FI FTH DI VI SI ON

M C FA DDEN, C. J.

, M CM ILLI A N, P. J.

, and SENI OR A PPELLA TE JUDGE PHI PPS

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Septem ber 24, 2019



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 9 A0 89 5 . REED v . THE STATE.

M C F A D D E N , Ch i ef J u d g e.

Rep res en t i n g h i m sel f p ro s e, Do u g l as Reed ap peal s fro m t h e t r ia l co urt ’ s d en i al

o f h i s 2 0 1 8 m o t i o n to v acat e as v o i d a 2 0 1 6 s en t en ce im p o s ed o n a ju dg m en t en t ered

o n h i s gu i l t y p l ea t o n u m ero us co un t s o f p o s s es s i o n o f m at eri al d ep ict i ng a m i n o r

en g ag ed in s ex u al l y ex p l i ci t co n d u ct

. He arg u es t hat h i s sen t en ce was i l l eg al i n t wo

res p ect s : b ecau s e i t was a hy b ri d s en ten ce t h at w as p art i al l y co n secu t iv e an d p art i al l y

co n cu rren t

, an d b ecau s e it d i d n o t c o m p l y wi t h t h e s p l i t-s en t en ce req u irem en t s o f

OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -6 .2 (2 0 1 4 ). 1 H e al s o arg u es t h at t h e t ri al co urt sh o u l d h av e ap p o i n t ed

h i m co u ns el i n co n n ect io n wi t h h i s m ot i on t o v acat e h i s sen t en ce. As d et ai l ed b el o w,

1 W e ap pl y t h e v ers io n o f OCGA § 1 7-1 0 -6 .2 i n effect at t h e t i m e th e o ffen s es

were co m m i t ted

, wh ich t h e in d i ct m en t al leg ed t o b e i n 20 1 4

. See S ea r cy v. S t a t e

, 1 6 2

Ga. Ap p

. 6 9 5

, 6 9 8 (2 ) (2 9 1 SE2 d 5 5 7 ) (1 9 8 2 ). Th e s t at u te h as s i n ce b een am en d ed

.we d i s ag ree wi t h Reed ’ s arg um en t t h at h i s s en t en ce was v o i d b ecau s e o f i t s h y b ri d

n at u re. Bu t we ag ree wi t h h i m

— an d t h e s t at e co n ced es

— th at t h e s en t en ce w as v o id

b ecau s e i t v i o l at ed OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -6 .2 (2 0 1 4 ). So we v acat e t he s en t en ce an d rem an d

t h e cas e fo r res en t en ci n g

. G i v en t h i s d i s p o s i t i o n

, Reed ’ s cl ai m reg ard i n g h i s

en t i t l em en t t o ap p o i nt ed co un s el i s m o o t

.

A t ri al co u rt g e n e r a l l y c a n m o d i fy a s en t en ce o n ly d uri n g t h e y ear aft er i t s

i m p o s i t i o n o r wi t h i n 1 2 0 day s aft er rem i t t i t u r fo l l o wi n g a d irect ap peal

, wh i ch ev er

i s lat er. See OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -1 (f); Fr a z i er v. S t a t e

, 3 0 2 Ga. Ap p. 34 6

, 3 4 7-3 4 8 (6 9 1

SE2 d 24 7 ) (2 0 10 ). Bu t “ a s en t en ci n g co u rt r e t a i n s j u ri s di ct io n t o co rrect a v o id

s en t en ce at an y t i m e.” McCr a n i e v. S t a t e

, 3 35 Ga. Ap p. 54 8

, 5 5 4 (4 ) (7 8 2 SE2 d 4 5 3 )

(2 0 1 6 ) (ci t at i on an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t ted ). So Reed can i n v o k e t h e t ri al co urt ’ s

ju ri s d i ct i o n t o m o d i fy h i s s en t e n ce o n ly b y sh o w i n g t h at t h e sen t en ce is v o i d

. See

Br o wn v. S t a t e

, 2 95 Ga. Ap p

. 6 6

, 6 7 (7 6 0 SE2 d 86 7 ) (2 0 0 8 ). “ A s en t en ce i s v o i d i f

t h e co u rt im

p os es p un i s h m en t t h at t h e l aw d o es n o t al l o w. W h en t h e s en t e n c e

i m p o s ed fal l s wi t h in t h e s t at u t ory ran g e o f p u n i s h m en t , t he s en t en ce i s n o t v o i d

. . .

.” Jo n es v. S t a t e

, 2 7 8 Ga. 6 6 9

, 6 7 0 (6 0 4 SE2 d 48 3 ) (2 0 0 4 ) (ci tat i o n s an d pu n ct u at i o n

o m it t ed ).

