# 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 :

A2 1 A0 78 1 . LEW I S HALLE, J R. v . THE STATE.

Fo l l owi n g a ben ch t ri al

, t h e s u p eri o r co u rt fo u n d Lewi s Hal l e, J r., g u i l t y o f

s ex u al b at t ery an d en tered h i s s en t en ce o n M arch 14

, 2 0 1 8

. I n Au g u s t 2 0 1 8

, t h e

s u p eri o r c o u r t g r an t ed Hal l e’ s m o t i o n fo r an o u t-o f-t i m e ap peal

. M o re t h an s ev en

m o nt h s l at er, h e fi l ed an i n i ti al

, co u n s el ed m o t io n fo r a n ew t ri al

, wh i ch he am en d ed

n earl y a y ear aft er t h at

. 1 T h e s u p eri o r co u rt d en i ed t h e m o t i on o n t h e m eri t s i n J u l y

2 0 2 0

, an d Hal l e fi l ed a n o t i ce o f ap p eal l at er th at m o n t h. W e d i s m i s sed t h e ap p eal o n

g ro u nd s th at

, becau s e H al le’ s m o t i on fo r a new t ri al was u n t i m el y , i t d i d n ot t o l l t h e

t i m e t o fi l e a n o t i ce o f ap p eal

, as a res u l t o f wh i ch h i s Ju l y 2 0 20 no t i ce o f ap p eal was

u n t i m el y , as i t was fi l ed m o re t h an t wo y ears aft er h i s s en ten ce w as en t ered

. See Ha l l e

v. S t a t e , No

. A2 1 A0 3 6 3 (Oct

. 2 1

, 2 0 2 0 ); s ee al s o Po u nd s v. S t a te

, 3 0 9 Ga. 3 7 6

, 3 7 8

(2 ) (b ) n

. 4 (8 4 6 SE2 d 4 8 ) (2 0 2 0 ) (an u n t i m el y m o t i o n fo r a n ew t ri al d o es n o t t o l l t h e

t i m e t o fi l e a n o t i ce o f ap p eal ); Bl a ckmo n v. S t a t e , 3 0 6 Ga. 9 0, 9 1 n. 1 (8 2 9 SE2 d 7 5 )

(2 0 1 9) (s am e); Ho o d v. S t a t e , 2 8 2 Ga. 4 6 2

, 4 63 -4 64 & n

. 1 (6 5 1 SE2 d 8 8 ) (2 0 0 7 ) (t o

b e t im el y , a m o t i o n fo r a n ew t ri al fi l ed aft er t h e g ran t o f an ou t -o f-t i m e ap p eal m u s t

b e fi l ed wi th i n 3 0 d ay s o f t h e o rd er g ran ti n g an o ut -o f-t i m e ap p eal ).

1 Fo r reas on s t h at are u n cl ear o n t h e cu rren t reco rd , Hal l e’ s i n it ial m o t i o n fo r

a n ew t ri al , fi l ed i n M arch 2 0 1 9 , was t i t l ed “ Am en d ed M ot i o n fo r New Tri al .” August 12, 2021Back i n t h e s u p eri o r co u rt

, Hal le fi l ed an o t her m ot i on fo r an o u t -o f- t i m e

ap p eal

, wh i ch t h e co urt ag ai n g ran t ed

. Hal l e t h en fi l ed t hi s t i m el y di rect ap p eal

. W e

l ack ju ri s d i ct i o n

.
A tri al co u rt o rd er t hat d en i es (rat h er t h an d is m i ss es ) an u n t i m el y m o t i o n fo r

a n ew t ri al i s in v al i d. Po u n d s , 3 0 9 G a. at 3 8 5 (4 ). Co n s eq u en t l y , t he s u p eri or co urt ’ s

J u l y 20 2 0 d en i al o f Hal l e’ s un t i m el y m o ti o n fo r a n ew tri al i s in v al i d

. N ev ert h el es s ,

t h e s u p eri o r co u rt ’s s u b s e q uen t g ran t o f an o ut -o f-t i m e ap p eal ren dered Hal l e’ s

i n i t i al l y un t i m el y

m o t i on fo r a n ew t ri al ri p e fo r rev i ew. See i d

.

