FI FTH DI VI SI ON
M CFA DDEN, P. J.

, RA Y 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

June 11, 2018



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 7 A0 18 1 . BENNETT v . THE STATE. M cF-0 0 7 C

M C F A D D E N , Pres id i n g J u d g e.

Den zel Ben n et t was co n v i ct ed o f b u rg l ary i n a b en ch t ri al o n s t i p u l at ed fact s

.

He ap p eal s th e d en i al o f h i s m o t i o n t o s up p res s ev i d en ce s tem m in g fro m a DNA

(d eo x y ri b o n u cl ei c aci d ) s am p l e t ak en fro m h i m wh en h e was i ncarcerat ed as a fi rs t

o ffen d er o n an o t h er o ffen se. He arg u es t hat t h e ev i d en ce i s i nad m is si b l e becau s e h e

was a fi rs t offen d er wh en t h e Geo rg i a Bu reau of In ves t i g at i o n (“ GBI”) an al y zed t h e

DNA s am p l e an d creat ed an d en t ered h i s D NA p ro fi l e i nt o a d at ab as e. W e di s ag ree.

Un d er t h e p l ai n l an g u ag e o f t h e Fi rs t Offen d er Act i n effect at t h e t i m e, Ben n et t was

d eem ed to h av e b een co n vi ct ed wh i l e he was i n carcerat ed

, an d t h erefo re, hi s DNA

h ad t o be co ll ect ed an d an al y zed u n d er t h e DNA s tat u t e. So we affi rm

.

1

. Fa ct s

.On Au gu s t 1 , 2 0 1 3

, Ben n et t en t ered a pl ea as a fi rs t o ffen d er t o o n e co u n t o f

b u rg lary

. He w as s en t en ced t o fi v e y ears , t h e fi rs t t h ree y ears t o b e s e r v e d in

co n fi n em en t an d t h e rem ai n d er t o b e s erv ed o n p ro b at i on . W h en Ben n et t cam e i n to

t h e cu st o d y o f t he Geo rg i a Dep art m en t o f Co rrect i o n s , t h e d ep a r t m e n t ob t ai n ed a

DNA s am p l e fro m hi m an d su b m i t t ed i t t o t h e GBI cri m e l ab

. Lab p ers o n n el p ro ces s

s u ch a s am

p l e t o d e v el o p a DNA p ro fi l e, wh i ch t h ey en ter i n t o t h e DNA d at ab as e

k n o wn as CODIS. (CODIS i s an acro n y m fo r t h e Co m b in ed DNA In d ex Sy s t em , a

n at i o n al d at ab as e o f DNA p ro fi l es

. Da n i el s v. S t a t e , 2 9 8 Ga. 1 2 0

, 1 2 2 (7 7 9 SE2 d

6 4 0 ) (2 0 1 5 ).)

On No v em

b er 1 5

, 2 01 3

, t h e Ri ch m o nd Co u n t y Sh eri ff’ s O ffi ce recei v ed n o t i ce

fro m t h e cri m e l ab t hat Ben n et t ’ s DNA m at ch ed t he DNA o f b lo od fo u nd at t h e s cen e

o f a 2 0 1 0 b u rg l ary

. Th e p erp et rat o r o f th at b u rg l ary h ad n ev er b een i den t i fi ed

. A

s h eri ff’ s i n v es ti g at o r co m p ared Ben n et t ’ s fi n g erp ri n t s t o fi n g erp ri n ts ob t ai n ed at t h e

2 0 1 0 cri m e s cen e an d co n fi rm ed t h at t h ey m at ch ed

. Ben net t was i n d i ct ed fo r t h e 2 0 1 0

cri m e.

Aft er t h e t ri al co urt d e n i e d h i s m ot i o n to s u p p res s , Ben n et t an d th e s t at e

s t ip u l at ed t o t h e f

a c t s

. T h e t ri al co u rt co n v i ct ed Ben n et t an d s en t en ced h i m t o t en

2y ears , t wo y ears t o be s erv ed i n co n fi n em en t an d t h e r e m a i n d er t o b e s erv ed o n

p ro b at i o n . Ben n et fi l ed t h i s ap peal

.

2

. Th e en t r

y o f Ben net t ’s DNA p r o

f i le i n t o CODIS

.

Ben n et t arg u es t h at t he en t ry o f h i s D NA p ro fi le i n t o CODIS was n ot

au t h o ri zed b y OCGA § § 3 5 -3 -1 6 0

, a p ro v i s io n o f t h e DNA Act

, an d 42 -8 -6 5 (c), a

p ro v is i o n o f t h e Fi rs t Offen d er Act

.

