al co u rt u n am bi g u o u s l y ad v i s ed Us m an o f h i s

3ri gh t t o ap peal h i s co n vi ct i o n, an d i t was n o t o bl i g at ed t o i n fo rm h i m t h at t h i s ri g ht

was q u al ifi ed in l i g h t o f h i s g u i l t y p l ea. See Ba r l o w v. S ta te

, 2 8 2 Ga. 2 3 2, 23 3 (6 4 7

SE2 d 4 6 ) (2 0 0 7 ).

Li k ewi s e, th ere i s n o m eri t to Us m an ’ s cl ai m t h at t he t ri al co urt ad v i s ed h i m

t h at h e h ad t o affi rm at i vel y req u es t p o s t -co n v i ct i o n c o u n sel

. W h i le t h e t ri al co u rt

ad v is ed Us m an t h a t t h e co u rt wo u l d ap p o i n t ap p el l at e co u n s el “ u p o n ap p ro p ri at e

req u es t t o d o s o ,” th e t ri al co u rt ’ s s t at em en t

, in co n t ex t

, i n d i c a t e d th at ap p el l at e

co u n s e l wo u l d b e ap p o in t ed i f Us m an wi s h ed to ap p eal an d s h owed t hat h e was

i n d i g en t

. S e e Ha wki n s v. S ta t e

, 2 2 2 Ga. A p p

. 4 6 1

, 4 62 (1 ) (4 7 4 SE2 d 6 6 6) (1 9 9 6 )

(h o l d i n g t h at t h e t ri al co urt m us t ap p o i n t co u n s el fo r i n d i g en t d efen d an t s w ho indi cat e

a des ire to ap p eal ). Si nce t he reco rd d o es no t s h o w t h at t h e t ri al co urt co m m it t ed erro r

i n ad v is i n g Us m an o f h i s ap p el l at e ri g h t s, we affi rm

.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Do yl e, P. J., a n d

Di l la r d

, J., co n cu r

.

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