# 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 :

A2 0 D0 38 2 . LUCI OUS J OHNSON v . THE STATE.

Lu ci o u s J o hn s o n fi l ed th is d i s cret i o nary ap p l icat i o n fro m t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er

d en y i n g a m o t io n fo r n ew t ri al fi l ed m o re t h an 2 5 y ears aft er h i s co n v i ct i o n s

. Fo r t h e

reas on s t h at fo l l o w, h o wev er, we are u n ab l e t o en tert ai n t h i s ap pl i cat io n

.

Th e h i s t o ry o f t h e cas e s h o ws t h at

, i n 1 99 6

, Jo h n s o n was co n vi ct ed o f t h ree

co u nt s o f ag grav at ed as s au l t, rap e, an d fal se i m p ri s o n m en t

, a n d w e affi rm ed h i s

co n vi ct i o n s o n ap p eal

. Jo hn s o n v. S t a te

, 2 3 8 Ga. A p p

. 6 7 7 (5 20 SE2 d 2 2 1 ) (1 9 9 9 ).

J o h n so n l at er fi l ed b o t h a m o t i o n t o v acat e a v o i d s en t en ce an d an ex t rao rd i n ary

m o t i o n f o r n ew t ri al

. Th e t ri al co u rt m erg ed t w o of h i s co n v ict i o n s an d v acat ed h i s

s en t en ce as t o on e co u n t bu t o t h erwi s e den i ed th e m o t i o n s

, an d we ag ai n affi rm ed o n

ap p eal

. Jo h n s o n v. S t a t e

, 2 7 2 Ga. A p p

. 2 9 4 (6 1 2 SE2 d 2 9) (2 0 0 5 ). J o hn s o n t hen fi l ed

an o th er m o t i o n t o v acat e a v o i d s en t en ce. Th e tri al co urt d en i ed t h e m o t i o n

, an d o nce

m o r e we affi rm ed

, th i s t i m e i n an u np u b l i s h ed o p i n i o n. Jo h n so n v. S t a t e

, Cas e No

.

A1 3 A1 41 1 (affi rm ed J u ly 1 6 , 2 0 1 3 ).

J o h n s o n su b s eq u en t l y fi l ed ad d i t i o n al p ro s e m o t i o n s

, i n cl u d i n g a m o t i o n fo r

an o u t -o f-t i m e ap p eal an d a m o t i o n fo r rel i ef fro m co n v i ct i o n s du e t o act u al

i n n o cen ce. Th e tri al co u rt d en i ed t h e m o t i o n s o n t h e g ro u n d t h at i ts p ri o r o rd ers were

“ res ju d i cat a as t o t h es e m at t ers .” J o h n s on fi led an ap p li cat i o n fo r d i s cret i o n ary

ap p eal fro m th is o rd er, wh i ch we d i s m i s s ed

, s p eci fi cal l y no t i n g t h at J o hn s on was n ot

en t i t l ed t o an o u t-o f-t i m e ap p eal an d t h at a p et it i on t o v acat e o r m o d ify a ju d g m en t

o f co n v i ct i on i s n ot an ap p ro pri at e rem ed y in a cri m i n al cas e. Jo h n s o n v. S t a t e

, Cas e

No

. A1 5 D0 2 2 5 (d i s m i s s ed Feb

. 2

, 2 0 1 5 ). J o hn s o n al s o fi l ed a d irect ap p eal fro m t h at

t ri al co u rt ord er, wh i ch t hi s Co u rt d i s m i s s ed

. Jo h ns o n v. S t a t e

, Cas e N o. A1 5 A1 2 1 4 June 05, 2020(d i s m i s sed Ap ri l 8

, 2 0 1 5 ). Th e r e a f t er, J o h n so n fi l ed p ro s e m o t i o n s, i n cl u d i n g a

“ M ot i o n fo r Ev i d en t i ary Heari n g t o Dem o n s t ra t e A ct u al In no cen ce, “ M o t i o n fo r

Decl arat o ry J u d g m en t ,” “ M ot i o n fo r Ap p o in t m en t o f Co un s el

, ” an d “ M o t i o n to

Set

- A s i d e a n d Re-En t er J u d g m en t .” Th e t ri al co u rt den i ed t h e m ot i o ns in a s i n g l e

o rd er o n t h e g ro u n d t h at i ts p ri o r o rd ers were “ res ju d i c a t a a s t o t h es e m at t ers .”

J o h n so n t h en fi l ed a di rect ap p eal fro m t h at o rd er, wh i ch t hi s Co u r t d i s m i s s ed

.

Jo h ns o n v. S t a te , Cas e No . A1 8 A1 9 2 1 (d i sm i s sed J u l y 1 8 , 2 0 1 8 ).

