THI RD DI VI SI ON

M I LLER, P. J.

, M CFA DDEN, P. J.

, and M C M I LLI A N, 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

Januar y 13, 2017



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 6 A0 35 7 . CLEM M O NS v . THE STATE.

M C M ILLI A N , J u dg e.

In No vem

b e r 1 9 9 1

, Sean Cl em m o n s en t ered a gu i l ty p l ea t o o ne co u n t o f

p o s s es s i o n o f co cai n e wi t h i n t en t t o d is t ri bu t e an d was s en ten ced t o t en y ears

, wi th

t wo y ears t o s erv e i n co n fi n em en t

. Al m o s t 2 4 y ears l at er, i n Au gu s t 2 0 1 5

, Cl em m on s

fi led i n t he t ri al co u rt a “ M o t i o n U n d er W ri t o f E rro r o f Co ram No b i s t o Vacat e, o r

Ex p un g e a Sen ten ce b y a Pers o n i n Fed eral Cu s t o d y ” 1 (“ Co ram No b is M o t i o n ”). Th e

t r i a l co u rt d en i ed th i s m o t i o n o n Au g u s t 1 8

, 2 0 1 5

. Cl em m on s t h ereaft er fi l ed a

“ M ot i o n Pu rs u an t t o Hab eas Co rp u s Un d er Eq u i t ab l e To l l i n g” (“ Hab eas M o t i o n ”),

1 It ap pears fro m t h e reco rd t h at Cl em m o n s i s cu rren t l y s erv i n g a s en t en ce i n

fed eral p ri s o n fo r an u nrel at ed co n v ict i o n.wh i ch th e t ri al co urt al s o d en ied

. Cl em m o n s, pro ceed i n g p ro s e, n ow ap p eal s b o th

o rd ers . Fi n di ng n o erro r, we affi rm

.

1

. As a t h res ho l d m at t er, we n ot e t h at Cl em m o n s ’ ap p el lat e b ri ef i s d efi ci en t

b ecau s e t h e s t at em en t o f fact s d o es n o t co n t ai n “ a ci t at i o n o f t h e p art s o f t h e reco rd

o r t ran s cri p t es s en t i al to a co ns i d erat i o n of t h e erro rs .” Co u rt o f Ap p eal s Ru l e 2 5 (a)

(1 ). T h i s p ro b l em i s co m

p o un d ed b y t he fact t h at Cl em m o ns al s o fai l s t o i n cl u d e an y

ci t at i o n s t o t h e reco rd in s u p po rt of hi s en um erat io n o f erro rs

. See Co u rt o f Ap p eal s

Ru l e 2 5 (c) (2 ) (i ) (“ [e] ach en u m erat ed erro r sh al l b e s u pp o rt ed i n t h e b ri ef b y s p eci fi c

referen ce t o t h e reco rd o r t ran s cri p t ”). Cl em m o n s ’ p ro s e s t at u s d oes n o t ex cu s e h i m

fro m co m

p l i an ce wi t h t h e su b s t an ti v e an d p ro ced u r a l req ui rem en t s o f t h e l aw,

i n cl u d i n g t h e ru l es of t hi s Co u rt

. See Br o wn v. Mo wr En t er p r i s es

, LLC

, 3 2 2 Ga. Ap p.

9 3

, 9 3 (7 4 2 SE2 d 1 73 ) (2 0 1 3 ). W h i l e we w i l l n o n et h el es s rev i ew Cl em m o ns ’ cl ai m s

o f e r r o r t o t he ex t en t we are ab l e t o as cert ai n t h em

, h e wi l l no t b e g ran t ed rel i ef

s h o u ld we err i n co n s t ru i n g h i s n o n co n fo rm in g ap p el l at e b ri ef. See Or a n g e v. S t a t e

o f Ga

. , 3 1 9 Ga. Ap p. 5 1 6 , 5 1 7 (1 ) (7 3 6 SE2 d 4 77 ) (2 0 1 3 ).

