In th e S u p re m e Co u rt o f Ge o rg ia

De c id e d : Ju ne 2 9 , 2 0 1 5

S 1 4 G1 8 1 1 . F LEMING v . THE S TATE.

HUNS T EIN, Ju stic e

.

We g ra n te d c e rtio ra ri in th is c a se to d e te rm in e u n d e r wh a t c irc um sta n c e s

m a y a d e fe n d a n t re ce iv e se n te n c e c re d it fo r pa rtic ip a tio n in a dru g c o urt

p ro g ra m e sta

b lish e d u n d e r OCGA § 1 5 -1 -1 5

. F o r th e re a so n s se t fo rth b e lo w,

we ho ld th a t n o s e n t e n c e c re d it fo r p a rtic ip a tio n in a d ru g c o urt p ro g ra m is

wa rra n te d in th is p a rtic u la r c a se

.

Ka th e rin e F le m in g wa s in dic te d on two c o u n ts o f id e n tity fra u d a n d two

c o u n ts o f fin a n c ia l tra n sa c tio n fra u d

. S h e e nte re d a n e g o tia te d g u ilty p le a

,

wh ic h a llo we d fo r d e fe rre d s e n te n c in g a n d pa rtic ip a tio n in a d ru g c o urt

p ro g ra m

. He r n e g o tia te d ple a a g re e m e nt sp e c ifie d th a t sh e wo uld be se n te n c e d

to e ig h t y e a rs o f p ro b a tio n i f s h e c o m p le te d th e d ru g c o u rt pro g ra m

, b u t sh e

wo u ld b e se n te n c e d to te n y e a rs, with th e first fo u r to b e se rv e d in p riso n a n d th e

re m a in in g six to b e se rv e d o n p ro b a tio n

, in c lu d in g re sid e n tia l su b sta n c e a b usetre a tm e nt, if sh e fa ile d to c o m p le te th e pro g ra m

. T h e a gre e m e n t a lso p ro v id e d

th a t sh e wo u ld m a k e re stitu tio n p a y m e n ts u n de r e ith e r sc e n a rio

.

Afte r m o re th a

n two y e a rs in th e p ro g ra m

, F le m in g wa s te rm in a te d fro m

th e d ru g c o urt pro g ra m fo r fa ilu re t o c o mp l y with its te rm s, c o nd itio n s, a n d

ru le s. Co n sis t e n t with th e p le a a g re e m e nt, th e tria l c o urt th e n im p o se d a

se n te nc e o f te n y e a rs, with th e first fo u r to b e se rv e d in priso n a n d th e re m a in in g

six to b e se rv e d o n p ro b a tio n

, in c lu d in g re sid e ntia l su bsta nc e a bu se tre a tm e n t.

F le m in g a pp e a le d to th e Co u rt o f Ap p e a ls, a rg u in g th a t th e tria l c ou rt e rre d b y

re fu sin g to a d

ju st h e r se n te n c e to g iv e h e r c re d it fo r th e tim e th a t sh e sp e n t in th e

d ru g c o u rt p ro g ra m

. Th e C o u rt of Ap p e a ls a ffirm e d h e r se nte n c e in a d e c isio n

th a t wa s n o t o ffic ia lly re p o rte d

, a n d th is Co u rt g ra n te d F le m in g ’s p e titio n fo r a

writ o f c e rtio ra ri.

We ho ld th a t c re d it to wa rd s F le m in g ’s se nte n c e fo r h e r tim e sp e nt in th e

d ru g c o u rt p ro g ra m is n o t w a rra n te d b e c a u se su c h c re d it w a s n o t pa rt o f h e r p le a

a g r e e me n t, th e re le v a n t sta tu te s d o n o t p ro v id e fo r c re d it in th is c a se

, a n d

a llo w in g c re d it wo u ld disc o u ra g e d e fe n d a nts fro m su c c e ssfu lly c om p le tin g th e

d ru g c o u rt p ro g ra m

.

2F irst, p u rsu a n t to OCGA § 1 5 -1 -1 5 (a ) (2 ), a c o u rt m a y a ssig n a c a se to th e

d ru g c o urt d iv isio n if th e c a se “ a rise s fro m th e u se

, a d d ic tio n

, d e pe n d e n c y

, sa le

,

p o sse ssio n

, d e liv e ry

, d istrib u tio n

, p u rc h a se

, o r m a n u fa c tu re o f a c o n tro lle d

su b sta n c e

, n o n c o n tro lle d su b sta n c e

, d a n g e ro u s d ru g

, o r o t h e r d r u g o r i s a n c illa ry

to su c h c o n d u c t.” Th e c o u rt m a y a ssig n th e c a se to d ru g c o u rt p rio r to

se n te nc in g if th e p ro se c u to r c o n se n ts, a s pa rt o f a se n t e n c e

, o r a s p a rt o f a

p ro b a tio n re v o c a tio n . S e e id

.