2Reed was co n vi ct ed o f 1 5 c o u n t s o f p o ss es s i n g m at eri al d ep i ct i n g a m i n o r

en g ag ed i n s ex u al l y ex p li ci t co n d u ct i n v i o l at i on o f OCGA § 1 6 -1 2 -1 0 0 (b ) (8 )

(2 0 1 4). At t h e t i m e Reed co m m i t t ed t h e act s, t h at Co d e s ect i o n p ro v i d ed t h at a p ers o n

wh o co m m i t s t h at o ffen s e “ s h al l b e p u n i s h ed b y i m p ri s o n m en t fo r no t l es s t h an fi v e

n o r m o re t han 2 0 y ears .” OCGA § 1 6 -1 2 -1 0 0 (g ) (1 ) (2 0 14 ). 2 Mo reo ver, a vi o l at i o n

o f OCGA § 1 6 -1 2 -1 0 0 (b ) (8 ) is a s ex u al o ffen se s u b j ect t o t h e s en t en ci n g

req u i rem en t s o f OCGA § 1 7 -1 0

- 6 .2

. S e e OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -6 .2 (a) (1 0 ) (2 0 1 4 ). Th e

v ers i on o f OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -6 .2 ap p l icab l e t o Reed ’ s s en t en ce req u i red th e i m p o s i t i o n

o f a sp l it s en t en ce fo r each o f th e s ex u al o ffen s e co un t s fo r wh ich Reed w as co n v i ct ed

— in ot h er wo rd s

, t h e s en t en ce o n each co u n t was req u ired t o i n cl u d e a m an d a t o r y

m i n i m u m term o f i m

pri so n m en t fo l l o wed b y an ad d i ti o n al p ro b a t e d s e n t en ce o f at

l eas t o n e y ear. See OCGA § 17 -1 0 -6 .2 (b ) (2 0 14 ); S t a t e v. Ri g g s

, 3 01 Ga. 6 3

, 6 4 -6 5

( 1 ) (7 9 9 SE2 d 7 7 0) (2 0 1 7 ). Th e t ri al co urt

, h o wev er, was au t h ori zed to “ ru n a s p l i t

s en t en ce p art i al l y co n s ecu t i v e an d p art i al l y co ncu rren t t o an ot h er sen t en ce, s u ch t h at

t h e p ro bat i on ary co m

p on en t o f a s p l it s en ten ce [was t o b e] s erv ed co n cu rren t l y wi th

a peri o d of co n fi n em en t i m p o s ed b y t h e s en t en ce o n an o th er co u n t .” Ri g g s

, s u p ra at

7 4 (2 ) (b ).

2 An i d en ti cal p ro vi s i o n cu rren t l y ex i s ts i n OCGA § 1 6 -1 2 -1 0 (f) (1 ).

3Th e t ri al co u r t i m p o s e d a h y

bri d s en t en ce t h at was p art i al l y co ns ecu t i v e an d

p art i al l y co n cu rren t. Al t h o ug h Reed ch al l en g es t h e l eg al i t y o f h i s s en t en ce o n t h i s

g ro u nd

, t h e ab o v e-ci t ed au t h o ri t y m ak es cl ear t hat t h i s as p ect o f t h e sen t en ce was

wi t h i n t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s au t h o ri t y an d s o do es n o t s up p o r t R e e d ’ s arg u m en t t h at h e

recei v ed a v o i d s en t en ce.

Bu t as th e s t at e co nced es

, t h e t ri al co u rt d i d n o t i m p o s e a s p l i t s en t en ce o n each

co u nt

. Th e t ri al co u rt v io l at ed OCGA § 1 7-1 0 -6

. 2 (b ) (2 0 1 4) b y fai l i n g to i m p o s e s p l i t

s en t en ce s o n each o f t h e offen s es fo r wh ich Reed was co n v i ct ed

, an d s o we v acat e

Reed ’ s s en t en ce an d rem an d t he cas e fo r res en ten ci n g

. See Ri g gs

, 3 0 1 Ga. at 6 3 -6 4;

Ho o d v. S t a t e , 3 43 Ga. Ap p . 2 3 0 , 2 3 4 (1 ) (8 0 7 SE2 d 1 0 ) (2 0 1 7 ).

In h i s m o ti o n b el ow s eek i n g t o v acat e h i s s en t en ce, Reed al s o as k ed t h e t ri al

co u rt t o “ g ran t [h i m ] co u ns el i n t h i s pro ceed i n g ,” ap paren t l y m ean i ng h is req u es t t h at

t h e t r i a l c o u rt v acat e an d m od i fy h i s s en t en ce. Gi v en o u r co n cl u s i o n t h at t h e t ri al

co u rt m u s t res en t en ce Reed , t h i s cl ai m o f erro r i s m o o t.

S en t en ce va ca ted a n d ca s e r ema n d ed f o r r es en t en ci n g

. McMi l l i a n, P.J., a n d

S en io r Ap p el l a t e Ju d

g e Her b er t

E. Ph i p p s, co ncu r

.

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