2

. Cl em m o n s fi rs t as s ert s t h at t h e t ri al co urt erred i n d en y i n g h i s Co ram No b i s

M o t i on

. A wri t o f erro r co ram n o b i s i s o b s o l et e, an d i t s us e h as b een d i s co u rag ed by

o u r Su p rem e Co u rt fo r s o m e t i m e:

2a w ri t o f erro r co ram n o b i s i s t h e an ces t o r o f an ex t rao rd i n ary m o t io n fo r

n ew t ri al b a s e d o n n ewl y -d i s co v ered ev i den ce. Th e p rereq u is i tes fo r

i s su in g a wri t o f erro r c o r a m n o b i s o r fo r gran t i n g an ex t rao rd i n ary

m o t i o n fo r n ew t ri al b as ed o n n ewl y d i s co v ered ev i d en ce ap p ear t o be

i d en ti cal

. Befo re a co u rt au t h or i zes ei th er, i t i s g en eral l y req u i red t hat

t h e m o vi n g o r pet i t i o ni n g p art y b as e t h e p l ead i n g o n fact s wh i ch are n o t

p art o f th e reco rd an d wh i ch co ul d n o t by du e di l i g en c e h av e b een

d i s co v ered at t h e t i m e o f t h e t ri al

.

W a ye v. S t a te

, 23 9 Ga. 8 7 1

, 8 7 3 (1 ) (2 3 8 SE2 d 9 2 3 ) (1 9 7 7) (“ we wo u l d l i k e to

reco m m en d t o t h e Bar t o fi n al l y g ran t t h i s li n g eri n g g h o s t a p eacefu l res t ”).

Cl em m o n s arg u es th at he i s en t i t l ed t o a wri t o f erro r co ram n ob i s b e cau s e h e

re c e i v e d i n effect i ve as s i s t an ce o f co u n sel wh en h i s t ri al at t o rn ey (1 ) fai l ed t o u s e

p erem pt o ry s tri k es o n t wo ju ro rs al t h o u g h h e h ad i n s t ru ct ed h is co u n s el to d o s o ; (2 )

fai l ed to i n v es t i g at e or i n q u i re wh y t h e St at e l o w ered i t s p lea o ffer fo l l owi n g t h e fi rs t

d ay o f t ri al ; (3 ) ad v i s ed hi m t o t ak e a p l ea b arg ai n b ecau se h e co ul d n o t wi n t h e cas e,

es s en t i al l y “ ab an d o n i ng h i m ”; an d (4 ) s o m eh o w co n s pi red wi t h th e St at e t o g e t a

fel o n y co n v i ct i o n o n h i s reco rd . Th i s arg u m en t i s wi t h o u t m eri t

.

W e fi rs t n o te t hat Cl em m o n s fai l s to p o i n t t o an y n ewl y d is co v ered ev i d en ce

t h at wo u l d h av e au t h o ri zed th e t ri al co u rt t o g ran t t h e wri t

. Rat h er, h i s arg u m en t s

co n cern in g t h e v al i d i t y o f h is p l ea al l co n cern ev i d en ce t h at was k n o wn t o Cl em m o n s

,

3as wel l as h i s co un s el

, at t h e ti m e t h at h e en t ered h is p lea o f g u i lt y

. See Mo s s v. S t a t e

,

2 5 5 Ga. Ap p . 1 0 7 , 1 0 8 (5 6 4 SE2 d 5 1 6 ) (2 0 02 ). M o reo v er, an ex t rao rd i n ary m o t i o n

fo r n ew t ri al i s n o t av ai l ab l e to o n e wh o p l ed g u i l t y

. See Jo nes v. St a t e

, 3 2 2 Ga. Ap p.

2 6 9 , 2 7 1 (1 ) (7 4 5 SE2 d 1 ) (2 0 13 ).

Ev en i f we were t o co n s i d er Cl em m o n s ’ Co ram No b i s M o t i o n as a m o t i o n t o

wi t h d raw h i s g u i l ty p l ea, h e wo u l d n ot b e en t i t led t o rel i e f

. Th e t ri al co urt ’ s

ju ri s d i ct i o n t o en t ert ai n a m o t i o n t o wi t h d raw a g u i l t y p l ea en d s aft er t h e t erm o f co u rt

i n wh i ch t h e j u d g m e nt o f co n v i ct i o n was ren d ered

. See S ea b r o o k v. St a t e

, 3 1 5 Ga.

Ap p

. 8 0 1, 8 0 2 (7 2 8 SE2 d 3 2 2 ) (2 0 1 2 ). Here, th e reco rd i n d icat es t hat Cl em m o n s d id

n o t m o v e fo r an y

fo rm o f rel i ef u n t i l n earl y 2 4 y ears fo l l o wi n g h i s co n v ict i o n , l o n g

aft er t h e ex p i rat i o n o f t h e t erm o f co u rt

. Acco rd i n g l y, t h e t r i al co u rt d i d n o t err in

d en y i n g t h is m o t i o n

. See S t a te v. Ca r r i o n

, 3 2 7 Ga. Ap p

. 2 9 6

, 29 8 (7 5 8 SE2 d 6 3 2 )

(2 0 1 4) (wh ere d efen d an t m o v ed fo r wri t o f co ram n ob i s m ore t h a n 2 0 y ears aft er

ex p irat i o n o f t erm o f co u rt i n w h i ch ju d g m en t o f co n vi ct i o n o n p l ea was en t ered

, t ri al

co u rt h ad n o au t h o ri t y

t o g ran t m o t io n ).