Un d er OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 ), ap peal s g en eral l y m ay b e t ak en fro m “ [a] l l fi n al

ju d g m en t s , t h at i s t o s ay , wh ere t h e cas e i s n o l o n g er pen d i ng in th e co u rt b el o w.”

Hal l e’ s i n s t an t n o t i ce o f ap p eal

– fi led wh il e h i s n ewl y -ri p en ed m o t io n fo r a n ew t ri al

rem ai n s p en d i n g b efo re t h e su p eri o r co u rt

– i s p rem at u re. See Po u n ds

, 3 0 9 G a

. at

3 8 1 -3 8 2 (3 ), 3 85 ( 4 ) ; s ee al s o Hi g h v. S t a t e , 28 2 Ga. 24 4

, 2 4 4 n

. * (6 4 7 SE2 d 2 7 0 )

(2 0 0 7). Acco rd i n gl y , Hal l e was req u i red t o u s e t h e i n t erl o cu t o ry ap p eal p ro ced u res

– i n cl u d in g o b t ai n i n g a cert i fi cat e o f i m m ed i at e rev i ew fro m t h e t ri al co u rt

– t o o b t ai n

ap p el l at e rev i ew at t h i s t i m e. See OCGA § 5-6 -3 4 (b ); Ha n n v. S t at e , 2 9 2 Ga. Ap p.

7 1 9

, 7 2 0 (1 ) (6 65 SE2 d 73 1) (2 0 0 8 ) (“ A no t i ce o f ap p eal fi led w h i l e a m o t io n fo r n ew

t ri al i s p en d i ng an d u n acco m p an i ed b y a p ro p er cert i fi cat e of i m m ed i at e rev i ew d o es

n o t co n fer j u ri s d i ct io n i n th e ap p el l at e co u rt s .”); acco rd Po u n d s , 3 0 9 G a. at 3 8 2 (3 ).

Hi s fai l u re t o d o s o d ep ri v es u s o f ju ri s d i ct i o n o v er th i s d i rect ap p eal

. Co n s eq u en t l y ,

t h i s ap peal i s hereb y D ISM ISSED, an d th e cas e i s REM ANDED fo r th e s u p eri o r

co u rt to co n s i d er an ew Hal l e’ s m o ti o n fo r a n ew t ri al

. See Po u n d s , 3 09 Ga. at 3 8 5 (4 ).

Sh o u l d t h e s up eri o r co u rt d en y Hal l e’ s m o t i o n fo r a n ew t ri al o n rem an d , t h e

s u p eri o r co u rt cl erk is D IRECTED to re-t ran sm i t t h e ap p eal t o t h i s C o u r t an d to

i n cl u d e a co p y o f t h i s o rd er i n t h e reco rd t ran s m it t ed at t h at ti m e. See Ha n n , 2 9 2 Ga.

Ap p

. at 7 2 0 (1 ) (a p rem at u re n o t i ce o f ap p eal wi l l ri p en u p o n t h e fi l i n g of a t ri al co u rt

o rd er g ran t i n g , o v erru l i n g , o r o t h erwi s e d is p o s i ng o f a m o t i o n fo r a n ew tri al ); acco rd

Po u nd s , 3 0 9 Ga. at 3 8 5 (4 ) n. 1 2

. Hal l e nee d n o t f i l e a s e co n d n o t i ce o f ap p eal too b t ai n ap p el l at e rev i ew at th at t i m e. See Hi g h

, 2 8 2 Ga. at 2 4 4 n

. * ; Ha n n , 2 9 2 Ga

. Ap p . at 7 2 0 (1 ).

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 t i 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

. 08/12/2021