OCGA § 3 5 -3 -1 6 0 (b ) p ro v i d es :

An y p ers on co n v ict ed o f a fel o n y o ffen s e wh o i s h e l d in a d et en t i o n

faci l it y o r p laced o n p ro b at i o n s h al l at t h e t i m e of en t eri ng t h e d et en t i o n

faci l it y o r b ei n g p l aced o n p ro b at i o n hav e a sam pl e o f hi s or h er bl o o d

,

an o ral s w ab

, o r a sam

pl e o b t ai n ed fro m a no n i n v as i v e p ro ced u re t ak en

fo r DNA (d eo x y ri b o nu cl ei c aci d ) an al y s i s t o d et erm i n e i d en t i fi cat i o n

ch aract eri s ti cs s p eci fi c t o t h e pers on

. . . . It sh al l b e t h e res p o n si bi l i t y o f

t h e d et en t i o n faci li t y d et ai n i n g o r en t i t y s up erv i s in g a co n v i ct ed fel o n

t o co l l ect t h e sam

p l es req u i red b y t h is Co d e s e c t i o n an d fo rward th e

s am p l e t o t he [Di v i s i o n o f Fo ren s i c Sci en ces o f t h e Geo rg i a Bu reau o f

In v es t i g at io n ] u n l es s s u ch s am p le h as al read y b een co l l ect ed b y th e

d ep art m en t o r an o t h er ag en cy o r en t i t y

.

OCGA § 3 5 -3 -1 6 0 (c) req u i res t he Di v i s i o n o f Fo ren s i c Sci en ces t o perfo rm t h e

an al y s i s o f t h e s am

p l e. Th e s t at u t e req u i res t h e GBI t o s t o re an d m ai n t ai n i n a DNA

3d at a b an k th e i d en ti fi cat i o n ch aract eri s ti cs o f t h e p r o f i l e res u l t i ng fro m t h e DNA

an al y s i s. CODIS i s t h e DNA d at a b an k u s ed b y t h e GBI.

At t h e t i m e Ben n et t ’ s DNA s am p l e was tak en , t h e Fi rs t O ffen der Act p ro v i d ed :

No t wi t h s t an d i n g an y

o t h er p ro vi s io n o f t h i s art icl e, a n y p ers o n wh o i s

s en t en ced t o a t erm o f co n fi n em en t p u rs u an t t o [t h e Fi rs t Offen d er Act ]

s h al l b e d eem ed t o hav e b een co n v i ct ed o f t h e o ffen s e d u ri ng s uch t erm

o f c o n fi n em en t fo r al l p u rp o s es ex cep t t h at reco rd s t h ereo f s hal l be

t reat ed as an y o t h e r reco rd s o f fi rs t o ffen d ers u n d er t h i s art i cl e an d

ex cep t t h at su ch p res u m

p t i o n s h al l n ot co n t i n u e aft er co m p l et i o n of s u ch

p ers on ’ s co n fi nem en t s en t en ce. . . .

OCGA § 4 2 -8 -6 5 (c) (2 0 13 ). (Th e cu r r e n t v e r s i o n o f t h e s t at u te d o es n ot d eem a

p ers o n s erv i n g a fi rs t o ffen d er’ s s en t en ce to b e “ co n v i ct ed .” It no w pro v i d es t h at s u ch

a p ers o n “ s h al l n o t b e d eem ed t o h av e b een co n v i ct ed

. . . .” O C G A § 4 2 -8 -6 5 (c)

(2 0 1 5) (em

p h as is s u pp l i ed ); s ee 2 0 1 6 Ga. Law p . 4 4 3 , § 6 A-1

. )

Un d er t he p l ai n lan g u ag e o f t h es e s t at u t es , du ri n g h i s i n carcerat i o n as a res u l t

o f h i s fi rs t o ffen d er p lea, Ben n et t was d eem ed t o hav e b een co n vi ct ed o f b u rg l ary , a

fel o n y

. So t h e Dep art m en t o f Co rrect i o n s w a s r e q u i red t o tak e a D NA s am p l e an d

fo rward i t t o t he GBI, an d t h e GBI was req u i red to an al y ze it an d m ai n t ai n an d s t o re

t h e p ro fi le. “ Nei t her t h e DNA s t at u t e [n ] o r t h e F i r s t O ffen d er Act i n d i cat e t h at

i n carcerat ed p ers o n s s en t en ced u n d er t h e Fi rs t Offen d er Act —wh o [, at t he rel ev an t

4t i m e, were] d eem ed t o [h av e been ] co n v ict ed d u ri n g t h ei r i n carcerat i o n , OCGA §

4 2 -8 -6 5 (c)— are ex em

pt fro m th e req u i rem en t s o f t h e DNA [A] ct .” U n i t ed S t a t es v.