I n A p r i l 2 0 2 0

, J o h n s o n fi l ed a “ M ot i o n fo r New Tri al an d Ap p o in t m en t o f

Co u n s el ,” wh i ch ap p ear t o ch al l en g e t h e v al i d i t y o f h i s co n v i ct i on s an d as s ert t h at h i s

t ri al co u n s el ren d ered i neffect iv e as s i s t an ce o f co u n s el

. T h e t r i al co u rt d en i ed t h e

m o ti o n

, an d J o h ns o n fi l ed t h i s ap p l i cat i o n fo r d i s c r e t i o n ary ap p eal

. W e l ack

ju ri s d i ct i o n

.

“ [A] cl ai m t h at a co n v i ct i o n was u n l awfu l m us t b e as s ert ed b y [1 ] a m o t i o n fo r

n ew tri al

, [2 ] d irect ap p eal fro m a ju d g m en t of co n v i ct i o n

, [3 ] ex t rao rd i n ary m o t i o n

fo r n ew t ri al

, [4 ] m ot i o n i n arres t o f ju d g m en t, o r [5 ] p et i ti o n fo r t h e wri t of h ab eas

co rp u s .” vo n Th o ma s v. S t at e

, 2 9 3 Ga. 5 6 9

, 57 2 (2 ) (7 4 8 S E2 d 4 4 6 ) (2 0 1 3 ). “ If

[J o h n s o n’ s ] m o t i o n can n o t be co n s t ru ed as o n e of t h es e al t ern at i ve fi l i n g s

, h i s d i rect

ap p eal fro m t h e d en i al o f h i s m o t i o n

. . . i s s u b j ect t o d i s m i s s al .” Mu n

ye v. S t a t e

, 3 4 2

Ga. Ap p . 6 8 0 , 6 8 3 (1 ) (a) (8 0 3 SE2 d 7 7 5 ) (2 0 1 7 ).

W e are u n ab le t o co n s t r u e J o h n s on ’ s m o t i o n as an y of t h e fi v e al t ern at i v e

fi li n g s

. He h as al read y fi l ed a m o t i o n fo r n ew t ri al an d t h erefo re can n o t fi l e a s eco n d

o n e. See OCGA § 5 -5 -4 1 (b ). Th e m o t i on was n ot a n o t i ce o f di rect ap p eal fro m h i s

co n vi ct i o n

, an d

– in an y ev en t

– h e h as al read y h ad a d i re c t ap p eal fro m h i s

co n vi ct i o n an d i s no t en t i t l ed t o a s eco n d o n e. Mi l l er v. S t a t e

, 2 6 4 Ga. Ap p. 80 1

, 8 0 3

(b ) (5 9 2 SE2 d 45 0 ) (2 0 0 3 ). Th e m o t io n was n o t an ex t rao rd in ary m o t i o n fo r n ew t ri al

,

as “ a cl ai m o f i neffect i v e as si s t a n c e o f t ri al co u n s el can n o t fo rm th e b as i s fo r an

‘ ex t rao rd i n ary m o t i o n fo r n ew tri al ’ wh en

, as h ere, s u ch cl ai m co ul d h av e been rai s ed

earl ier.” Her ri n g t on v. S ta t e

, 2 6 5 Ga. Ap p

. 4 5 4

, 45 7 (5 9 4 SE2 d 6 8 2 ) (2 0 0 4). No r was

i t a m ot i o n i n arres t o f

j u d gm en t

, as s u ch m o t i o n s “ m u s t be b as ed o n a n o n -am en d ab l e

d e f e ct t h at ap p ears o n th e face o f th e reco rd o r p l ead i n g s an d m u s t b e m ad e d u r i n gt h e t erm at wh i ch t h e ju d g m en t was o b tai n ed .” La y v. S t a t e

, 2 8 9 Ga. 2 10

, 2 11 (2 ) (7 1 0

SE2 d 1 41 ) (2 0 1 1 ) (p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). Fi nal l y

, t h e m o t io n was n ot a h ab eas co rp u s

p et i t i o n

, as i t w as fi l ed i n t h e co n v i ct i n g co u rt

, r a t h e r t h an i n t h e co u nt y i n wh i ch

J o h n s o n i s i n carcerat ed

. See W r i gh t v. S t a t e

, 2 77 Ga. 8 1 0

, 8 1 1 (5 9 6 SE2 d 5 8 7 )

(2 0 0 4).

Becau s e J o hn s o n’ s m ot io n s can n o t b e co n s tru ed as o ne o f t h e fi v e av ai l ab l e

m et h o ds fo r ch al len g i n g h i s co nv i ct i o n on ap p eal fo l l owi n g t ri al

, h i s ap p l i cat i o n m u s t

b e, an d h ereb y

i s , DISM ISSED. See Mu nye , 3 4 2 Ga. Ap p . at 6 8 3 (1 ) (a).

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 t h 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

. 06/05/2020