He re

, th e c ou rt d e fe rre d se n te n c in g wh ile F le m in g p a rtic ip a te d in th e d ru g

c o u rt p ro g ra m

. On c e sh e fa ile d t o c o m p le te th e d ru g p ro g ra m

, h e r p le a

a g re e m e n t d ic ta te d th a t sh e wo u ld th e n b e se n te n c e d to te n y e a rs, with fo u r to

se rv e a n d six o n p ro b a tio n

. Th e a g re e m e n t d i d n o t sp e c ify th a t he r e v e n tu a l

se n te nc e wo u ld b e a dju ste d in a ny m a n ne r to g iv e h e r c re d it fo r th e tim e th a t sh e

wo u ld sp e n d in th e d ru g c o u rt p ro g ra m p rio r to se n t e n ci n g

. In ste a d

, it sta te d

sim p ly a n d c le a

rly wh a t h e r se n te n c e wo u ld b e b a se d so le ly o n h e r e v e n tu a l

su c c e ss o r fa ilu re in th e p ro g ra m

. T h u s

, th e tria l c ou rt c o rre c tly fo llo we d th e

te rm s of th e p le a a g re e m e n t, to wh ic h F le m in g ha d a g re e d

, in se nte n c in g h e r to

c o n fin e m e n t a n d n o t a wa rd in g h e r a ny c re d it fo r tim e se rv e d in th e d ru g c o urt

p ro g ra m

.

3S e c o n d

, OCGA § 1 7 -1 0-1 1 (a ), wh ic h g o v e rn s h ow c re d it is to b e a llo tte d

,

d o e s n o t p ro v id e c re d it fo r F le m in g in th is c a se

. Th is sta tu te p ro v id e s th a t fu ll

c re d it is to b e g iv e n “fo r e a c h d a y sp e nt in c o n fin e m e nt a wa itin g tria l a n d fo r

e a c h da y sp e n t in c o n fin e m e n t, in c o n n e c tio n with a n d re su ltin g fro m a c o urt

o rd e r e n te re d in th e c ri m in a l p ro c e e d in g s fo r wh ic h se n te n c e wa s im p o se d

, in

a n y in stitu tio n o r fa c ility fo r t re a tm e n t o r e x a m in a tio n o f a p h y sic a l o r m e n ta l

d i s a b i l ity .” Be c a

u se th e tria l c o u rt d e fe rre d se n te n c in g

, F le m in g wa s n e ith e r

u n d e r a s en t en c e n o r in c o n fin e m e nt wh ile sh e p a rtic ip a te d in a d ru g c o urt

p ro g ra m

. 1 Alth o ug h sh e wa s re q u ire d to c o m p ly with th e ru le s a nd re g u la tio n s

o f th e d ru g c o u rt p ro g ra m

, sh e wa s n o t c o nfin e d du rin g th is tim e

. He r c rim in a l

c a se wa s su sp e nd e d a nd sh e wa s fre e fro m ja il wh ile sh e v o lu n ta rily p a rtic ip a te d

in v a rio u s fo rm s o f tre a tm e n t th ro u g h th e d ru g c o urt p ro g ra m

, a lwa y s with th e

o p tio n to re tu rn to ja il a n d fa c e se n te n c in g

. S e e S tin so n v

. S ta te

, 2 7 9 Ga

. Ap p

.

1 W e n o t e t h at Fl em i n g m ad e res t i t u t i o n p ay m en t s wh i l e s h e v o l u n t ari l y

p art i ci p at ed i n t h e d ru g co u rt p ro g ram

, an d s h e was pro p erl y g i v en cred i t fo r t h o s e

p ay m en t s ret ro act i v el y on ce s h e was act ual l y s en ten ced

. Ho wev er, t he co u rt cl erk ’ s

accep t an ce o f Fl em in g ’ s p rem at u re p ay m en t s d oes n o t ch an g e t h e fact th at Fl em i n g

h a d n o t ye t b e en s en t en ced an d t h erefo re co u l d n o t b eg in serv i n g a s en t en ce. Cf.

