# 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 :

A2 1 A1 23 2 . YOHANNES W ARNER v . THE STATE.

In M arch 1 9 9 9

, Yo h an n es W arn er p l ed g u i l t y t o vi ol at i n g t h e Geo rg i a

C o n t r o ll ed Su b s t an ces Act by p o s s es s i n g m ari ju an a wi t h i n 1 ,0 0 0 feet o f s ch o o l

p ro p ert y an d gi v i n g a fal s e n am e t o a l aw en fo rcem en t o ffi cer, an d h e w as s en t en ced

as a fi rs t o ffen d er t o fo u r y ears o f pro b at i on

. In 2 0 2 0

, W arn er fi l ed a m o t i o n t o v acat e

a vo i d s en t en ce, arg u i n g t h at h e h ad n o t b een p ro p erl y ch arg ed u n der OCGA § 1 6 -1 3

-

3 2 .4 ; t h u s, h e co u l d o n l y be fo u n d g u i lt y o f m is dem ean o r p o s s es s i o n o f m a r i ju an a.

Th e t ri al co u rt d i s m i s s ed t h e m o t i on , an d W arn er ap p eal s.

A d i rect ap p eal m ay l i e fro m an o rd er d en y in g o r d i s m i s s i n g a m ot i o n t o co rrect

a vo i d s en t en 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 ten ce i s
, i n fact

,

v o i d or i l l eg al

. See Ha r

p er v. S t a t e , 2 8 6 Ga. 2 1 6

, 21 7 (1 ) n .1 (6 8 6 SE2 d 7 8 6 )

(2 0 0 9); Bu r

g v. S t a t e , 2 9 7 Ga. Ap p

. 11 8

, 1 1 9 (6 7 6 SE2 d 4 6 5 ) (2 0 0 9 ). A s en t en ce i s

v o i d o n l y i f it i m

p o ses pu n i s h m en t t h at t h e l aw do es n ot al l o w. vo n Th o ma s v. S t a t e ,
2 9 3 Ga. 5 6 9

, 5 7 1 (7 48 SE2 d 4 4 6 ) ( 2 0 1 3 ). Fu rt h erm o re, becau s e W arn er en t ered a

g u i l t y p l ea, h e h as “ wai v ed al l d efen s es ex cep t t h at t h e i n d i ct m en t ch arg ed n o cri m e.”

Kemp v. S i mp s o n , 2 7 8 Ga. 4 3 9 , 4 3 9 -4 4 0 (6 0 3 SE2 d 2 6 7 ) (2 0 04 ).

W arn er co nced es t h at t h e St at e i n t en d ed t o i n di ct h i m u nd er OCGA § 1 6 -1 3

-

3 2 .4

, wh i ch p r o h i b i t s th e p o ss es s i o n o f m ari j u an a wi t h in t en t t o d i s t ri b u t e wi t h in

1 ,0 00 feet of a sch oo l

. Th e i n d i c t m e n t was fl awed

, h o wev er, in th at it o m i t t ed t h e

l an g u ag e “ wi t h i n t en t t o d i s t ri b u t e.” Acco rd i n g t o W arn er, t he o m i s s i o n o f t h i s

l an g u ag e fro m t h e i n d i ct m en t ren d ered h i s s en ten ce v o i d

. Su ch a ch al l en g e t o an

i n d i ct m en t

, h o wev er, do es n ot co ns t it u te a co l o rab l e v o i d sen t en ce cl ai m

. See Jo n es

v. S t a t e , 2 9 0 G a. Ap p

. 4 9 0

, 4 9 3 ( 1 ) (6 5 9 SE2 d 8 7 5 ) (2 0 0 8 ) (a ch al l en g e t o an March 29, 2021i n d i ct m en t s h o u ld b e rai s ed t h ro u g h a ti m el y m o t i o n i n arres t o f ju dg m en t rat h er t h an

a v o i d sen t e n c e c l ai m ). Rat her, a ch al l en g e t o an i n d i ct m en t is a ch al l en g e t o t h e

co n vi ct i o n

. See i d

. at 4 9 4 (2 ). An d th e Su p rem e Co u rt h as m ad e cl ear t h at a m o t i o n

s eek i n g t o ch al l en g e an al l eg ed l y i nv al i d o r v o id ju d g m en t of co nv i ct i o n “ i s n o t o n e

o f t he es t ab l i s h ed p ro ced u res fo r ch al l en g i n g t he v al i d i t y o f a j u d gm en t i n a cri m i n al

cas e” an d t h at an ap peal fro m t h e d en i al o f s u ch a m o t io n i s s u b ject to d is m i s s al

.
Ro b er t s v. S t a te

, 2 8 6 Ga. 5 3 2

, 5 3 2 (6 9 0 SE2 d 1 50 ) (2 0 10 ). Becau se W arn er h as n ot

rai s ed a co lo rab le v o id s en t en ce cl ai m , t hi 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 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 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

. 03/29/2021