2 9 6 Ga . 5 42

F INAL COP Y S1 4A1 5 2 4 . S P RIGGS v . THE S TATE.

B L ACKW EL L , Ju stic e

. F o llo win g h is e n try o f a

p le a o f g u ilty b u t m e n ta lly ill, 1 Ro b e rt Tim o th y
S p rig g s, Jr., wa s c o n v ic te d in Oc to b e r 2 0 12 o f m urd e r a n d se v e ra l o th e r c rim e s

a n d se nte n c e d

. Ab ou t se v e n m o n th s la te r, S p rig g s file d a m otio n to with d ra w h is

p le a , b u t th e tria l c o u rt d ism isse d h is m o tio n a s u n tim e ly

. Afte r th e tim e p a sse d

in w h ic h S p rig gs m ig h t ha v e a pp e a le d a s o f ri g h t f

ro m th e d ism issa l o f h is

m o tio n to with d ra w , S p rig g s file d a n o th e r m o tio n , th is o n e se e k in g le a v e to ta k e

a n o u t-o f-tim e a

p p e a l fro m th e d i sm issa l o f th e m o tio n to with dra w. Th e tria l

c o u rt, h o we ve r, d e n ie d th a t m o tio n

. S p rig g s n o w a p p e a ls fro m th e d e n ia l o f h is

m o tio n fo r le a v e to ta k e a n o u t-o f-tim e a p p e a l fro m th e d ism issa l o f h is m o tio n

to with d ra w. We a ffirm

. We h a v e re c o g n iz e d th e rig h t o f a de fe nd an t to a p p e a l fro m th e re fu sa l o f

a m o tio n to with d ra w a g u ilty p le a, s ee C a i n e v
. S ta te , 2 6 6 Ga

. 4 21 , 42 1 -4 2 2 (4 6 7 SE2 d 5 7 0 ) (1 9 9 6 ), a n d w e lik e wise h a v e re c o g n iz e d th a t, wh e n th e rig h t

to a pp e a l fro m su c h a re fu sa l is fru stra te d b y a de n ia l o f e ffe c tiv e a ssista n c e o f

1 See OCGA § 17-7-131 (g).c o u n se l to wh ic h th e d e fe n d a nt is c o n stitu tio n a lly e n title d , a n o u t-o f-tim e a p p e a l
is th e a p p ro p ria te re m e d y
. S e e Ca rte r v
. J o h n s o n , 2 7 8 Ga

. 2 0 2 , 2 0 5 (2 ) (5 9 9

S E2 d 1 70 ) (2 0 0 4 ). S e e a lso Co bb v
. S ta te , 2 8 4 Ga

. 7 4, 7 4 (6 6 3 SE2 d 2 6 2 ) (2 0 0 8 ). Th e p ro b le m is, a m o tio n to with d ra w a

p le a o f g u ilty m

u st b e file d in
th e te rm o f c o u rt in wh ic h th e d e fe n d a n t is s e n t e n c e d , a n d a fte r th e e x p ira tio n

o f th a t te rm , “ th e tria l c ou rt la c k s ju risd ic tio n to a llo w th e with d r a w a l o f th e

p le a .” Dup re e v
. S ta te , 2 7 9 Ga

. 6 1 3 , 6 1 4 (6 1 9 S E2 d 60 8 ) (2 0 05 ) (c ita tio n

o m itte d ). S p rig g s did n o t file h is m o tio n to with d ra w u ntil se v e ra l te rm s o f c o urt

a fte r th e c o n c lu sio n o f th e te rm in wh ic h h e wa s se n te n c e d

. S e e OCGA § 1 5 -6 -3 (3 3 ) (te rm s of c o u rt fo r Ro m e Ju d ic ia l Circ u it). As su c h , his m o tio n to with d ra w

wa s an u n tim e ly on e o v e r wh ic h th e tria l c o urt la c k e d ju risd ic tio n , se e Dup re e , 2 7 9 Ga

. a t 6 1 4 , a n d S p rig gs wa s n o t e n title d to th e a ssista n c e of c o u n se l in

c o n n e c tio n w ith su c h a n u n tim e ly m o tio n

. S e e Ba rn e s v
. S ta te , 29 3 Ga

. 3 6 5 , 3 6 6 (7 4 4 SE2 d 7 9 5 ) (2 0 1 3 ). A n d i n a n y e v e n t , S p rig g s c a n no t sh o w th a t h e wa s

p re ju d ic e d in a

n y wa y b y th e a lle g e d ly in e ffe c tiv e a ssista n c e o f h is c o u n se l a s

to a n a p p e a l fro m th e d ism issa l o f h is m o tio n to with dra w p re c ise ly b e c a u se th e
tria l c o urt c le a rly d i d n o t e rr wh e n it d ism isse d th a t u n tim e ly m o tio n , se e
Dup re e , 2 7 9 G a

. a t 61 4 , a n d if S p rig g s h ad ta k e n a tim e ly a p p e a l fro m th e
2d ism issa l, th e dism issa l wo u ld h a v e be e n a ffirm e d. Co n se q u e n tly , th e tria l c o urt

d id n o t e rr wh e n it de n ie d S p rig g s a n o u t-o f-tim e a p p e a l fro m

th e d ism issa l o f

h is u n tim e ly m o tio n to with d ra w h is p le a

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

De c id e d F e b ru a ry 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

. Mu rd e r. F lo y d S u p e rio r Co u rt. Be fo re Ju d g e Ma tth e ws.
Ro b e rt T. S p rig g s, Jr., p ro se

. L e i g h E. P a tte rso n , Distric t Atto rn e y , Jo h n F

. Mc Cle lla n , Jr., A ssista n t
Distric t Atto rn e y , S a mu e l S

. Ole n s, Atto rn e y Ge n e ra l, Pa tric ia B. Atta wa y
Bu rto n , De p u ty Atto rn e y Ge n e ra l, P a u la K

. S m ith , S e n io r Assista n t A tto rn e y
Ge n e ra l, fo r a

pp e lle e

.

3