# 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 9 A2 26 5 . DI JANELLE ETTA FOW LER v . THE STATE.

On J an u ary 3 1

, 2 0 1 8

, Di

jan el l e Et ta Fo wl er p l ed g u i l t y t o m u rd er i n t h e s eco n d

d eg ree, 1 cru el t y t o ch i l d ren i n t h e s eco n d d eg ree, an d co n ceal i n g th e d eat h o f an o t h er.

W i th i n a y ear o f h er g u i l t y p l ea, Fo wl er fi led a m o t i o n to m o d i fy s en t en ce, wh i ch t h e

t ri al co u rt d en i ed o n M arch 8

, 2 0 1 9

. Th e cl erk o f t h e t ri al co u rt reject ed Fo wl e r ’s

i n i t i al at t em

p t t o fi l e a n o t i ce o f ap p eal fo r fai l i n g t o p ay th e fi l i n g fee, an d Fo wl er

fi led a co m

p l y in g n o ti ce o f ap p eal o n M ay 2 1

, 2 01 9

. Th e St at e h as fi l ed a m o t i o n to

d i s m i s s t he ap p eal

.

A n o t i ce o f ap p eal m

u s t b e fi l ed wi th i n 3 0 d a ys aft er en t ry o f an ap p eal ab l e

o rd er. OCGA § 5 -6 -3 8 (a). Th e p ro p er an d t i m el y fi l i n g o f a n o t i ce o f ap p eal i s an

ab s o lu t e req u i rem en t t o co n fer ju ri s d ict i o n o n th i s Co u rt

. Ro wl a n d v. S ta t e

, 2 6 4 Ga.

8 7 2

, 87 2 (1 ) (4 5 2 SE2 d 7 56 ) (1 9 9 5 ). Fo wl er’ s no t i ce o f ap p eal i s u n t i m el y

, as i t was

1 A co n v i ct i o n fo r m

u rd er i n t h e s eco n d d eg ree carri es a m i n i m u m s en t en ce o f

1 0 y ears an d a m ax im

u m s en t en ce o f 30 y ears

. See OCGA § 1 6-5 -1 (e) (2 ). Becau s e

a co nv i ct i o n fo r t h i s o ffen s e d o es n o t carry a s en t en ce o f d eat h o r l i fe i m pri s o n m en t

, d i s p o s i t i on o f t h i s ap p eal i s p ro p er i n t h i s Co u rt

, rat h er t han t h e Su prem e Co u rt

. Cf.

Ga. Co n s t

. o f 1 9 8 3, Art

. V I, Sec. VI, Par. III (8 ) ( t h e S u p r e m e Co u rt h as ap p el l at e

ju ri s d i ct i o n o v er “ [ a ] l l cas es i n wh i ch a s en t en ce of d eat h w as i m p o s ed o r co u l d b e

i m p o s ed ”); S ta t e v. Th o r n to n

, 25 3 Ga. 5 2 4

, 5 2 4 (1 ) (3 2 2 SE2 d 7 1 1) (1 9 84 ) (d i rect i n g

t h i s Co u rt t o t ran s fer “ al l cas es in w h i ch ei t h er a s en t en ce o f d eat h o r o f l i fe

i m p ri s o n m en t h as b een i m

p o s ed u p o n co nv i ct i o n o f m u rd er”). August 01, 2019fi led 7 4 d ay s aft er en t ry o f t h e o rd er s h e seek s t o a p p e a l

. A c co rd i n g l y

, t h e St at e’ s

m o ti o n t o d i s m i s s i s h ereb y GRANTED an d t h i s ap p eal i s 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

. 08/01/2019