FOURTH D I VI SI ON

DOYLE, P. J.

, COOM ER and M A R KLE, JJ.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be

ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n

da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

M ar ch 9, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 9 A1 97 3 . TAYLOR v . THE STATE. DO-0 6 6 C

D O Y LE , Pres i d i n g J u d g e.

T h i s a p p eal ari s es fro m t h e tri al co u rt ’ s gran t o f t h e St at e’ s m o t i o n f o r

reco n s i d erat i on o f t h e co u rt ’ s o rd er term i n at i n g f i r s t o ffen d er p ro b at i o n an d

d i s c h a r g i n g Carri nn J an Tay l o r fro m cu s t o d y d es p it e th e fact t h at s h e s t i l l o we d

$ 1 2 8 ,9 7 8 .2 7 i n res t i t u t i on

. Aft er th e m i s tak e was di s c o v e r ed

, t h e St at e m o v ed fo r

reco n s i d erat i on o f t h e d is ch arg e an d t e r m i n at io n

, wh i ch m o ti o n t h e tri al co u rt

g ran t ed

. Tay l o r ap p eal s

, arg ui ng t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erred b ecau s e t h e St a t e fi l ed i t s

m o ti o n o ut s i d e t h e p ro p er t erm o f co u rt . Fo r t h e reas on s t h at fo l l o w, we rev ers e.

Th e fact s i n t h i s ap p eal are n o t i n di s p ut e. In No v em ber 2 0 1 1

, Tay lo r p l ead ed

g u i l t y t o t h eft b y t ak i n g an d was p l aced o n fi rs t o ffen der fel o n y pro b a t i o n 1 f o r t e n

1 OCGA § 4 2 -8 -6 0

.y ears

. T ay l o r was al s o o rd ered t o p ay res t i t u t i o n i n t h e am o u n t o f $ 14 0 ,0 7 8.2 7 t o h er

v i ct i m , t h e Al l i an ce fo r Ch i l d ren En ri ch m en t , at t h e rat e o f $ 1 5 0 p er m o n th

.

In 2 0 1 7 , t h e Dep art m en t o f Co m m u n i ty Su p erv i s i o n (“ DCS”) fi l ed a p et i t i o n

fo r t erm i n at i o n o f Tay l o r’ s p ro b at i o n, i n co rrect ly s t at i n g t h at T ay l o r o wed n o

res t it u t i o n, wh ich p et it i o n was g ran t ed o n Feb ru ary 2

, 2 0 18

. 2 On Feb ru ary 1 5

, 2 0 1 8,

t h e t ri al co u rt o rd ered Tay l o r d i s ch arg ed u n d er t he p ro v i s io n s o f t h e Fi rs t Offen d er

Act

.

On Ap ri l 4

, 2 0 1 8

, t he St at e fi l ed a m ot i o n fo r reco n si d erat io n an d t o v acat e t h e

o r d e r s g ran t i n g t h e D CS’ s p et i t i o n fo r t erm i n at i o n o f T ay l o r’ s p ro b at i o n an d

d i s ch arg e wi t h o u t ad

ju d i cat i o n o f g u i l t

, ex p l a i n i n g th at t h e p et i t i o n wro n g l y s t at ed

Tay l o r o wed no res t i tu ti o n wh en s h e i n fact o wed $ 1 2 8 ,9 7 8 .2 7 o f t h e t ot al am o u n t s h e

was s en t en ced t o rep ay

. Tay l o r responde d, a r guin g t h at t h e m o t io n fo r reco n s i d erat i o n

co u ld n o t b e g ran t ed b ecau s e i t was fi l ed o u t s i d e t h e term o f co u rt of t h e t ri al co urt ’ s

o rd er d i s ch arg i n g h er fro m cu s to d y an d t erm i n at i n g h er pro b at i o n

. 3 In res p o n s e, t h e

2 Th e pet it i on w as co m

p l et ed i n D ecem

b er 2 0 1 7

, b u t was n ot d at e s t am p ed as

fi led wi t h t he s u p eri o r co u rt u n ti l Feb ru ary 6, 2 01 8

. T he p et i t i o n co n t ai n s an o rd er o f

t erm i n at i o n s i g n ed b y

t h e t ri al co u rt o n Feb ru ary 2 , 2 0 1 8

.

