SECOND DI VI SI ON

BA RNES, P. J.

, BOGGS and RI CKM A N, 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

Jul y 5, 2016



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 6 A0 67 0 . BELL v . THE STATE.

B O G G S , J u d g e.

M i ch ael Dway n e Bel l was i n d i ct ed on fo u r co u n ts o f s e l l i n g c o cai n e, fo u r

co u nt s o f po ss es s i on o f co cai n e wi t h in t en t t o d i s t ri b u t e n ear a p u b l i c p a r k

, t wo

c o u n t s o f p o s s es s i o n o f co cai n e wi t h i n t en t t o d i s tri b ut e n ear a p ub l i c s ch o o l

, t w o

co u nt s of p o s s es s i o n o f co cai n e wi t h i n ten t to d is t ri bu t e n ear p u b l ic ho u s i n g

, an d

o b s t ru ct i on of an o ffi cer. O n A p ri l 9

, 2 01 2

, wh i l e rep res en ted b y co u n s el

, Bel l p l ed

g u i l t y t o fo u r co u n t s o f s el li n g co cai n e an d o ne co u n t o f po s ses s i o n w i t h i n t en t to

d i s t ri b u t e an d was s en t en ced t o 4 0 y ears wi t h 2 5 t o s erv e. 1

1 Th e St at e req ues t ed an d t h e t ri al co u rt en tered a no l l e p ro s e q u i as t o t h e

rem ai n i n g ch arg es

.It d o es no t ap p ear fro m t h e reco rd t h at Bel l ev er s o u g h t a di rect ap p eal

fo l l o w i n g h i s g u i l ty p l ea. Nearl y t h ree y ears l at er, i n Feb ru ary 2 0 1 5

, Bel l

, act i n g p ro

s e, fi l ed a “ Req ues t fo r F i n al Di s p o s it i o n an d Gu i l t y Pl ea Tran s cri p t ” i n wh i ch h e

o ffered t o p ay fo r t he d o cu m en t s

, an d

, ap p ro x i m at el y o n e m on t h l at er, a “ Mo t i o n fo r

Di s co v ery

, Co u rt Reco rd s

, an d Tran s cri p t s at St at e Ex p en s e.” Th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed

h i s m o t i o n , an d h e ap p eal s. 2

“ W h i l e an in di g en t i s en t i t l ed t o a co p y o f h i s t ri al t ran s cri p t fo r a d irect ap p eal

o f h i s co n vi ct i o n, s u ch i s n o t t h e cas e in co l l at eral po s t-co n v i ct i o n p ro ceed i n g s .”

(Ci t at i o n s an d pu n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed

. ) Or r v. Co u ch

, 2 4 4 Ga. 3 7 4 (2 6 0 SE2 d 8 2 ) (1 9 7 9 )

(reco rd s of g u il t y p l ea so u g h t fo r h ab eas co rp us p ro ceed i ng ). Ho wev er, a p et i t i o n er

m ay o b tai n s u ch reco rd s u p o n a s h owi ng o f n eces s i t y o r ju s t i fi cat i o n

, v i a an affi d av i t

s et t i n g fo rt h cert ai n fact s :

Th e affi d av i t s ho u l d s et o u t t h e p art i cu l ar reas o n s wh y t h e t ran scri p t i s

n ece s s a ry

, an d sh o u ld i n cl u d e a s t a t emen t t h a t t he p et it i on er o r h i s

a t t o rn ey h a ve n ever p revi o u s ly b ee n s u pp l i ed a co

p y of h i s t r an s cr i

p t

a n d r eco r d

, a n d t h a t i t i s n o t o t her wi s e a va i l a b l e t o h i m

. A co p y o f th e

2 Ap p ro x i m at el y fo u r m o n t h s l at er, Bel l fi l ed a p au p er’ s affi d av i t an d req u es t

t o p ro ceed i n f

or ma p a u p er i s fo r p urp o s es o f t h i s ap p eal

, wh i ch was i ni t i al l y d en i ed

b y t h e tri al co u rt b u t l at er g ran t ed aft er Bel l fi l ed a m o re d et ai l ed affi d av i t. He al s o

fi led a n o t i ce o f ap p eal fro m t h e i n i t i al d en i al

.

2p en d i n g o r p ro p os ed h ab eas pet i t io n s ho u ld b e at t ach ed . Si m i l arl y , t he

cl erk m ay c e r t i fy t h at a co p y of t h e t ran s cri p t has p rev i o u sl y b een

p ro v i d ed t h e d efen dan t o r h i s at to rn ey

. Fr o m t h i s

, t h e t r i a l co u r t ca n

ma ke ap pr o p r ia te f i n d in g s o f f a ct an d co n cl us i o n s o

f l a w i n d et er mi n i n g

wh et h er t h e p r i s o ner ha s s h o wn s o me j u s t i f i c a t i o n o r n eces s i t

y f o r a

co p y o f h i s t r i a l t r a n scr i p t a n d r eco r d

.

