FI RST DI VI SI ON DOYLE, C. J.

, PHI PPS, P. J.

, and BOGGS, 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

Febr uar y 24, 2016



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 5 A2 26 5 . BECKER v . THE STATE.

P H I P P S , Pres i d i n g J u dg e.

In Feb ru ary 2 0 1 3

, Ri ch ard Beck er was fo u n d g u i lt y o f p o s s e s s i o n o f

m et h am p h et am i ne 1 an d ob s t ru ct i o n o f an o ffi cer, an d t he t ri al co u rt s en t en ced h i m as

a reci d i v i s t t o fi ft een y ears , wi t h t h e fi rs t s ev en y ears t o b e s erv ed i n co n fi n em en t an d

t h e rem ai n i n g y ears t o b e s erv ed on p ro b at i on

. 2 Beck er ch al len g es th e s en t e n c e

i m p o s ed fo r t h e po s s es s i on o f m et h am p h et am i n e ch arg e. Becau s e, as t h e s tat e p o i n t s

o u t i n i t s ap p eal b ri ef, th e reco rd refl ect s t h at t h e t ri al co u rt erro neo u sl y b el i ev ed t h at

i t h ad n o d i s cret i o n i n sen ten ci n g Beck er t o th e m ax i m u m p eri o d o f t i m e p res cri b ed

1 See OCGA § § 1 6-1 3 -3 0 (a), (c) (2 0 1 2 ); 1 6-1 3 -2 6 (3 ) (B) (2 0 1 2); Ga. L. 2 0 1 2,

p p . 8 9 9 , 9 1 5 , 9 4 9 , § § 3 -7 A (a), (c), 9 -1 (a).

2 Beck er w as s en t en ced to 1 5 y ears fo r p os s es s i o n o f m et h am p h et am i n e, an d

1 2 m o n t h s (co ncu rren t ) fo r o b s t ru ct i o n o f an o ffi cer.fo r t h e p u n i s h m en t o f p o ss es s i o n o f m et h am p het am i n e , t he cas e m

u st b e rem an d ed

fo r res en ten ci n g

.

1

. T h e tri al co u rt s en t en ced Beck er as a reci d i v is t p u rs u an t t o OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -7

(a) an d (c). OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -7 (a) p ert i n en t ly p ro v i d es t h a t “ [ a ]n y pers o n wh o , aft er

h av in g been co nv i ct ed o f a fel o n y o ffen s e

. . . co m m i t s a f e l o ny p u n is h ab l e by

co n fi n em en t i n a p en al in st i t ut i o n s h al l b e s en t en ced t o u n d erg o t h e l o n ges t p eri o d

o f t i m e p res cr i b e d f

o r t he p u n i s h m en t of t h e su b s eq u en t offen s e o f wh i ch h e

. . .

s t an d s c o n v i ct ed ”; b u t th e “ tri al ju d g e m ay

. . . pro b at e o r s u s p en d t h e m ax i m u m

s en t en ce p res cri bed fo r t h e o ffen s e.” OCGA § 1 7-1 0 -7 (c) p ert i nen tl y p ro v i d es t h at

a d efen d an t co n vi ct ed o f a fo u rt h fel o n y “ s h al l

. . . s erv e th e m ax i m um t i m e p ro v i d ed

i n t h e s en t en ce o f t h e ju d g e” an d “ sh al l n o t b e el i g i b l e fo r p aro l e u nt i l t h e m ax i m u m

s en t en ce h as b een s erv ed .”

OCGA § 1 7

- 1 0 -7 (b .1 ) p ro v i d es t h at : “ Su b s ect i o n s (a) an d (c) o f t h i s Co d e

s ect i on s h al l n o t ap pl y t o a s eco n d o r an y s u b s eq u en t co n v i ct i o n fo r an y v i o l at i o n o f

s u b s ect i o n (a)

. . . o f Co d e Sect i o n 1 6 -1 3-3 0 .” In 2 0 12

, t h e Gen eral As s em b l y ad d ed

s u b s ect i o n (b .1 ) t o O CGA § 17 -1 0 -7 ; i n th e s am e Act

, th e Gen eral As s em b l y ad d ed

l a n g u ag e t o s u b s ect i o n s (a) an d (c) o f OCGA § 1 7-1 0 -7

, pro v i di n g t h at (a) an d (c)

2ap p li ed “ [e] x cep t as o t h erwi s e p ro v i d ed i n s u b sect i o n

. . . (b .1 ).

