SECOND DI VI SI ON

M I LLER, P. J.

, ELLI NGTON, P. J.

, and A NDREWS, J.

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

A pr i l 30, 2018



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 8 A0 90 3 . CORDLE v

. THE STATE.

A N D R E W S , J u d g e.

Fo l l owi n g a ju r y t ri al

, Ed ward Sco tt Co rd l e was co n v ict ed of t wo co u n t s o f

b u rg lary

. Co rd l e ap peal s , as s ert i n g t h at hi s co n v ict i o n s s h o ul d h av e b een m erg ed fo r

p u rp os es o f s en ten ci n g . W e affi rm

.

On ap p eal fro m a cri m i n al co n v i ct i o n , w e co n st ru e th e ev i d en ce in t h e l i g ht

m o st fav o rab l e t o t h e ju ry ’ s v erd i ct

. See Co a t es v. S ta t e , 34 2 G a. Ap p. 14 8 (8 0 2 SE2 d

6 5 ) (2 0 1 7 )

. S o v i ewed

, t h e ev i d en ce s h o ws t h at o n Decem b er 1 8, 1 9 97

, t h e p o l i ce

res p o n d ed t o rep o rt ed b u rg l ari es at t h e Bi g C Co i n L au n d ry an d a h ai r s al o n k n o wn

as t h e Pro fes s i o n al Hai r Cen t er i n W al ker Co un t y

. Bo t h bu s in es s es w ere l o cat ed

i n s i d e t h e s am e b u i l d in g , s ep arat ed b y a wa l l w i t h wi n d o ws an d a d o o r. Po l i ced i s co v ered b ro k en wi nd o ws l ead i n g t o each b us i n es s , as wel l as b l o o d o n t h e

s h at t ered g l as s an d t h e fl o o r.

Fo ren s i c t es t i n g co n n ect ed t h e b l o o d reco v ered at t h e s cen e t o Co rd l e. A l at en t

fi ng erp ri n t t ak en fro m a p iece o f b r o k e n g las s al s o m at ch ed Co rd l e’ s ri gh t t h u m b

p ri n t

. Th e p o l i ce i n terv i ewed Co rd le, wh o ad m it t ed b reak i n g i n t o b o th b u s i n es s es an d

rem o v in g p ro p ert y fr o m th e hai r s al o n

. Bas ed o n t h e ev i d en ce p res en t ed

, t h e ju ry

fo u n d Co rd l e g u i l t y of t wo co u n t s o f b u rg l ary , o n e i n v ol v i n g t h e co i n l au n d ry , an d

t h e s eco n d i n v o lv i n g t he h ai r s al o n

.

In h i s s ol e en u m erat i o n o f erro r o n ap p eal

, Co rd l e a r g ues t hat b ecau s e b o th

b u rg lari es o ccu rred i n t h e s a m e b u i l d i n g , “ th e ru l e o f l en i t y an d t h e p ro h i b i t i o n

ag ai n s t d o u b l e jeo p ard y ” req u i red t h e t ri al co u rt t o m erg e t h e co n v ict i o n s an d

s en t en ce h i m o n o n l y

o n e co u n t . As we recen t l y n o t ed :

Th e qu es t i o n o f m

u l t i p l e pu n i s h m en t s ( a s o p po s ed t o m u l t i pl e

p ro s ecu t i on s ) fo r t h e s am e cri m i n al co n d uct is ad d res s ed u n d er th e

ru b ri c of su b st an t iv e d o ub l e jeo p ard y

. W h et h er m u l t ip l e p un i sh m en t i s

p erm i s s ib l e req u i res ex am i nat i o n o f t h e l eg is l at iv e i n t en t u n d erl y i n g th e

cri m i n al s t at u t e. I t i s f

o r t h e l eg i s l at u re t o d et erm i n e t o wh at ex t en t

cert ai n cri m i n al co n d u ct h as d em o ns t rat e d m or e se r i ous c r im in al i n t eres t

an d d am ag ed s o ci et y an d t o wh at ex t en t i t s h o ul d b e p u n i s h ed

. Ty p i cal ly

, t h e q u es t i o n is wh et h er t h e s am e co nd u ct m ay be p u ni s h ed

u n d er d ifferen t cri m i n al s t at u t es

. In t h at s it uat i o n , it i s ap p ro pri at e t o

2ap p l y t h e “ req u i red ev id en ce” tes t

. H o wev er, a d i fferen t qu es t i o n i s

p res en t ed h ere: wh et h er a co u rs e o f co n d u c t c a n r es u l t i n m u l t i pl e

v i o l at i o n s o f th e s am e s t at u t e. Th at q u es t io n req u i res a det erm in at io n o f

t h e “ u n i t o f p ro s ecu t i o n,” o r t h e p reci se act o r co n d u ct t h at i s b ei n g

cri m i n al ized u n d er t h e s t at u t e.