(Ci t at i o n s an d fo o t n ot e o m i t t ed ; em p h as i s su p p l i ed .) Myd e l l v. Cl er k o f S u p er i o r

Co u r t

, 24 1 Ga. 2 4, 2 5 (2 4 3 SE2 d 7 2 ) (1 9 7 8 ). 3 Ho wev er, t he Su prem e Co u rt d i d n ot

v a c at e an d rem an d fo r fu rt h er p ro ceed i n g s

, b ecau s e i t t o o k ju d i ci al no t i ce o f t h e

reco rd in M y d el l ’ s p rev i o u s d i r e c t a p p e al

, i n w h i ch t h e t ri al t ran s cri p t was

s p eci fi cal l y ord ered s u pp l i ed t o h i m o r h i s at t o rn ey

, an d affi rm ed o n t h at b as i s

. Id

. at

2 5 -2 6. 4

Bel l ’ s affi d av i t s t a t e s t h at h e n eed s “ d i sco v ery

, co u rt d o cu m en t s

, an d

t ran s cri p t s i n o rd er t o ad eq u at el y fi le a h ab eas p et i t io n an d/ or a m o ti o n fo r ou t o f t i m e

ap p eal to ch al l en g e m

y co n v i ct i o n .” He d o es no t av er th at n ei t h er h e n or hi s co u n s el

3 In Myd el l

, th e p ri s o n er as s ert ed th at a h ab eas act i on was p en d in g, 2 41 Ga. at

2 4 , rat h er t h an m erel y

p ro p os ed as i n t h e cas e b efo re u s

.

4 Th e d e c i s i o n s c i t ed b y t h e St at e i n i ts b ri ef d o n o t ad d res s t h e s p eci fi c

req u i rem en t s o f Myd

el l

, o t h er t h an to n o t e th at a s h owi n g o f n eces s i ty or ju st i fi cat i o n

m u st be m ad e. See, e.g

., Hu d d l es t o n v

. C l e r k o

f Su p er i o r Co ur t

, 2 4 0 G a. 5 2 (2 3 9

SE2 d 3 6 5) (1 9 7 7).

3h av e n ev er b een s up p l i ed a co p y o f h i s tran s cri p t an d reco rd ; rat h er, h e s t at es t h at h e

h as at tem p ted t o co n t act h i s fo rm er t ri al at t o rn ey t o o b t ai n h i s fi le, wi t h ou t s u cces s

.

He al s o s t at es t hat h e in t en d s t o fi l e a h ab eas co rp u s p et it i o n

. Bel l at t ach ed a p ro p o s ed

p et i t i o n to h i s affi d av i t

, s tat i n g t h at h e i s fi l in g i t “ w i t h a g e n e ral g ro un d

, b u t wi l l

am en d u p o n recei p t o f t h e d ocu m en t s t h at are n ow b ei n g so u g h t .” Th e p et i t io n al l eg es

t h at t h e t ri al co u rt fai led to en su re t h at Bel l ’ s g ui l t y p l ea was k n o wi n g

, vo l u n t ary

, an d

i n t el l i g en t , b u t p ro v i d es n o d et ai l s

.

Here, t h e t ri al co u rt fai l ed t o “ m ak e ap p ro p ri at e fi n d i ng s o f fact an d

co n cl u s i o n s of l aw in d et erm in in g w h et h er t h e p ri s o n er h as s h o wn s o m e ju st i fi cat i o n

o r n eces s i t y fo r a co py o f h i s t ri al t ran s cri p t an d reco rd ” as req u i red b y Myd el l

. 2 4 1

Ga. at 2 5

. In m ak i ng s u ch fi n di ng s

, th e t ri al co u rt m ay co n s i d er wh et h er t he affi d av i t

faci al l y fu l fi l l s th e Myd

el l req u i rem en ts a n d s h o u l d d et erm i n e w h et her Bel l h as

s h o wn ju s t i fi cat i o n o r n eces s i t y

. Th e St at e’ s arg u m en t i n i t s b ri ef t h at Bel l has fai l ed

t o m ak e t h e neces s ary s ho wi ng i s fo r t h e t ri al co u rt t o ad d res s i n t h e fi rs t i n s t an ce. 5

5 W e n o te o u r co n cern t h a t t o o l en i en t an in t erp ret at i o n o f t h e affi d av i t

req u i rem en t s o f Myd

el l co u l d o p en t h e fl o od g at es fo r p et i t i o n s i n wh i ch ev ery

p o t en t i al l i t i gan t

, wi t h o r wi t h o u t a co lo rab l e cl ai m

, co u l d d em an d “ a free tran s cri pt

ju s t s o t he p ri s on er m ay h av e i t .” 2 4 1 Ga. at 2 4

.

4W e t herefo re v acat e t h e ju d g m en t o f t h e t ri al co u rt an d rem an d t h i s cas e fo r fu rt h er

p ro ceed in g s co n s is t en t wi t h t h i s o p in i o n.

Ju d g men t va ca t ed a n d ca s e r ema n d ed

. Ba r n es

, P. J., a n d Ri ckma n, J., co n cu r

.

5