3 See OCGA § 1 5 -6 -3 (1 4) (B) (t erm s o f s u peri o r co u rt i n Co wet a Co u n t y are

o n t h e fi rs t M o n d ay

i n M arch an d t h e fi rs t Tu es d ay i n Sep t em

b er).

2St at e arg u ed t h at u nd er OCGA § 4 2 -8 -3 7 (d ) (1 ), th e p et i t i o n w as v o id as a m at t er o f

l aw, an d th erefo re, t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er g ran t in g t h e p et i t i o n al s o was v o id

. Aft er a

h eari n g , t h e t ri al co u rt g ran ted t h e m ot i on

.

Ta y l o r ap p eal s

, rei t erat in g h er arg um en t t h at t h e t ri al co u rt was p ro hi b it ed fro m

g ran t i n g t h e St at e ’s m o ti o n fo r reco n s i d erat i o n ou t s id e t h e t erm o f co u rt

, wh i l e t h e

St at e arg u es t h at t h e o rd er g ran t i n g t h e pet i ti o n was v o i d an d t h e r e f o r e c o u l d b e

reco n s i d ered o u t s i d e t h e t erm o f co u rt

.

Aft er t h e t ri al co u rt en t ered i t s o rd er g ran t i n g t h e S t a t e’ s m o t i o n fo r

reco n s i d erat i on an d v acat i n g i t s g ran t o f DCS’ s pet i t i o n t o t erm i nat e Tay lo r’ s

p ro b at i o n

, t h i s Co u rt is s u e d it s o p i n i o n i n Ki n s ey v. S t a t e

, 4 i n wh i ch t h i s Co u rt

ad d res s ed an i d en t i cal si t u at i o n an d arg u m en t s

. 5 Th e St at e h a s p r o v i d ed n o

co m p el l i n g reas o n fo r th i s Co u rt t o d ev iat e fro m i t s d eci s i o n i n Ki n s ey

, an d t herefo re,

t h e t r i al co u rt ’ s o rd er g ran t i n g t h e St at e’ s u n t i m el y m o ti o n fo r reco n si d erat i o n i s

4 3 5 0 Ga. Ap p . 3 1 7 (8 2 9 SE2 d 3 9 8 ) (2 0 1 9 ).

5 See i d

. at 3 1 8 -3 2 1 (1 ) (d i s t i n gu i s h i ng t h e s i t u at i o n fro m Pes ta n a v. S t a t e

, 3 2 8

Ga. A p p

. 4 5 4 (7 6 2 SE2 d 1 7 8 ) (2 0 1 4 ), in wh i ch t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er rei n s t at i n g

p ro b at i o n aft er i n i t ial l y t erm i n at i n g it b as ed o n an erro n eo u s p et i t i o n was u p h e l d

b ecau s e t h e t ri al co u rt “ ex p l i ci tl y p ro ceed ed u nd er i t s i n h eren t au t ho ri t y t o m o d i fy o r

v acat e i t s o wn o rd ers o r ju d g m en t d uri n g t h e s a me t erm o f co u rt ”).

3rev ers ed

, t hereb y rei n s t at i n g t h e tri al co u rt ’ s Feb ru ary 2 an d Feb ru ary 1 5 o rd ers

t erm i n at i n g Tay l o r’ s p ro b at i o n an d d i s ch arg i ng h er u nd er t h e Fi rs t Offen d er Act

. 6

Ju d g men t r ever sed . Co o mer

a n d Ma r kl e, JJ., co n cu r

.

6 See Ki n sey

, 2 8 8 Ga. Ap p

. at 3 1 8 -3 2 2 (1 ). See al s o Ch i s h ti v. S t a t e , 2 8 8 Ga.

Ap p

. 2 3 0

, 2 30 -2 3 1 (6 5 3 SE2 d 8 3 0 ) (2 0 0 7 ) (h o l d i n g t h at t h e t r i a l c o u rt was n ot

au t h o ri zed t o g ran t th e St at e’ s m o t i on fo r reco n s i d e rat i o n o f i ts o rd er g ran t i n g a

m o ti o n fo r d i s ch arg e an d acq u it t al ).

4