Hi n to n , 1 1 3 FSu p p 3d 1 2 7 7

, 1 2 8 4 (N.D. Ga. 2 0 1 5 )

. S e e Da vi s v. Ga

. Dep t

. of

Co r r ect io n s , 2 00 9 U.S. D i s t

. LEXIS 5 2 5 3 2 (N.D. Ga., Cas e No

. 2 : 08 -CV-5 9 -RW S,

d eci d e d J u n e 1 8

, 2 0 0 9 ) (ci v i l ri gh t s p l ai n t i ff’ s cl ai m fo r Fo u rt h Am en d m en t

v i o l at i o n s was s u b

ject t o d i s m i s s al b eca u s e p lai n t i ff, wh o w as a fi rs t o ffen d er, was

d eem ed a co n v i ct ed fel o n at al l t i m es d uri n g t he p eri o d s h e s e rv ed h er t erm o f

co n fi n em en t i n p ri s on an d as “ an i n carcerat ed

, co nv i c t e d f el o n , [p ] l ai n t i ff was

t h erefo re r e q u i r e d t o s u bm i t a DNA sam p l e to GDOC fo r an al y s is an d s t o rag e i n a

GBI d at a b an k ”).

Ben n et t arg u es t hat OCGA § 4 2 -8 -6 5 (c) (2 01 3 ) ex p res s l y req ui red t h e reco rd s

o f i ncarcerat ed fi rs t o ffen d ers t o b e t reat ed in t h e s am e m an n er as t h e reco rd s o f n o n

i n carcerat ed fi rs t offen d ers an d t h at an i n carcerat ed fi rs t o ffen d er’ s D NA p ro fi l e i s

a reco rd

. So

, acco rd i n g t o Ben n et t

, th e DNA p ro fi l e creat ed t h o u gh t h e an al y s i s o f a

DNA s am p l e o f an in carcerat ed fi rs t o ffen d er s h ou l d n ot b e en t ered i n CODIS. Th i s

arg u m en t i s n o t p ers u as i v e, g i v en t h e p l ai n l an g u ag e o f t h e s t at u t es

.

An d

, t h e “ reco rd s ” p ro t ect ed b y t h e Fi rs t O ffen d er Act are t h e “ fi rs t o ffen d er

reco rd s ,” s u ch as s en t en ci n g an d p l ea d o cu m en t s

. See Ma t t h ews v. S t a t e , 26 8 Ga. 7 9 8,

58 0 1 -8 0 2 (4 ) (4 9 3 SE2 d 13 6 ) (1 9 9 7 ). Cf. OCGA § 4 2 -8 -6 2 .1 (2 0 1 6 ) (l at er-en act ed

s t at u te d es cri b in g t h e reco rd s s ub ject t o res t ri ct io n u n d er t h e Fi rs t O ffen d er Act u p o n

d efen d an t ’ s p et it i on t o l i m i t p ub l i c acces s to i n cl ud e, i n t er al i a, t h e “ c r i m i n al fi l e,

d o ck et bo o k s , cri m i n al m i n u t es , fi n al reco rd

, al l o t h e r reco rd s o f t h e co u rt

, an d t h e

d efen d an t ’ s cri m i n al hi s to ry reco rd i n fo rm at i o n i n t h e cu s t o d y of t h e cl erk o f co u rt ”

an d d efi n i n g b y referen ce cri m i n al h i s t o r y reco rd s t o i n cl u d e “ cri m i n al fi l e, d o ck et

b o o k s , cri m in al m i n u t es , fi nal reco rd

, al l o t h er reco rd s o f t h e co urt

, an d t h e

d efen d an t ’ s cri m i nal hi s t o ry reco rd i n fo rm at i o n in th e cu s t o dy of t h e cl erk o f co u rt ”).

3

. Th e d is cl o su r e of t h e CODIS a n al ys i s a n d co mp a r i s o n o

f Ben n et t ’s DNA to

t h e s a mp l e f

r o m t he cr i m e s cen e

.

Ben n et t arg u es t h at al t h ou g h OCGA § 3 5 -3 -1 6 3 au t h o ri zes t h e GBI t o rel eas e

i t s an al y si s o f DNA s am p l es l awfu l l y o b t ai n ed

, h ere Ben n et t ’ s s a m p l e was n ot

l awfu l l y ob t ai n ed

, s o t h e GBI co u l d no t rel eas e i t

. Th i s arg u m en t i s a co ro ll ary t o t h e

arg u m en t we reject ed i n Di v i si o n 2

. So we reject i t h ere as wel l

. As d e s c ri b ed in

Di v is i o n 2 , Ben n et t ’ s DNA s am p l e was l awfu l l y

o b t ai ned

.

4

. Ben n et t ’s Fo u r t h Amen d men t wa i ver

.