Hu ff v . M cLart y , 2 4 1 Ga. 4 4 2, 4 4 6 (2 4 6 SE2 d 30 2 ) (1 9 7 8 ) (“ Th e d efen d an t ’ s o ffer

[t o b eg i n s erv i n g h i s o r h er s e n t e n c e ] m u s t co m e at a t im e wh en t h e sen t en ce m ay

l awfu l l y b e p u t i n t o effect .”).

41 0 7

, 1 1 1 (2 ) (6 3 0 S E2 d 5 5 3 ) (2 0 0 6 ) (a p ply in g a sim ila r sta tu te a n d h o ld in g th a t

th e de fe n d a n t “ c h o se

. . . to su sp e n d h is c rim in a l c a se

, k n o win g th a t if he d id n o t

c o m p le te th e p ro gra m

, h e wo u ld re tu rn to th e b e gin n in g o f th e p ro c e ss an d sta rt

a ll o v e r” ). S im ila rly

, OCGA § 1 5 -1 -1 5 a lso do e s n o t p ro v id e fo r c re d it fo r tim e

se rv e d, e v e n wh e n th e c a se is a ssig n e d to a d ru g c o u rt p rio r to se n te n c in g

.

F in a lly

, th e d ru g c o u rt wa s d e sig n e d “ to pro v id e a n a lte rn a tiv e to th e

tra d itio n a l j u d i c i a l sy ste m .” S e e OCGA § 1 5 -1 -1 5 (a ) (1 ). Th e dru g c o urt

sta tu te p ro v id e s tria l c ou rts with wid e d isc re tio n in c ra ftin g a p la n fo r a

d e fe n d a n t’s re h a

b ilita tio n a n d p o te ntia l pu nish m e n t. A de fe nd an t e n ro lle d in a

d ru g c o u rt p ro g ra m ga in s a v a lu a b le b e n e fit be c a

u se h e o r sh e re c e iv e s tre a tm e n t

a n d a n o p p o rtu nity to p o ssib ly re c e iv e a le sse r se n te n c e or th e d ism issa l o f h is

o r h e r c a se u p on su c c e ssfu l c o m p le tio n of th e d ru g p ro g ra m

. Se e id

. a t § (b ) (2 )-

(3 ). If se n te n c e c re dit we re g iv e n fo r tim e se rv e d in a d ru g c o u rt p ro gra m

, th e re

m ig h t b e le ss in c e n tiv e fo r a d e fe n d a n t to su c c e ssfu lly c o m p le te th e p ro g ra m

, fo r

th e d ru g c o u rt te a m in c h a rg e o f tre a tm e n t to wo rk with a d e fe n d a nt wh e n h e o r

s h e b ro k e p ro g ra m ru le s, a n d fo r th e S ta te to a g re e to a d ru g c o u rt p ro g ra m i n

lie u o f a se n te n c e o f c o n fin e m e n t.

5Ac c o rd in g ly , we a ffirm F le m in g ’s se n te nc e in th is c a se

. 2

Ju d g m e n t a ffirm e d . All th e Ju stic e s c o nc u r.

2 W e n o t e, as d i d t h e t ri al co u rt

, t h at t he ti m e Fl em i n g s p en t i n jai l

, b o t h b efo re

t h e s u s p en s i o n o f her cri m i n al pro ceed i n g s t o al l o w her p art i ci pat i o n in t h e d ru g co u rt

an d d u ri n g t h e t i m e s t hat s h e was p l aced i n jai l b ecau se o f h er l ack o f co m p l i an ce

wi t h t h e d ru g co u r t p r o gram

, s h o u l d b e rep ort ed b y t h e jai l cu s to d i an t o t h e

Dep art m en t of Co rrect i o n s s o t h at s h e wi l l be g i ven ap pro p ri at e cred i t fo r t h at p ret ri al

d et en t i o n

. See OCGA § 1 7-1 0 -1 1 (a); M al do n ad o v. St at e, 2 6 0 Ga. Ap p. 5 8 0

, 5 8 0

(5 8 0 SE2 d 3 3 0 ) (2 0 0 3 ) (“ [T] he am o un t o f cred i t g i v en fo r t im e s erv ed i s co m p u t ed

b y t h e p re-s en ten ce cu s t o d i an

, a n d i t i s award ed by t h e p o s t -s en t en ce cu s t o d i an

. Th erefo re, t h e t ri al co u rt i s n o t i n v o lv ed i n t h i s p ro ces s .” (fo o t no t es o m it t ed )).

6