# 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 :

A1 9 A1 58 0 . ANTHONY PUGH v . THE STATE.

In 1 9 9 3

, An th on y Pu g h was co n vi ct ed o f arm ed ro b b ery , ag g rav at ed as s au l t

,

p o s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm d u ri n g t h e c o m m i s s i o n o f a fel o n y

, an d p o s s es s i o n o f a

fi rearm by a co n v i ct ed fel o n

. He was s en t en ced t o l i fe i n p ri s o n

. Th is Co u rt affi rm ed

h i s co n vi ct i o n s i n 1 9 9 4

. Pu g h v. S t a t e

, 21 4 Ga. Ap p. 4 7 0 (4 4 8 SE2 d 1 6 ) (1 9 9 4 ). In

Feb ru ary 2 0 1 8

, Pu g h fi l ed a pro s e m o t i o n t o co rrect a vo i d s en ten ce. Th e tri al co u rt

d en ied Pu g h ’ s m o t i o n, an d h e ap p eal s

.

A d i rect ap peal m ay li e fro m an ord er d en y i n g a m o t i o n t o v acat 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 s en t e n c e i s

, in

fact

, v o i d. Ha r

p er v. S t a t e

, 2 8 6 Ga. 2 1 6

, 2 1 7 n .1 (6 8 6 SE2 d 78 6 ) (2 0 0 9); Bu r g v.

S t a t e

, 29 7 Ga. Ap p

. 1 18

, 1 1 9 (6 7 6 S E 2 d 4 6 5 ) (2 0 0 9). “ M o t io n s t o v acat e a v o id

s en t en ce g en eral l y a r e l i m i t ed t o cl ai m s t h at

– ev en as s u m i n g t h e ex i s ten ce an d

v al i d i t y of t h e co n v i ct i o n fo r wh i ch t h e s en t en ce was i m p o se d

– t h e law d o es n ot

au t h o ri ze t h at s en t en ce, m ost t y pi cal l y b ecau s e i t ex ceed s th e m os t s ev ere p u n i s h m en t

fo r wh i ch t h e ap p l i cab l e p en al s t at u t e p ro vi des .” vo n Th o ma s v. S t a t e

, 2 9 3 Ga. 5 6 9,

5 7 2 (2 ) (7 4 8 SE2 d 44 6 ) (2 0 1 3 ). Th u s

, wh en a sen t en ce i s wi th i n th e s t at u t ory ran g e

o f p u n i s h m en t

, i t i s n o t v o i d

. Jo n es v. S t a t e

, 2 7 8 Ga. 66 9

, 6 7 0 (6 0 4 SE2 d 4 83 ) (2 0 0 4 ).

At t h e t i m e o f Pu g h’ s cri m es

, t h e arm ed ro bb e ry s t at u t e p ro v i d ed : “ A p ers o n

co n vi ct ed o f t h e o ffen s e o f a r m e d ro b b ery s h al l b e p u n i s h ed b y d eat h o r

i m p ri s o n m en t fo r l ife o r b y i m p ri s o n m en t fo r n o t l es s t h an fi v e n o r m o re t h an 2 0

y ears .” Fo rm er O CGA § 1 6 -8 -4 1 (b ). Pu gh ’ s l ife s e n t en ce t h erefo re fel l wi t h i n t h e

s t at u to ry ran g e.

Pu g h arg u ed t h a t t h e t r i a l co u rt im pro p erl y rel i ed o n h i s 1 9 9 0 co n vi ct i o n fo r

July 08, 2019p o s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm b y a co n v i ct ed fel o n t o s u p p o rt b o t h h i s 1 9 9 3 co n v i ct i o n fo r

t h e s am e cri m e an d h i s reci d i v is t s en t en ce. Ho wev er, t h e t ri al co u rt was au t h o ri zed

t o s en t en ce Pu g h t o a l i fe s en t en ce n o t wi t h s t an d i n g an y reci di v i s m

. Pu g h h a s

t h erefo re n o t rai s ed a co l o r a b l e v o i d s en t en ce cl ai m

, an d 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 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 th 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

. 07/08/2019