SECOND DI VI SI ON

M I LLER, P. J.

, RI CKM A N and M ERCI ER, 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 l s .us /r ule s

June 29, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 0 A0 68 2 . SM ART v . THE STATE.

R I C K M A N , J u d g e.

Ri card o Sm art was t ri ed b y a ju ry an d co nv i ct ed of fai lu re t o reg i s t er as a s ex

o ffen d er. 1 On ap p eal

, Sm art co n t en d s t h at t h e ev i d en ce was i n s uffi ci en t t o s u s t ai n h i s

co n vi ct i o n . Fo r t h e fo l l o wi n g reas o n s , we rev ers e.

On ap peal fro m a cri m i n al co n v i ct io n

, we vi ew t h e ev i den ce i n t h e l i g h t

m o s t fav o rab l e t o su p p ort t h e ju ry ’ s v erd i ct

, an d t h e d efen d an t n o l o ng er

en jo y s a p r es u m

p t i o n o f i n n o cen ce. W e do n o t wei g h t h e ev i d en ce o r

ju d g e t h e cred i b i l it y of t h e wi t n es s es

, b u t d et erm i n e o n l y w h et h er th e

ev i d en ce au t h o ri zed t h e j u r y t o fi nd t h e d efen d an t g u i l t y o f t h e cri m es

b ey o n d a reas o n ab l e d o ub t i n acco rd an ce w i t h t h e s t an dard s et fo rt h i n

Ja cks o n v. Vi r

g i n ia

, 4 4 3 U. S. 3 0 7 (9 9 SCt 2 7 8 1

, 61 LE2 d 5 6 0 ) (1 9 79 ).

1 Sm art was acq u i t t ed o f ag g rav at ed s ex u al b at t ery an d ch i l d m o l es tat i o n

.(Ci t at i o n a n d p u n c t u at i o n om i t t ed .) Jo h n s o n v. S t a t e

, 3 40 Ga. A p p

. 4 29

, 4 3 0 (7 9 7

SE2 d 6 6 6) (2 0 1 7).

So v i ewed

, a d et ect i v e wi t h t h e At h en s -Cl ark e Co u n t y p o l i ce dep art m en t was

i n v o l v ed i n an i n v es t i g at i on o f an al l eg ed ch i l d m o l es t at i o n

. Th e d et ect i v e i d en t i fi ed

Sm art as a s u s pect an d d is co v ered t h a t h e was o n t h e s ex o ffen d er reg i s t ry

. Aft er

s p eak i n g wi t h th e co rp o ral wh o m ai n t ai n s t h e sex o ffen d er reg i s try fo r At h en s -Cl ark e

Co u n t y

, th e d et ect i v e l earn ed t h at Sm art w as cu rren t l y li st ed as h o m el es s an d h ad n ot

reg i s tered t h e ad d res s wh ere h e was res i d i n g

.

Th e co rp oral wh o m ai n t ai n ed t h e s ex o ffen d er reg i st ry t es ti fi ed th at Sm art

m o ved t o At h en s-Cl ark e Co u n t y i n 2 0 1 4 an d was req u ired t o reg i s t er b ecau s e “ [h ] e

was ch arg ed o ut o f Det ro i t

, M i ch i g an

, wi t h as sau l t wi t h i n t en t t o co m m it CSC

- - I’ m

n o t s u re w h at t h at m ean s o n t h ei r en d

- - bu t i n t h e s eco n d deg ree, wh i ch is a s ex u al

o ffen s e.” Th e St at e a s k e d t h e co rp oral

, [w] o u l d t h at ch arg e cau s e h im t o h av e to

reg i s ter as a s ex o ffen der i n Mi ch i g an ? ” Th e co rp o ral rep l i ed

, “ [t ] h at ’ s wh at t hey h av e

o n reco rd s as fo r w h a t t h e y were reg i s t eri n g h i m u n d er.” Th ro u gh th e co rp o ral t h e

St at e in t ro d u ced “ co u rt reco rd s ” fro m M i ch ig an

. Th e “ co u rt reco rd s ” w as a two p ag e

d o cu m en t

. Th e fi rs t p ag e was a warran t fro m 1 9 88 in d i cat i n g t h at Sm art was ch arg ed

wi t h v io l at in g a M i ch i g an co d e s ect i o n fo r “ en g ag [i n g ] i n s ex u al p en et rat i o n, t o wi t :

2cu n ni l i n g u s

, wi t h t he co m p l ai n an t

, a p ers o n u n der 1 3 y ears o f ag e[.] ” Th e s eco n d

p ag e i s a s en t en ce s h e e t i n d i cat i n g t h at Sm art p l ed gu i lt y o n Feb ru ary 6

, 1 9 9 1 to

“ as sau l t wi t h i n t en t t o co m m i t CSC 2 [.] ” Nei th er t h e co de s ect i o n n o r t he cas e n u m b er

o n each p ag e m at ch

.

