# 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 44 4 . DAVI D BRI TT v . THE STATE.

In 2 0 1 5

, Dav i d Bri t t p l ed g u i l t y t o fai l i n g t o reg i s t er as a sex o ffen d er, an d t h e

t ri al co u rt s e n t e n c e d h i m t o ei g h t y ears

, wi t h 4 2 1 d ay s t o s erv e in co n fi n em en t an d

t h e rem ai n d er o n p ro b at i o n

. I n 2 0 1 7

, Bri t t fi l ed a m ot i o n t o v acat e a vo i d s en t en ce

an d co n v i ct i o n . Th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed t h e m o t io n , an d Bri t t ap peal s

.

“ [A] p et i t io n to v acat e o r m o d i fy a ju d g m en t o f co n v i ct i o n i s n o t an ap p ro p ri at e

r em ed y in a cri m i n al cas e.” H a r p er v. S t a t e

, 2 8 6 Ga. 2 16

, 2 1 8 (1 ) ( 6 8 6 S E 2 d 7 8 6 )

(2 0 0 9). An y ap p eal fro m an ord er d en y i n g o r d i s m is s i n g s uch a m ot i o n m u s t b e

d i s m i s s ed

. See i d

. at 2 1 8 (2 ); Ro ber t s v. St a te

, 28 6 G a. 5 3 2

, 5 3 2 (6 9 0 SE2 d 1 5 0 )

(2 0 1 0). A d irect ap p eal m ay l i e fro m an o rd er d en y i n g a m o t i o n to v acat e o r co rrect

a v o i d s en t en ce, b u t on l y i f t h e d efen d an t rai s es a co l o rab l e cl ai m th at t h e s en t en ce

i s

, i n fact

, v o id

. See Ha r

p er

, s u p ra at 2 17 n .1 ; B ur g v. S t at e

, 2 9 7 G a. Ap p. 1 1 8

, 1 1 9

(6 7 6 SE2 d 4 6 5) (2 0 0 9 ). “ M ot io n s t o v acat e a v o i d sen t en ce g en eral l y are l i m i t ed to

cl ai m s t h at

– ev en as s u m i ng t h e ex i s ten ce an d v al i d i t y o f t h e co n v i ct i o n fo r wh i ch t h e

s en t en ce was im

p o s ed

– t he l aw d o es n ot au t h o ri ze t h at s en t en ce, m o s t t y p i cal l y

b ecau s e i t ex ceed s t h e m o s t s ev ere p un i s h m en t fo r wh ich t h e ap p l i cab l e pen al s t at u t e

p ro v id es .” vo n Th o ma s v. S t a t e

, 2 9 3 Ga. 5 6 9

, 5 72 (2 ) (7 4 8 SE2 d 4 46 ) (2 0 13 ). Th u s

,

wh en a s en t en ce i s wi t h i n t he s t at u t o ry ran g e o f p u n is h m en t, i t i s n o t v o i d

. Jo n es v.

S t a t e , 2 7 8 Ga. 6 69 , 6 7 0 (6 0 4 SE2 d 4 8 3 ) (2 0 0 4 ).

Here, Bri t t as s ert s th at h e h as al read y s erv ed h i s s en t en ce fo r t h e u n d erl y i n g s ex

cri m e. H e co n ten d s t h at an y req u i rem en t th at h e r e g i s t er fo r a l i fet i m e as a s ex

o ffen d er i s t hu s v o id

. Th i s arg u m en t

, h o wev er, h as b een reject e d b y t h e Su p rem e

Co u rt

. See Ho l l i e v. S t a t e

, 2 8 7 Ga. 3 8 9

, 3 9 0-3 9 1 (2 ) (6 9 6 SE2 d 6 4 2 ) (2 0 10 ). Becau s e May 15, 2018Bri t t ’ s s en t en ce fal ls wi t h i n t h e s t at ut o ry ran g e o f p u ni s h m en t , h e h as n o t al l eg ed a

co l o rab l e v o i d s en t en ce cl ai m

. S e e O CGA § 4 2 -1 -1 2 (n ) (p u ni s h m en t ran g es fro m o n e

t o 3 0 y ears ). Acco rd i n g l y , t h i s ap p eal i s h ereb y DISM ISSED.

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 t i f y th a t t h e a b o v e i s a t r 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

. 05/15/2018