3

. Cl em m o n s al s o as s ert s t h a t t h e t ri al co u rt erred i n d en y i n g h i s Hab eas

M o t i on

. It i s tru e t h at “ [t ] h e p ro p er rem ed y fo r m ak i n g a cl ai m o f i n e f f e c t i v e

as s i s tan ce o f co u n s el i n co n nect i o n wi t h a gu i l t y p l ea i s t o m o v e t o wi t h d raw t h e p l ea

4o r, i f t h e t erm o f co u rt i n wh i ch t h e p l ea was en t ered has ex p i red

, t o p et i t io n fo r a wri t

o f h ab eas co rp u s.” (Ci t at i on an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed

. ) Va l l d ep a r a s v. S ta t e

, 3 1 9 Ga.

Ap p

. 4 9 1

, 4 9 2 ( 1 ) (7 3 5 SE2 d 8 1 6) (2 01 2 ). Becau s e Cl em m o n s ap p eared t o s eek

rev i ew, i n t er al i a, o f th e tri al co u rt ’ s o rd er d en y i n g h ab eas rel i ef, t h i s Co u rt i n i t i al l y

t ran s ferred t h e cas e t o o ur Su p rem e Co u rt

, wh ich h as ex cl u si v e ap p el l at e j u ri s d i ct i o n

o v er al l cas es i n v o l vi ng h ab eas co rp u s

. See Ga. Co n st

. o f 1 9 8 3

, Art

. VI, Sec. VI, Par.

III (4 ). Ho wev er, t h e Su p rem e Co u rt t ran s ferred t he ap p e a l b ack t o t h i s Co u rt

,

d et erm i n i n g t h at “ Ap p el l an t fi l ed i n hi s cri m i n al cas e p l ead i n g s s eek in g a wri t o f erro r

co ram no b is

, an d t o w i t hd raw h i s 1 9 9 1 g u i l t y p l e a t o d ru g ch arg es an d v acat e h i s

co n vi ct i o n ” an d t h at “ i t is cl ear t h a t a p p el l an t is n o t seek i n g h ab eas rel i ef.” W e are

b o u n d b y t h e Su p rem e Co u rt ’ s d et erm i nat i o n t h at Cl em m on s i s n o t s eek i n g h ab eas

rel i ef, bu t rat h er t o wi t h d raw h i s g u il t y p l ea, an d t h erefo re, as ex p l ai n ed i n Di v i s i o n

2 , t h i s en u m erat i o n o f erro r p ro v i d es n o b as is fo r rev ers al

. 2

2 W e n o t e, h o wev er, t h at b ecau s e Cl em m o n s i s cu rren t l y b ei ng d et ai n ed in

W es t V i rg i n ia, v en u e fo r h i s h ab eas fi l i n g was pro p er i n t h e Su p eri o r Co u rt o f Fl o y d

Co u n t y

. See O CGA § 9-1 4 -4 3 (“ If t h e p et i t i o ner i s n o t in cu s t o dy or i s b ei ng d et ai n ed

u n d er th e au th o ri t y of t h e Un i t ed St at es

, an y of t h e s ev eral s t at es o t h er t h an G eo rg i a,

o r an y fo rei g n s t at e, th e p et i t i o n m u s t b e fi l ed i n t h e s u p eri o r co u rt o f t h e co u n t y in

w h i c h t h e co n v ict i o n an d s en t en ce wh i ch i s bei n g ch al l en g ed was im p o s ed .”). See

al s o Hu g h es v. S t a t e

, 2 9 1 Ga. 6 5 (7 2 7 SE2 d 4 59 ) (2 0 1 2 ) (b e c au s e d efen d an t was a

fed eral p ri s o n er at t em

p t i n g t o ch al l en g e h i s p ri o r Co b b Co u n t y co nv i ct i o ns

, v enue fo r

h ab eas act i o n was p ro p er in Co b b Co u n t y

, n o t Fu l to n Co u n t y wh ere h e was

5Ju d

g men t a f f i r m ed . Mi l l er

, P. J., a n d

McFa d d en , P. J., co n cu r

.

i n carcerat ed i n a fed eral p ri s o n ).

6