# 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 7 A0 80 2 . ERROL MARCELLUS W I NDHAM v . THE STATE.

In 20 1 2

, t hi s Co u rt rev ers ed Erro l M arcel lu s W i n d h am ’ s co n v i ct i o n fo r arm ed

ro b b ery b ecau se o f t h e i m p ro p er ad m i s s i o n o f hears ay ev i d en ce. W i n d h o m v. S t a t e , 3 1 5 Ga. Ap p

. 8 5 5 (7 29 SE2 d 25 ) (2 0 1 2). 1 W i n dh am was t h en re-t ri ed an d co n v i ct ed

o f a r m e d ro b b ery an d s en t en ced t o 2 0 y ears ’ im pri s o n m en t

. In M arch 2 0 1 4

, t h i s

Co u rt affi rm ed h i s c o n v i c t i o n an d s en ten ce o n ap p eal

. W i n d h om v. S ta te

, 3 2 6 Ga.

Ap p

. 2 1 2 (7 5 6 SE 2 d 2 9 6 ) (2 0 1 4 ). In Sep tem b er 2 0 16

, W i n dh o m fi l ed a m o t i o n to

co rrect a v o i d sen ten ce, arg u i n g t h at t h e i n d i ct m en t was n o t ret u rn ed i n o p en co u rt

, f a i l e d t o p ro p erl y al l eg e v en ue, an d was co n s tru ct i vel y am en d ed

, an d t h at t h e t ri al

co u rt l ack ed pers o n al ju ri s d i ct i o n o v er h i m b ecau s e h i s arres t warran t d i d n ot

es t ab l i s h p ro b ab l e cau se. Th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed th e m o t i o n , an d W i n d h o m ap p eal s

. W e l ack ju ri sd ict i o n

. Un d er OCGA § 1 7 -1 0 -1 (f), a s en t en ci n g co u rt o nl y h as t h e p o w er t o m o d i fy

a s en t en ce wi t h i n o ne y ear o f t h e d at e u po n wh i ch th e s en t en ce i s i m p o s ed

, o r wi t h in

1 2 0 d ay s aft er recei p t o f t h e rem i t t i t u r u p o n affi rm an ce o f t he ju d gm en t aft er d i rect

ap p eal

, wh i ch ev er i s l at er. Ho wev er, a s en t en ci ng co u rt h as ju ri s d i ct i on t o m o d i fy a

s en t en ce b ey o n d th is s t at u t o ry l i m it i f t h e s en t en ce i s v o i d

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

Ga. 66 9

, 6 7 0 (6 0 4 SE2 d 4 8 3) (2 0 0 4 ). 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 on t o v acat e a v o i d s en t en ce on l y i f t h e d efen dan t rai ses a co l o rab le 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 , 2 8 6 Ga. 2 1 6

, 2 17 n

. 1 (6 8 6 SE2 d

1 In h i s p ri o r ap p eal s , ap p el l an t ’ s n am e was s p el l ed “ W i n d h o m , ” b u t i n t h e i n s t an t ap p el l at e reco rd h i s n am e i s s p el l ed “ W in d h am

. ” January 24, 20177 8 6 ) (2 0 09 ); Bu r g v. S t a t e , 2 9 7 Ga. Ap p

. 11 8

, 1 1 9 (6 76 SE2 d 4 6 5 ) (2 0 09 ). “ M o t i on s

t o v acat e a v o i d s e n t e n ce g en eral l y are l i m i t ed t o cl ai m s t h at – ev en as su m i n g t h e

ex i s t en ce an d v al id it y o f t h e co n v i ct i o n fo r wh i ch t h e s en ten ce was i m p o s ed

– t h e l aw

d o es n o t au t ho ri ze t h a t sen t en ce, m o s t ty p ical l y b ecau s e i t ex ceed s t h e m o s t s ev ere

p u n i s h m en t fo r wh i ch t h e ap p l i cab l e p en al s t at u t e p ro v i d es

. ” vo n Th o m a s v. S t a t e , 2 9 3 Ga. 5 6 9, 5 7 2 (2 ) (7 48 SE2 d 4 4 6 ) (2 01 3 ). W h en a s en t en ce i s w i t hi n t h e st at u t o ry

ran g e o f p u n i s h m en t , i t i s n o t v o i d

. Jo n es , s u p ra at 6 7 0

. Here, W in d h am ’ s s en t en ce fel l wi th 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

. See

OCGA § 1 6-8 -4 1 (b ) (p ro vi d i n g t h at t h e m ax i m u m t erm o f i m

p ri s on m en t fo r arm ed

ro b b ery i s l i fe). Fu rt h er, W i n d h am ’ s cl ai m s reg ard i n g t h e i n d i ct m en t an d h i s arres t

warran t are ch al len g es t o h i s co n vi ct i o n , n o t h i s s en t en ce, an d do n o t s t at e a v al id

v o i d -s en t en ce cl ai m

. See W il l ia ms v. S t at e , 2 87 Ga. 1 9 2

, 1 93 -1 9 4 (6 9 5 S E 2 d 2 4 4 )

(2 0 1 0). Fi n al l y , t o th e ex t en t t h at W i n d h am ’ s m ot io n co u l d b e co ns t ru ed as s eek i n g

t o v acat e o r m od i fy h i s co n v i ct i o n , “ a p et i t i o n t o v acat e or m o d i f y a ju dg m en t o f

co n vi ct i o n i s n o t an ap p ro p ri at e rem ed y i n a cri m i n al cas e,” see Ha r per , s u pra at 2 1 8

(1 ), an d an y ap p eal fro m an o rd er d en y i n g or d i s m i s s i n g s u c h a m o t io n m u s t b e

d i s m i s s ed

, s ee i d

. at 2 1 8 (2 ); s ee al s o Ro b er t s v. S t a t e , 2 8 6 Ga. 5 3 2, 5 3 2 (6 9 0 SE2 d

1 5 0 ) (2 0 1 0 ).

Acco rd i ng l y , t h i s ap p eal i s h ereb y DISM ISSED fo r l ack o f ju ri s d i ct i o n

.

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

. 01/24/2017