# 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 A2 45 7 . STEVEN SYDOR v . THE STATE

In J an u a r y 2 0 0 9, an d wh i l e rep res en t ed b y co u n s el

, St ev en Sy d o r was

co n v i c t e d u po n a n eg ot i at ed p l ea o f g u i l t y t o 1 3 co u n t s o f ch i l d m o l es t at i o n

. In

Feb ru ary 2 0 1 9

, an d wh i l e s t i ll i n carcerat ed

, Sy d or fi l ed a p ro s e m ot i o n ch al l en g i n g

h i s s en t en ces as fai l i n g t o co m p l y wi t h t h e s p li t -s en t en ce m an d at e o f O CGA § 1 7 -1 0

-
6 .2 (b ). Th e t ri al co u rt d en ied t h at m o t i o n , an d Sy d o r ap p eal s p ro s e.

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 ay s aft er rem i t t i t u r fo l l o w i n g a d i r e c t 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

. 34 6

, 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 ex p i res , 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 p eal m ay l i e fro m an o rd er d en y i n g a m o t i o n t o v a c a t e

o r co rrect a v o i d s en t en ce o n l y i f th e d efen d an t rai ses a co l orab l e cl ai m t h at t h e

s en t en ce i s , i n fact

, v o i d

. See Ha r p er v. S t a t e , 28 6 Ga. 2 16

, 21 7 (1 ), n .1 ( 6 8 6 SE2 d

7 8 6 ) (2 0 0 9 ); Bu rg

v. S t a t e , 2 9 7 Ga. Ap p

. 1 1 8, 1 1 9 (6 76 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 p u ni s h m en t

, i t i s n ot 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 on o v e r t h e ag e o f ei g h t een w h o i s co nv i ct ed o f a fi rs t o ffen s e o f ch i ld

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

ject t o a s p li t s en ten ce, wh i ch m u st i n cl u de a m an d at ory -m i n i m u m

fi ve-y ear p ri s o n t e r m , fo l l o wed b y at l eas t o ne y ear of p ro b at i o n

. OCGA §§ 1 6 -6 -4

(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 ); Hed d en v. S ta t e , 2 8 8 Ga. 87 1

, 8 7 4 ( 7 0 8 S E 2 d 2 8 7 )

(2 0 1 1). In t h i s cas e, t h e s en ten ci n g o rd er s ho ws th at t h e t ri al co u rt ex p res s l y fo u n d March 06, 2020each o f t h e fact o rs d es i g n at ed i n OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -6 .2 (c) (1 ).

In t h i s ap p eal , Sy do r p os i t s t h at h e “ m et al l o f t h e req u irem en ts o f a s en t en ce

u n d er Co d e § 1 7 -1 0 -6 .2 (c) (1 ),” an d t h erefo re, t he t r i al co u rt erred wh en i t d i d n ot

s en t en ce h i m b el o w t h e m a n dat o ry m i n i m u m

. Ho wev er, a ch al l en g e t o t h e t ri al

co u rt ’ s fai l u re t o i m

p o s e s u ch a d o wn ward dev i at i o n d o es n o t s t at e a v oi d -s en t en ce

cl ai m

. See Ja cks o n v

. S t a t e , 3 3 8 G a. Ap p

. 5 09

, 5 1 0 (7 9 0 SE2 d 29 5 ) (2 0 1 6 ). “ Th e

fai l u re t o d e v i at e— o r co n si d er d ev i at i n g

— b el o w a m i n i m

u m s en t en ce d o es n ot

ren d er t h e s en t en ce on e th at t he l aw d o es n o t al l ow, s o l o n g as t h e sen t en ces i m p o s ed

rem ai n wi t h i n t h e ran g e o f pu n i s h m en ts p erm i t t ed b y l aw.” (P u n c t u at i o n o m i t t ed .)

Id

. Here, t h e reco rd s h o ws t he ch i l d m ol es t at i o n s en t en ces fel l wi t h i n t h e st at u t o ry

ran g e o f p u n i s h m en t p erm i t t ed b y l aw. See OCGA § 1 6 -6 -4 (b ).

Becau s e Sy d o r h as n ot rai s ed a co l o rab l e v o i d -s en ten ce cl ai m , h e i s no t 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 f y t h a t t h e a b o v e i s a tr 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 t h 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

. 03/06/2020