# 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 A1 71 3 . I SRAEL MENDEZ -MENDEZ v

. THE STATE.

In 2 0 1 5

, Is rael M en d ez-M en d ez pl ead ed g u i l t y t o c h i l d m o l es tat i o n an d was

s en t en ced t o 2 0 y ears , to s erv e 1 2 i n co n fi nem en t an d t h e rem ai n d er on p ro b at i o n

. In

2 0 2 0

, M en d ez-M en d ez fi l ed a “ M ot i o n t o Co rrect Vo i d Sen ten c e .” Th e t ri al co u rt

en t ered an o rd er d en y in g th i s m o t i o n , an d Men d ez-M en d ez fi l ed a n o t i ce o f ap p eal

. W e l ack ju ri sd ict i o n

. A d i rect ap p eal m ay l i e fro m an ord er d en y i ng a m ot i o n t o vacat e o r co rrect a

v o i d s en t en ce o n l y i f t h e d efen d an t rai s es a co l o rab l e cl ai m t h at t h e sen t en ce i s , in

fact

, v oi d

. See Ha r

p er v. S t a t e , 2 8 6 G a. 2 1 6

, 2 1 7

, n

. 1 (6 8 6 SE2 d 7 8 6) (2 0 0 9 ); Bu r g

v. S t a t e , 2 9 7 Ga. A pp

. 1 18

, 1 1 9 (6 7 6 SE2 d 4 6 5 ) (2 0 0 9 ). “ Mo t i o n s t o v acat e a v o id

s en t en ce g en eral l y are li m i t e d t o c l a i m s t h at

. . . t h e l aw d o es n o t au t h o ri ze t h at

s en t en ce, m o s t t y

p i cal l y b ecau s e i t ex ceed s t h e m o s t s ev ere p u n i s h m en t fo r wh i ch t h e

ap p li cab l e p en al s t at u t e p r o v i d e s .” vo n Th o ma s v. S t a te

, 2 9 3 G a. 5 6 9

, 5 7 2 (2 ) (7 4 8

SE2 d 4 4 6 ) (2 01 3 ). W h en a s en t en ce i s wi t h i n t he s t at u t o ry ran g e o f p un i s h m en t

, i t i s

n o t v o id

. Jo nes v. S t a t e , 2 78 Ga. 6 6 9, 6 70 (6 04 SE2 d 4 8 3 ) (2 0 0 4 ).

M en d ez-M en d ez arg ued t h at h i s ch il d m o l es t at i o n s en t en ce was v oi d b ecau s e

t h e t ri al co u rt fai l ed t o co n s i d er wh et her h e q u al i fi ed fo r a d ev i at i o n b el o w t h e

m an d at o ry m i ni m

u m fo r t h at o ffen s e. In Ja cks on v. S t a t e , 3 3 8 Ga. Ap p

. 5 0 9 (7 9 0

SE2 d 29 5 ) (2 0 16 ), h o wev er, we h el d t h at “ [t ] h e fai l ure t o d ev i at e

– o r co n s i d er

d ev iat i n g

– b el ow a m i n im u m s en t en ce d o es n o t ren d er t h e sen t en ce o ne t h at t h e l aw

d o es no t al l o w , so lo n g as t h e sen t en ces i m p o s ed rem ai n w i t h i n t h e ran g e o f

p u n i s h m en t s p erm i t t ed b y l aw.” Id

. at 5 1 0 (p u n ct u at i o n o m i tt ed ). M en d ez-M en d ez’ s

t wen t y -ye a r s en t en ce fo r ch i l d m o l es t at i o n fel l wi t h i n t h e ap pl i cab l e ran g e fo r t h at May 04, 2020o ffen s e. See OCGA § 1 6 -6 -4 (b ). Th u s , h e h as n o t rai s ed a co l o rab l e v oi d -s en t en ce

cl ai m , an d t h e d en i al of h i s m ot i o n i s n o t s u b ject t o di rect ap p eal

. See Bu r g , 2 9 7 Ga.
Ap p . at 1 2 0 . Acco rd i n gl y , t h i s ap p eal i s h ereb y DISM ISSED.

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 ti fy t h a t t h e a b o v e is a tr 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

. 05/04/2020