Ben n et t arg u es t h at h i s Fo u rt h Am en dm en t wai v er, a s peci al co n d it i o n o f h i s

fi rs t -o ffen d er pro bat i o n , d o es n o t en co m p as s t h e co l l ect i on o f h is DNA s am p l e. Ou r

6Su p rem e Co u rt h as h el d t hat t h e s tat u t o ry req u irem en t t hat a co n vi ct ed fel o n p ro v i d e

a DNA s am

p l e “ do es no t u n co n s t i t u t i o n al l y v i ol at e t h e p ri v acy ri g h t s an d s earch an d

s ei zu re ri g h t s o f co n v i ct ed fel o n s i n carcerat ed i n [s ] t at e c o r rect io n al faci l i t i es .”

Qu a r t er m a n v. S t a t e , 2 8 2 Ga. 3 8 3

, 3 8 6 (3 ) (6 5 1 SE2 d 32 ) (2 0 0 7 ). See al so Un i t ed

S t a t es v. Hi n t o n , 6 76 Fed . Ap p x . 8 4 2 , 8 4 6 (1 1 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 7) (h ol d i ng t h at , u n d er t h e

fo rm er v ers i o n o f t h e Fi rs t O ffen d er Act

, wh i ch d eem ed i n carcerat ed fi rs t offen d ers

t o b e co n v i ct ed

, “ up l o ad i n g , ret ai n i n g an d ru nn i n g a co m p ari s on o f [fi rs t offen d er’ s ]

DNA p ro fi le in CODIS was reas o n ab l e an d d i d n o t v i o l at e t h e Fo u rt h Am en d m en t ”).

Becau s e Ben n et t’ s Fo u rt h A m en d m en t ri g h t s were n o t v i o l at ed

, wh et h er h i s Fo u rt h

Am en d m en t wai v er en co m pas ses t h e co l l ect i o n o f h i s DNA s am p l e i s i m m at eri al

.

5

. Eq u a l p r o t ect i o n

.

Ben n et t arg u es t h at t h e fo rm er v ers i o n o f t h e Fi rs t Offen d er Act v io l at ed eq u al

p ro t ect i o n g u aran ti es b ecau s e i t t reat ed i n carcerat ed fi rs t o ffen d ers d ifferen t l y t h a n

fi rs t o ffen d ers wh o were n ot g i v en s e n t en ces o f i n carcerat i o n. Al t h o u g h Ben n et t

rai s ed t h e i s s ue i n h i s p l ead i n g s i n t h e t ri al co u rt

, th e t ri al co u rt d id n o t ru le o n i t i n

t h e o rd er d en y i n g t h e m ot i o n t o s u p p res s

.

W h en t h e cas e was d o ck et ed i n t h is co u rt

, we d et erm i n ed t h at ju ri s di ct i o n was

i n o u r Su p rem e Co u rt b ecau se o f t h e c o n s t i t u t i o nal ch al l en g e t o th e s t at u t e. So we

7t ran s ferred t h e ap p eal

. Ho wev er, t h e Su p rem e Co u rt ret u rn ed t h e ap p eal t o u s

—

i n s t ead o f rem an d in g i t t o th e t ri al co u rt fo r a ru l i n g

— b ecau s e t h e tri al co urt h ad n ot

ru l ed o n t h e co n s t i t u t i o nal i s s u e. Li k e o u r Su prem e C o u r t

, w e w i l l n o t “ ru l e o n a

co n st i t u t io n al q ues ti on u n l es s i t cl earl y ap p ears i n th e reco rd t h at t h e t ri al c o u rt

d i s t i n ct l y ru l ed o n t h e p o i n t.” GHG, In c. v. Br ya n , 2 7 5 Ga. 3 3 6, 33 7 (5 6 6 SE2 d 6 6 2 )

(2 0 0 2) (ci t at i o n an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

W e n o te, h o wev er, t h at in Qu a r t er ma n v. S t a t e , 2 82 Ga. 3 83

, 3 8 4 -3 8 6 (1 ) (6 5 1

SE2 d 3 2 ) (2 0 0 7 ), o ur Su p rem e Co u rt reject ed an eq u al -p ro tect io n ch al l en g e t o fo rm er

OCGA § 2 4 -4 -6 0

, t h e p red eces s o r t o OCGA § 3 5 -3 -1 6 0

. Q u art erm an arg u ed

, am o n g

o t h er t h in g s , t hat t he s t at u t e t reat ed co n v ict ed fel o ns i n carcerat ed i n s t at e p ri s o n s

d i fferen tl y

t h an co n v i ct ed fel o ns n o t i n carcerat ed i n s t at e p ri s o n s

.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Ra y a n d Ri ckma n , JJ., co ncu r

.

8