Co a t es

, 3 4 2 Ga. Ap p . at 1 4 9 (ci t at i o n s an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

In d et erm i n i ng t he p reci s e co n d uct cri m i n al i zed b y a p art i cu lar s tat u te, we l o o k

t o th e s tat u to ry l an g u ag e i t s el f. See i d

. If t h e co n d uct o r “ un i t o f p ro s ecu t i on ” i s cl ear

an d un am

b i g u o us fro m t h e s t at u t o ry t ex t

, “ we at t ri b u t e t o th e st at ut e i t s p l ai n

m ean i n g , an d o u r search fo r s t at u t o ry m ean i ng i s at an en d .” I d

. (ci tat i o n s an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ). Bu t “ i f t h e leg i s lat u re’ s ch o ice o f t he u n i t o f p ro secu t i o n i s

u n cl ear fro m t h e s t at u t o ry t e x t

, t h e am bi g u o u s s t at u t e m

u s t b e co n s t ru ed s t ri ct l y

ag ai n s t t h e St at e s o as t o i m p o s e t h e l es ser p un i s h m en t .” Id . (ci t at i o n o m i t t ed ).

Pu rs uan t to t h e b u rg l ary s t at u t e i n effect at th e t i m e o f t h e cri m es , “ [a] p ers o n

c o m m i t s t h e o ffen s e o f b u rg l ary wh en , w i t ho u t au t h o ri ty an d wi t h t h e in t en t t o

co m m i t a fel o n y o r t h eft t h erei n , h e en t ers or rem ai n s wi th i n

. . . an y b ui l d in g

. . . o r

an y ro o m o r an y p art t h ereo f.” Fo rm er OCGA § 1 6 -7 -1 (a). 1 Acco rd i n g t o Co rd l e, t h i s

1 Th e Geo rg i a Gen eral As s em b l y am en d ed OCGA § 1 6-7 -1 i n 2 01 2

. See Ga.

L. 2 01 2 , p p . 8 9 9

, 9 07

, § 3 -1 (a). Th e am en d m en t b ecam e effect i v e o n J u l y 1 , 2 0 1 2,

an d p ro v i d ed t h at “ [a] n y o ffen s e o ccu rri n g b efo re J u l y 1

, 2 0 1 2

, s h al l b e g ov ern ed by

3l an g u ag e d o es n ot cl earl y es t ab l i s h “ wh et h er t h e l eg i s l at u re i nt en d ed fo r a p ers o n to

b e co n v i c t ed o f b u rg l ary t wi ce fo r en t eri n g o n e b u il d i n g t h at co n t ai n ed t wo

b u s i n es s es .” He th u s arg u es t h at t h e s t at u t e i s am b i g u o u s , req u i ri n g u s to co n s t ru e i t

i n fav o r o f m erg er.

W e fi n d n o m e r i t i n Co rd l e’ s s t rai n ed i n t erp ret at i o n o f t h e b urg l ary s t at u t e.

Pu rs u an t t o i t s p lai n lan g u ag e, t h e s t at u t e p ro h i b it s an i n d i v id u al h arb o ri n g t h e

req u i s i t e i n t en t fro m en t eri n g o r rem ai n i n g wi t h i n an y b ui l d in g o r p o rt i o n o f a

b u i l d i n g wi t ho u t p ro p er au t h o ri t y

. Ou r co u rt s hav e i n t erp ret ed t he wo rd “ b u i l d i n g ”

b ro ad l y , refu s in g t o l i m i t t h e t e r m t o “ b u i ld i n g s o f an y p art i cu l ar t y pe o r i n an y

p art i cu l ar co nd i t i o n .” S

mi t h v. S t a t e , 2 2 6 Ga. Ap p

. 9

, 11 (4 8 5 SE2 d 5 7 2) (1 9 9 7 ). An d

b y ex ten di n g t h e s t at u t e t o “ an y ro o m o r an y part ” o f a b u i l d i n g, t he l eg i s l at u re

d em o n s t rat ed t h at ex t ern al p h y si cal s t ru ct u res d o n o t n eces s ari ly g o v ern t h e b u rg l ary

an al y s i s. See fo rm er OCGA § 1 6 -7 -1 (a).

