# 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 8 A1 22 6 . CHRI STOPHER LEE BARW I CK v . THE STATE.

On Oct o b er 2 8

, 2 0 1 6

, Ch ri s t o p h er Lee Barwi ck p l ead ed g ui l t y to t h ree co u n t s

o f c h i l d m o l es t at i o n an d w as s en ten ced t o t h ree co n cu rren t t erm s o f t w en t y y ears , wi t h t h e fi rs t t en y ears t o b e s erv ed i n p ri s o n an d t h e rem ai n d er o n p ro b at i o n

. Th ere

i s n o i n d i cat i o n t h at Barwi ck fi l ed a d i rect ap p eal fro m t h e ju dg m en t o f co n v i ct i o n.

Ho wev er, o n N o vem

b er 1

, 2 0 1 7

, B a r w i c k f

i l ed a p ro s e m ot i o n t o m o d i fy h i s

s en t en ce, arg u in g t h at h e was en t i tl ed t o a d o wn ward d ev iat i o n fro m t h e m an d at o ry

m i n i m u m s en t en ce p u rs uan t t o OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -6 .2 (c) (1 ). Th e t ri al co u rt d et erm i n ed

t h at u n d er OCGA § 1 7-1 0-1 (f), i t l ack ed ju ri s di ct io n t o co n s i d er Barwi ck ’ s ch al l en g e

t o h i s s en t en ce, an d Barwi ck fi l ed t h i s ap p eal . W e l ack ju ri s d i ct i o n

. Un d er OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -1 ( f )

, a co urt m ay m o d i fy a s en t en ce d u ri n g t h e y ear

aft er it s i m

p o s i t i o n o r wi t h i n 1 2 0 d a ys aft er rem it t i t u r fo l lo wi n g a di rect ap p eal

, wh i ch ev er i s l at er. Fr a z i er v. S t a t e , 3 0 2 Ga. Ap p

. 3 46 , 3 4 8 (6 9 1 SE2 d 2 4 7 ) (2 0 1 0 ).

On ce, as h ere, t h is s tat u t o ry p eri o d e x p i r e s , a t ri al co u rt m ay o n l y m o d i fy a v o id

s en t en ce. Id

. An d a d i rect ap peal m ay l i e fro m an o r d e r d en y i n g a m o ti on t o v acat e

o r co rrect a v o i d s en t en ce o n ly i f t h e defen d an t rai s es a co l o rab l e c l a i m t h at t h e

s en t en ce i s , i n f

a c t

, v o i d

. See H

a r p er v. S t a t e , 28 6 Ga. 2 1 6

, 2 1 7 (1 ) n .1 (6 8 6 SE2 d

7 8 6 ) (2 0 0 9 ); Bu rg v. S ta t e , 2 9 7 Ga. Ap p . 1 1 8

, 1 1 9 (6 7 6 SE2 d 4 6 5 ) (2 0 0 9 ). W h en a

s en t en ce i s wi t h i n t h e s t at u t o ry ran g e o f pu n i s h m en t, i t i s n o t v o i d

. Jo n es v. St a t e , 2 7 8

Ga. 6 6 9 , 6 7 0 (6 0 4 SE2 d 4 8 3 ) (2 0 0 4 ).

A p ers o n o v er t he ag e o f ei g h t een wh o i s co n v ict ed o f a fi rs t o ffen s e o f ch i ld

m o les t at i o n i s s u b

ject t o a s p l it s en ten ce, w h i ch m us t i n cl ud e a m an d at ory -m i n i m u m

f i v e -y ear p ri s o n t erm , fo l lo w ed b y at l eas t o n e y ear o f pro b at i o n

. O CGA § § 1 6 -6

- 4 March 08, 2018(b ); 1 7 -1 0 -6 .2 (a) (5 ), (b ). Bu t a t ri al co u rt i s p erm i t t ed

, i n i t s d i s cret i o n , t o d ev i at e

fro m t h e m an d at o ry m i n i m u m s en t en ce wh en i t fi n d s t h at cert ai n fact o rs are p res en t

. See OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -6 .2 (c) (1 ) ; H e d d e n v. S t at e , 2 88 Ga. 8 7 1

, 8 74 (7 0 8 SE2 d 2 8 7 )

(2 0 1 1).

Barwi ck ’ s ch al l en g e t o t he t ri al co u rt ’ s fai lu re t o i m p os e a d o w n ward d ev i at i o n

d o es n o t s t at e a v o i d

- s en ten ce cl ai m

. See Ja cks o n v. St a t e , 3 3 8 Ga. Ap p. 5 0 9

, 5 1 0

(7 9 0 SE2 d 2 9 5 ) (2 01 6 ). “ Th e fai l u re t o d ev i at e— o r co n s i der d ev i at in g —b el o w a

m i n i m u m s en t en ce d o es n o t ren d er t h e s en t en ce o n e t h at t h e l aw d o es n o t al l o w, s o

l o n g as t h e s en t en ces i m

p o s ed rem ai n wi t h in t h e ran g e o f p u n is h m en t s p erm i t t ed by

l aw.” Id

. at 5 10 (p un ct u at i on o m i t t ed ). Here, t h e reco rd s h o ws t hat Barwi ck was o v er

t h e ag e o f ei g h t een at t h e t i m e o f h i s o ffen s es an d co n t a i n s n o i n d icat i o n t h at h e

p rev i o u s l y h ad b een co n vi ct ed of ch i l d m o l es t at i on , s u ch t hat h i s s en ten ces fel l wi t h in

t h e s t at u t ory ran g e o f p un i s h m en t p erm i t ted by law. See OCGA § § 1 6 -6 -4 (b ); 1 7 -1 0

-

6 .2 (b ).

Becau s e B a r w i c k h as n o t rai s ed a co l o rab l e v o i d -s en t en ce cl ai m , he i s n ot

en t i t l ed t o a d i rect ap p eal

, 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

. 03/08/2018