A ret i red p o l i ce l i eu t en an t fro m t h e Det ro i t

, Mi ch i g an s ex cri m es u n i t t es t i fi ed

t h at s h e i nv es t i g at ed co m p l ai n ts “ reg ard i n g ch i ld ren fro m zero m on t h s t o 1 6 y ears o f

ag e i n t h at p art icu l ar di v i s io n th at en t ai l s ch i l d s ex ual ab u s e fro m fi rs t d eg ree, s eco n d

d eg ree, t h i rd deg ree an d fo u rt h d eg ree.” Th e St at e as k ed t h e l i eu t en an t

, “ [a] n d i s wh at

y o u ju s t n am ed M i ch ig an ’ s vers i on o f ch i l d m o l es t at i o n ? ” Th e l i eu t en an t rep l i ed

,

“ [y ] es [,] [c] ri m i n al s ex u a l c o n d u ct [.] ” Th e l i eu t en an t ex p l ai n ed t h at i n 1 9 8 8 s h e

i n v es t i g at ed a cas e i n v o l v i n g Sm ar t

. T he l i eu ten an t t es t i fi ed th at s h e p rep ared t h e

warran t fo r Sm art ’ s arres t an d sh e i d en t i fi ed th e “ co u rt reco rd s ” p rev io u sl y ad m i t t ed

as t h e “ co u rt o ffi ci al d o cu m en t o f ch arg es .”

Reg i s t rat i on as a s ex o ffen d er is req u ired b y “ a n o n res i d en t w h o ch an g es

res i den ce fro m an o th er st at e

. . . o f t he Un i t ed St at es

. . . t o Geo rg i a wh o i s req u i red

t o reg is t er as a sex ual o ffen d er un d er

. . . t h e l aws o f an o t h er s t at e

. . . or wh o h as b een

co n vi ct ed in t h i s s t at e of a c r i m i n al o ffen s e ag ai n s t a v i ct i m wh o i s a m in o r o r an y

d an gero us s ex u al o ffen s e.” O C G A § 4 2 -1 -1 2 (e) (6 ). No t ab l y ,”[a] co n v i ct i o n fo r a

3m i s d em ean o r s h al l n o t b e co n s i d ered a cri m i n al o ffen s e ag ai n s t a v i ct i m wh o is a

m i n o r[.] ” OCGA § 4 2-1 -1 2 (a) (9 ) (c). See Owen s v. Ur b i n a

, 29 6 Ga. 2 5 6, 2 5 8 (7 6 5

SE2 d 9 0 9) (2 0 1 4).

Th e i n di ct m en t ch arg ed Sm art wi th

,

b ei n g req u i red t o reg i s t er [as a s ex o ffen d e r ]

. . . b y v i rt u e o f h av i n g

b een p rev io u s l y co n v i ct ed o f th e o ffen s e o f Cri m i n al Sex u al Co n d u ct

-

As s au l t wi th I n t e n t t o Co m m i t Sex ual Pen et rat i o n i n cas e n u m b er 8 8

-

0 1 0 0 9 9 -0 1 -FH

. . . an d s en t en ced o n Decem b e r 8

, 1 9 8 8

, sai d offen s e

b ei n g a cri m i nal o ffen s e ag ai n s t a v i ct im wh o i s a m i n o r, d i d f a i l t o

co m p ly wi th t h e req u irem en t s o f OCGA § 4 2-1 -1 2 (f) b y fai l i n g t o g iv e

t o th e Cl ark e Co u n t y Sh eri ff’ s Dep art m en t

, wi t h wh o m h e i s req u i red t o

reg i s t er up dat ed i n fo rm at i o n as to h i s s l eep i n g l o cat i o n

, req u i red

reg i s t rat i o n i n fo rm at i o n

, wi t h i n 72 h o u rs o f an y ch an g e to t h e req u i red

reg i s t rat i o n i n fo rm at io n [.]