Th e in di ct m en t ch arg ed

– an d t h e ju ry fo u nd

– t h at Co rd l e s ep arat el y en t ered

t wo d i s t i n ct b u s i n es s es wi t h t h e i n ten t t o co m m i t t h eft i n s i d e each s h o p

. Th e

b u s i n es s es were o p erat ed an d co nt ro l l ed b y di ffere nt i n d i v i d ual s , nei t h er o f wh o m

t h e s t at u t e in effect at t h e t i m e of su ch o ffen se.” See Ga. L. 2 0 1 2, pp

. 8 9 9

, 9 49

, § 9 -1 (a).

4au t h o ri zed Co rd l e’ s en try

. Fu r t h e r m o re, al t h o u gh h o u s ed wi th i n t h e s am e o v eral l

s t ru ct u re, t h e co i n l au n d ry an d b eau t y s al o n o ccu p i ed d i fferen t areas , were sep arat ed

b y a wal l

, an d h ad d o o rs l ead i n g t o t h e o u t s i d e. Gi v en th es e ci rcu m s tan ces , we h av e

n o d o u bt t h at th e l eg is l at u re i n t en d ed t o pu n i s h each o f t hes e u n au t h o ri zed en t r i e s

.

To fi nd o t h erwi s e wo u ld i g n o re t h e d i sp arat e n at u re o f t h e en t ri es , as wel l as t h e p l ai n

s t at u to ry l an g u ag e. Si m

pl y pu t

, t wo cri m i nal v i o l at i o n s o ccu rred h ere. See S p ea r s v.

S t a t e , 2 9 6 Ga. 5 9 8, 6 0 2 (2 ) (7 6 9 SE2 d 3 37 ) (2 0 1 5 ) (u n der fact s o f cas e, t wo en t ri es

i n t o s am e h o u s e “ c o n s t i t u t ed t wo s ep arat e v i o l at i on s o f th e b u rg l ary s t at u t e,”

au t h o ri zi n g sen t en ci n g o n b o t h co u n t s ); co m pare Lu ca s v. S t a t e , 3 2 8 Ga. Ap p

. 7 4 1,

7 4 3 -7 4 4 (1 ) (7 6 0 SE2 d 2 5 7 ) (2 0 1 4 ) (m erg er req u i red wh ere b urg l ary co n v i c t i on s

were bas ed o n t wo en t ri es i n t o t h e s a me res t au ran t

, b o t h i n vo l v ed a n i n t en t t o s t eal

fro m t h e res t au ran t

, an d th e en t ri es were p art of a s in g le co u rs e o f co n d u ct ). Th e t ri al

5co u rt

, th erefo re, p ro p erl y s en t en ced Co rd l e o n b o t h co u n t s o f b urg l ary

. 2 See S p ea r s ,

s u p ra.

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Mi l l er

, P. J. a n d El l in g t o n , P. J., co n cu r

.

2 Ot h er st at es h av e in terp ret ed th ei r b urg l ary s t at u t es i n a s i m i lar fas hi o n

. See,

e.g ., S t a t e v. S

m o t her s , 5 9 0 NW 2 d 7 2 1

, 7 2 3 -7 24 (Io wa 1 99 9 ) (d efen d an t co m m i t t ed

t wo b u rg l ari es b y en t eri n g t wo d i f feren t b us i n es s es ho u s ed wi t h i n s am e faci l i t y );

S t a t e v. Gr a

y , 1 9 85 K an

. Ap p

. LEXIS 1 13 3 at * 4 -5 (1 9 8 5 ) (b urg l a r i e s o f s ep arat e b u s i n es s es wi t h i n s ho p p i n g m al l d i d n o t m erg e); S t a t e v. Or t eg a , 5 2 4 P2 d 5 2 2 , 5 2 3 (N. M. A p p

. 1 9 74 ) (“ T h e b u rg l ary o f s ev eral bu s i n es s es i n o n e b u i l d i n g at

ap p ro x i m at el y t h e s am e t i m e co n s t i t u tes n ot o n e o ffen s e, b u t s ev eral

, an d a d efen d an t

m a y b e p ro s ecu t ed fo r al l s u ch o ffen ses .”); S t a t e v. Ca s ey , 4 7 8 P2 d 4 1 4

, 4 1 5 ( O r e

. Ap p

. 1 9 7 0 ) (“ T h e d efen d an t ’ s co n t en t i on t h at h e co ul d n o t h av e b een co n v i ct ed o f

t wo b urg l ari es b ecau s e t h e b u s i n es s es were i n o ne b u i l di n g h as n o m eri t .”).

6