. . . ” 3 Su b s ect i o n (b .1 )

an d t h e rev i s i o n s t o s u b s ect i o n s (a) an d (c) b ecam e effect i ve o n J u l y 1, 2 0 1 2

, a n d

ap p li es t o o ffen ses wh i ch o ccu rred o n o r aft er t h at d at e. 4

In t h i s cas e, t h e cri m es were co m m i t ted i n Au g u s t 2 01 2 . Th erefo re, p u rs u an t

t o t he t h en n ewl y -en act ed s ub s ect i o n (b

. 1 ) an d t o t he rev i s i o n s t o s u b s ect i o n s (a) an d

(c), t he t ri al co urt erred i n s en t en ci n g Beck er as a reci d i v i s t p u rs u an t t o O CGA § 1 7

-

1 0 -7 (a) an d ( c )

, a n d i n b el i ev i n g t h at i t was req ui red t o im p o s e up o n Beck er t h e

m ax i m u m s en t en ce fo r p o s s es s i o n o f m et h am p h et am i n e. 5 Acco rd i n g l y , t h e s en t en ce

i m p o s ed b y t h e t ri al co u rt fo r p o s s es s i o n o f m et h am p h et am in e i s v acat ed

, an d t h e cas e

i s rem an d ed fo r res en t en ci n g as t o t h at co u n t

. 6

2

. Becau s e we are v acat i n g Beck er’ s s en t en ce fo r p o s ses s i o n o f

m et h am p h et am i ne an d rem an d i n g t hi s cas e fo r res en t en ci n g as t o t h at co u n t, Beck er’ s

3 See Ga. L. 2 0 1 2

, p p . 8 99 , 9 2 6 , 9 4 9 , § § 4 -4

, 9 -1 (a).

4 Id

.

5 See vo n Th o ma s v. S t a t e , 2 9 3 Ga. 5 6 9

, 57 0

, n

. 1 (7 4 8 SE2 d 4 46 ) (2 0 1 3 ); s ee

g en eral l y Ho b b s v. St a t e , 33 4 Ga. Ap p. 2 4 1

, 24 4 -2 4 6 (3 ) (a) (7 7 9 SE2 d 1 5 ) (2 0 1 5 );

Pa r do n v. S t at e , 3 2 2 Ga. Ap p . 3 9 3 , 3 9 9 (3 ) (7 4 5 SE2 d 6 5 8 ) ( 2 0 1 3 ).

6 See Ho b b s , s u p ra at 2 4 6 (3 ) (a); Ho ll a n d v. S t a t e , 3 1 0 Ga. Ap p

. 62 3

, 6 2 9 -6 3 0 (5 ) (7 14 SE2 d 1 26 ) (2 0 1 1 ).

3co n ten t i o n t h at t he t ri al co u rt a b u s e d i t s d i s cret i o n w h en i t den ied h i s req u es t to

red u ce h i s s en t en ce fo r po s s es s io n o f m et h am ph et am i n e o n t he b as is t h at t h e s en t en ce

was g ro s s l y d is p ro p ort io nat e t o t h e u n d erl y i n g cri m e a n d w a s cru el an d u n u s u al

p u n i s h m en t i s ren d ered m o o t. 7

Ju d g men t a f f i r med

, s en t en ce a

f f i r med i n p a r t a nd va ca t ed i n p a r t

, an d ca s e

r ema n d ed f o r r es en t en ci n g . Do

yl e, C. J., a n d Bo g

g s

, J., co n cu r

.

7 See Ho b b s , s u pra at 2 4 6 -2 4 7 (3 ) (b ); Ho ll a n d , s u p ra at 6 3 0 (6 ).

4