In th e S u p re m e Co u rt o f Ge o rg ia

De c id e d: Ma y 2 3 , 2 0 16

S 1 6 A0 6 9 8 . HYDE v . THE S T ATE.

THOMP S O N, Ch ie f Ju stic e

. Ap p e lla n t Ho p to n Hy d e a p p e a ls fro m th e tria l c o u rt’s d e n ia l o f his m o tio n

to v a c a te a n a lle g e d v o id se n te n c e o f life with o u t th e p o ssib ility o f p aro le . As

th e Sta te c o n c e d e s, th e tria l c o u rt e rre d in d e n y in g th e m otio n

. Ac c o rd in g ly , we

re v e rse th e tria l c o u rt’s ju d g m e n t a n d re m a nd th e c a se with d ire c tio n

.
1

. On F e b ru a ry 1 , 2 0 0 0 , a ju ry fo u n d a pp e lla n t g u ilty o f m a lic e m u rd e r,

a g g ra v a te d a ssa u lt, fe lo n y m urd e r in th e c o m m issio n o f a gg ra v a te d a ssa u lt, a n d

p o sse ssio n o f a

k n ife du rin g th e c om m issio n o f a c rim e

. Un d e r su b se c tio n (c )

o f Ge o rg ia ’s re c id iv ist sta tu te , O C G A § 1 7 -1 0 -7 , th e tria l c ou rt se n te n c e d

a p p e lla n t a s a re c id iv ist to life in p riso n with o u t th e p o ssib ility o f p a ro le fo r

m a lic e m u rd e r. 1 W e a ffirm e d o n d ire c t a p p e a l. S e e Hy de v

. S ta te , 2 7 5 Ga

. 6 9 3
(5 7 2 S E2 d 5 6 2 ) (2 0 02 ). In Ma y 2 0 1 4 , Hy de file d a p ro se m o tio n , c o n te n d in g

1 The felony murder verdict was vacated by operation o f law, a nd trial co u r t merg ed the remaining counts for sentencing purposes.th a t h is se nte n c e o f life with o u t th e p ossib ility o f p aro le w a s v o id b e c a u se th e

tria l c o u r t , w h e n it se n te n c e d him , wa s n o t a llo we d b y la w to im p o se th a t

se n te nc e fo r m

u rd e r. Th e tria l c o u r t d e n i e d th e m o tio n , a n d a p p e lla n t file d a

tim e ly a p p e a l.

“ [W] h e n a c o u rt i m

p o s e s a c rim in a l p un ish m e n t th a t th e la w d o e s n o t

a llo w , th e se n te n c e is no t ju st a n e rro r, it is v o id .” H u m ph re y v

. S ta te , 2 9 7 Ga

.
3 4 9 , 3 5 0 (7 7 3 S E2 d 7 6 0 ) (2 0 1 5 ). An a tta c k o n a se n te n c e o n th e gro u n d th a t it

im p o se d a p u n ish m e nt th a t th e la w d o e s no t a llo w “ m ay b e m a d e a t a n y tim e b y

m e a n s o f a m o tio n to v a c a t e a v o id se n te n c e .” Ro o ne y v. S ta te , 2 8 7 Ga

. 1 , 2
(6 9 0 S E2 d 80 4 ) (2 0 1 0 ). He re , in 2 0 0 0 , a p p e lla n t wa s se n te n c e d a s a re c id iv ist

to life with o u t th e p o ssib ility o f p a ro le u n d e r su b se c tio n (c ) o f OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -7

fo r a m u rd e r th a t h e c o m m i t t e d in 1 9 9 9

. At b o th o f th ose tim e s, ho we ve r,

OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -7 (c ) did n o t a llo w re c id iv ist p u n ish m e n t fo r c a p ita l fe lo n ie s, o f

wh ic h m a lic e m

u rd e r is on e

. 2 S e e F un d e rb u rk v

. S ta te , 2 76 Ga

. 5 5 4 , 5 5 5 (5 8 0

S E2 d 2 3 4 ) (2 00 3 ) (h o ld in g th a t th e se n te n c e o f life w i t h ou t th e p o ssib ility o f

p a ro le th a t wa s im

p o se d in 2 0 0 0 o n th e d e fe n d a n t fo r m a lic e m urd e r wa s v o id

2 Since 2000, “the General Assembly h as amended subsection (c) to remove the ex ception for capital felonies. See O CGA § 1 7-10-7 (c) (2013).” G rimes v. State, 293 Ga. 559, 5 63, n.4 (748 SE2d 441) (2013). See also Ga. L . 2010, p. 563, § 1.
2b e c a

u se , a t th a t tim e , OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -7 (c ) d id n o t a p p ly to c a pita l fe lo n ie s su c h

a s m u rd e r). Ac c o rd in g ly , a

p p e lla n t’s se nte n c e o f life with ou t th e p o ssib ility o f

p a ro le i s v o id , se e F u n de rb u rk , 2 7 6 Ga

. a t 55 5 , a n d th e tria l c o u rt e rre d in

d e n y in g a p p e lla n t’s m o tio n to v a c a te

. W e th u s re v e rse th e d e n ia l o f th e m o tio n ,

v a ca te th e se n te n c e o f life w ith o u t p a ro le , a n d re m a n d fo r th e im po sitio n o f a

le g a l se n te n c e

.
Ju d g m e n t re v e rse d a nd c a se re m an d e d w ith dire c t i o n

. All th e Ju stic e s

c o n c u r.

3