# 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 A0 63 0 . RI C KY MELVI N ALLEN, SR. v . THE STATE.

In 2 0 1 5

, Ri ck y A ll en pl ead ed g u i l t y t o ag g rav at e d as s au l t an d o th er cri m es

. In 2 01 7

, he fi l ed a “ Mo t i o n t o V acat e a Vo i d J u dg m en t

, ” arg u in g t h at t h e p ro s ecu t o r

co m m i t t ed m i s co n d u ct

, h i s co u n s el p ro v i d ed i n effect i ve as s i s t an ce, an d h i s p l ea was

i n v o l u n t ary b ecau s e h e w as u n der th e i n fl uen ce of m ed i cat i o n

. Al l en req u es t ed t h at

t h e co u rt ap p o in t h im co u n s el

, p ro v i d e h i m wi t h v ari o us d o cu m en t s , an d s ch ed u l e an

i m m ed i at e h eari n g t o d i s c u s s h i s rel eas e. 1 Th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed t h e m o ti o n , an d

Al l en 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 is n o t an ap p ro p ri at e

rem ed y i n a cri m i nal cas e.” Ha r p e r v

. S t a t e , 2 8 6 Ga. 2 16

, 21 8 (1 ) (6 8 6 SE2 d 7 8 6 )
(2 0 0 9). Th e Su p rem e Co u rt h as ex p l a i n e d t h at s u ch a m o t io n “ i s n o t o n e o f t h e

es t ab l i s h ed p ro ced u res fo r ch al l en g i n g t h e v al i d i t y o f a ju d g m en t i n a cri m in al cas e.”

Ro b er t s v. S t a t e , 2 8 6 Ga. 5 3 2

, 5 3 2 (6 9 0 SE2 d 1 5 0 ) (2 0 10 ). Th us , an y ap p eal fro m an

o rd er d en y in g o r d i s m i s si n g su ch a m o t i o n m u s t b e d i s m is sed

. Id .; Ha r p er , 2 8 6 Ga.

at 2 1 8 (2 ). An ap p eal m ay l i e fro m an o rd er d en y i n g o r d i sm i s s i n g a m o t i o n to

co rrect a v o i d sen ten ce i f t h e d efen d an t rai s es a co l orab l e cl ai m t h at th e s en t en ce i s , i n fact

, v o i d o r i l l eg al

. See Ha r p er , s u p ra at 21 7 (1 ), n

. 1

. Al l en , h o we v e r , h a s n ot

d o n e s o.

“ M o t i o n s t o v acat e a v o i d s en ten ce gen eral l y are l i m i t ed t o cl ai m s t h at

– ev en

as s u m in g t h e ex i s t en ce an d v a l i d i t y o f th e co n v i ct i o n fo r wh i ch t he s en t en ce was

i m p o s ed

– t h e l aw d o es n o t au t ho ri ze t h at s en t en ce, m o st t y p ical l y b ecau s e i t ex ceed s

1 Al l en d i d n o t as k t o wi t h d raw h i s g u il t y p l ea. November 15, 2017t h e m o st s ev er e p un i s h m en t fo r wh i ch t he ap p l i cab l e p en al s tat u t e p ro v id es .” vo n

Th o ma s v. S t a te

, 2 9 3 G a. 5 69

, 5 7 2 (2 ) (7 48 SE2 d 4 4 6 ) (2 0 13 ). W h en a s en t en ce i s

wi t h i n t h e st at u t o ry ran g e o f p u n i s h m en t

, i t i s n o t vo i d

. Jo n es v. S t a t e , 2 7 8 Ga. 6 6 9,

6 7 0 (6 0 4 SE2 d 4 83 ) (2 0 0 4 ). Al l en d o es n ot co n ten d t h at hi s s en t en ce ex ceed ed t h e

s t at u to ry ran g e o f p un i s h m en t ; i n s t ead

, h e ch al l en g es th e v al id i t y of h i s co nv i ct i o n s

. Becau s e Al l en h as n o t rai sed a co l o rab l e vo i d -s en t en ce cl ai m , t h is ap p eal i s h ereb y

DISM ISSED fo r l ack o f ju ri s d i ct i o n

.

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 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 t n e s s m y s i g n a t u r e a n d th 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

. 11/15/2017