“ Th e b u rd en of p ro o f res t s u p o n t h e St at e t o p ro v e ev ery m at eri al al l eg at i o n o f

t h e i n d i ct m en t an d ev ery es s en t i al el em en t o f t h e cri m e ch arg ed bey o n d a reas o n ab l e

d o u b t .” (Ci t at io n an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed .) Jo n es v. S t a t e

, 3 4 0 Ga. Ap p

. 3 9 8

, 4 0 0

(7 9 7 SE2 d 6 5 3 ) (2 0 1 7). It was th e St at e’ s b urd en to p ro v e t h at Sm art was req u i red to

reg i s ter as a s ex o ffen d er d u e t o h i s M i ch i gan co n v i ct io n an d i ts ev i d en ce o n t h i s

i s su e was lack i n g i n s ev eral res p ect s

. In i t i al l y

, i t i s i m p o s s i b l e t o co n n ect t h e t w o

p ag es o f t h e “ co u rt reco rd s ” d o cu m en t wi t h each o t h er. Th e t wo p ag es d o no t co n t ai n

4t h e s am e cas e n u m b er o r co d e s ect i o n

. Th e warran t m en t i o ns t h e fact s u n derl y i n g t h e

ch arg e, b u t d o es n o t n am e t h e ch arg e. Th e s en t en ce s h eet n am es t he cri m e as “ as s au l t

wi t h i n ten t t o co m

m i t cs c 2 ” b u t i n cl u d es n o ot h er f a c t s o r i n f

o rm at i on ab o u t t h e

ch arg e. To co n fu s e m at t ers fu rt h er, t h e cas e n u m b er l i s t e d i n t he fai l ure t o reg i s t er

i n d i ct m en t i s s i m i l ar t o t h e cas e n u m b er l i s ted o n t h e s e n t e n ce s h eet

, b u t t h e

i n d i ct m en t al leg es t h at Sm art was sen t en ced o n Decem b er 8

, 1 9 8 8 an d t h e s en t en ce

s h eet refl ect s t h a t h e was s en t en ced o n Feb ru ary 6

, 19 9 1. Th e act u al s en t en ce was

red act ed fro m t h e do cu m en t u p on req u es t fro m th e St at e an d o v er o b ject io n b y Sm art

.

It i s n o t cl ear fro m t he s en ten ce s h eet wh et h er Sm art p l ed t o a fel o ny o r m i s d em ean o r.

Th e M i ch i g an li eu t en an t t es t i fi ed t h at s h e t o o k a warran t ou t fo r Sm art ’ s arres t

,

b u t s h e was n ev er as k ed an d d i d n o t t es t i fy t h at Sm art was co n v i ct ed o f t h e ch arg e.

Th e l i eu t en an t al s o d id n o t t es t ify t h at Sm art was req u i red t o reg i s t er as s ex o ffen d er

i n M i ch i g an

. T h e co rp o ral wh o m ai n t ai n ed t h e reg i st ry tes t ifi e d t h a t Sm art was

“ ch arg ed ” wi t h a s ex u al o ffen s e i n M i ch i gan an d wh en as k ed i f th at “ ch arg e” wo u ld

cau s e Sm art t o h av e t o reg i s t er as a s ex o ffen d er, s h e rep l i ed “ [t ] h at ’ s w h at t h ey h av e

o n reco rd s as fo r wh at t h ey were reg i s t eri n g h i m

u n d er.”

W h et h er Sm art was “ ch arg ed ” wi t h a s ex ual o ffen s e i n vo l v i n g a m i n o r i s n ot

t h e p ert i nen t qu es t i o n

. T h e i s s u e was wh et her Sm art was co nvi ct ed o f a s ex u al

5o ffen s e i n v o l v i n g a m i no r an d wh et h er t hat co nvi ct io n req u ired Sm art t o reg i s t er as

a s ex o ffen d er i n M i ch ig an

. Th e St a t e ’s ev i den ce on t h i s cru ci al is s u e was

i n s u ffi ci en t

. Th ere was no d ef i n i t i v e co nn ect i o n b et ween Sm art ’ s w arran t an d

s en t en ce s h eet

, n o affi rm at i ve t es t i m o n y t h at Sm art was co n vi ct ed o f t h e ch arg e l i s t ed

i n t h e warran t

, an d n o affi rm at i v e t es t i m o n y t h at Sm art ’ s co n v ict i o n req u i red s ex

o ffen d er reg i s t rat i o n i n M i ch ig an

. “ Bas ed o n t h e ev i d en ce p res en t ed

, a rat io n al t ri er

o f fact co u l d n o t h av e fo u n d b ey o n d a reas on ab le d o u b t t h at [Sm art ] w as g u i lt y o f t h e

o ffen s e ch arg ed i n hi s in d i ct m en t

. Acco rd i n g l y

, w e rev ers e h i s co n v i ct i o n.” Jo n es v.

S t a t e

, 3 4 0 G a. Ap p. at 4 0 0

. See i d .; Da vi s v. S t a t e

, 33 0 Ga. A p p

. 1 1 8

, 1 2 2 (2 ) (7 6 6

SE2 d 5 6 6) (2 0 1 4).

Ju d g men t r ever sed . Mi l l er

, P. J., a nd

Mer ci er

, J., co n cu r

.

6