THI RD DI VI SI ON

ELLI NGTON, P. J.

, A NDREWS and RI CKM A N, JJ.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be

ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n

da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

M ar ch 26, 2018



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 7 A1 57 8 . SOBERANIS v . THE STATE.

E LLI N G T O N , Pres i d i n g J ud g e.

On Ap ri l 5

, 20 1 7

, A p pel l an t J o rg e So b eran i s fi l ed p ro se a n o ti ce o f ap p eal

fro m a cert ai n cri m i n al ju d g m en t en t ered i n th e Su p eri o r Co u rt o f Ch ero k ee Co u n t y

o n M arch 2 0

, 20 1 7

. On Ju n e 2 9

, fo l l o w i n g d o ck et in g i n th i s Co u rt

, t h e St at e m o v ed

t o d i s m i ss So b eran i s ’ s ap p eal o n t h e b as i s

, i n ter al i a, th at h is p ro s e n o t i ce o f ap p eal

was a n u l l i t y b ecau s e he was rep res en t ed b y co u n s el wh en h e fi l ed i t

. On t h e s am e

d ay

, th i s Co u rt d i rect ed t h e cl erk o f th e t ri al co u rt t o s u p p l em en t t h e reco rd wi t h an y

d o cu m en t s i n t h e p o s s es si o n o f t h e cl erk t h at p ert ai ned e i t h e r t o t h e rel eas e o f

So b eran i s ’ s t ri al co u n s el as h i s l eg al rep res en t at i v e, th e s u b s t i t u t i on o f an o t h er

at t o rn ey

, o r a fi nd i n g o n t he reco rd o f So b eran i s ’ s wai v er o f h i s r i g h t t o co u n s el

.Befo re t h e t ri al co u rt act ed

, new ap p el l at e co un s el m o v ed t o rem an d

. 1 W e g ran t ed

So b eran i s ’ s m o t i on t o rem an d an d d en i ed wi t h o u t p reju d i ce as m o ot t h e St at e’ s

m o ti o n t o d i s m i s s . Th e St at e p et i t i o n ed fo r a wri t o f cert i o rari

.

On Oct o b er 1 6

, 2 01 7, t h e Su prem e Co urt o f Geo rg i a i s su ed W h i t e v. S t a t e

, 3 0 2

Ga. 31 5 (8 0 6 SE2 d 4 8 9 ) (2 0 1 7 ), wh i ch i s rel ev an t t o t h e l eg al rep res en t at i o n i s s u e in

t h e cas e at b ar. On Feb ru ary 1 9

, 2 0 1 8

, th e Su p rem e Co u r t v a cat ed t h i s Co urt ’ s

o p i n i o n

, t h at i s

, t he o rd er den y i n g t h e St at e’ s m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s So b eran i s ’ s ap p eal

,

an d rem an d ed fo r reco n s i d erat io n i n l i g h t o f W h i t e v. S t a t e

. In t h at cas e, t h e Su p rem e

Co u rt reject ed t he arg u m en t t h a t a cri m i nal d efen dan t ’ s “ rep res en t at i o n b y co u n s el

t erm i n at es au t o m at i cal ly o n t h e en t ry o f a ju d g m en t an d s en ten ce

– wh et h er fo l l o wi n g

t h e ret u rn o f a j u ry v erd ict o r t h e en t ry o f a g u i l ty p l ea[,] ” s u ch arg u m en t b ei n g

co n trary t o t he Co u rt ’ s p reced en t s o n ou t

- o f -t i m e ap peal s “ wh i ch reco g n i ze t h at

d efen s e co u n s el ’ s d u t i es t oward s t h ei r cl ien t s ex t en d fo r at l eas t t he 3 0 d ay s aft er t h e

en t ry o f ju d g m en t wh en a n o t i ce o f ap p eal m ay b e fi l e d .” 3 0 5 Ga. at 31 8 (2 ). Th e

Co u rt h el d t h at

,

1 On J u l y 1 7 , 2 0 1 7, n ew ap p el l at e co u n s el , fi l ed a m o t i o n fo r an ex t en s i o n o f

t i m e to fi l e an en u m erat io n o f erro rs an d b ri ef i n t h i s Co urt

, s u ch fi l in g bei n g h er fi rs t

ap p earan ce fo r So b eran i s

.

2at a m i n i m u m

, l eg al rep res en t at i o n co n t i n u es

– u n l e s s i n t erru p ted b y

en t ry o f an ord er al lo wi n g co u n s el t o wi t h draw or co m p l i an ce wi t h th e

req u irem en ts fo r s u b s t i t u t i o n o f co u n s el

– t h ro u g h t h e en d o f t h e t erm

at wh i ch a t ri al co u rt en t ers a ju d g m en t o f co n v i ct i o n an d s en t en ce on a

g u i l t y p l ea, d u ri n g wh i ch t i m e t h e [t ri al ] co u rt ret ai n s au t h o ri t y t o

ch an g e it s pri o r o rd ers an d ju d g m en t s o n m o t i o n o r s u a s p o n t e fo r th e

p u rp o s e o f p ro m o t i n g ju s t i ce.

(Ci t at i o n o m i t t ed .) Id . at 3 1 9 (2 ).

Th e Su p rem e Co u rt al l o wed t hat “ [t ] h ere m ay b e s o m e peri o d of t i m e a f t e r

wh i ch i t n o l o n ger wo u l d b e reas o n ab l e t o t reat a co n vi ct ed d efen d an t wh o h as n ot

fi led a ti m el y ap p eal o r m o ti on ex t en d i n g t he t i m e t o ap p eal

, o r a t i m el y m o t i o n to

wi t h d r a w h i s g u il t y p l ea, as st i l l rep res en t ed b y h i s t ri al o r p l ea co u n sel ” b u t fo u n d

t h at t h a t i s s u e w a s n o t ri p e fo r d eci s i o n i n W h it e v. S t a t e

. 3 0 5 Ga. at 3 1 9 (2 ).

Sp eci fi cal l y

, i n t h at cas e, t h e ap p e l l a n t f i l e d p ro s e a m o t i o n t o wi t h d raw h i s g ui l t y

p l ea du ri ng t h e t erm of co u rt i n wh i ch ju d g m en t was en t ered

, wh en

, ab s en t an o rd er

fo rm al l y p erm it t i n g h is t ri al co u n s el t o wi t h d raw, 2 h e was s t i l l rep res en ted b y co u n s el

.

2 See To lb er t v. To o l e

, 2 9 6 Ga. 3 5 7

, 3 62 (3 ) (7 6 7 SE2 d 2 4 ) (2 0 1 4) (“ A fo rm al

wi t h d rawal o f co un s el c a n n o t b e acco m p l i sh ed u n t i l aft er t h e t ri al co u rt i s s u es an

o rd er p erm i t ti n g t h e wi t h d rawal

. Un t i l s uch an o rd er p ro p erl y is m ad e an d en t ered

,

n o fo rm al wi th d rawal can o ccu r an d co u n sel r e m a i n s co u ns el of reco rd .”) (ci t at i o n

an d p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

3Id

. Acco rd i n g l y

, h i s p ro se m o t i o n t o w i t hd raw h is g u il t y p lea was a l eg al n u l l i t y

, 3 an d

t h e t ri al co urt p ro p erl y

g ran t ed t h e St at e’ s m o t i o n t o d i sm i s s. Id

.

Si m i l arl y

, i n t h i s cas e, So b eran i s fi led h i s n o t ice o f ap p eal wi t h i n t h e t erm o f

co u r t i n w h i ch ju d g m en t was en tered

, 4 an d t h e reco rd d o es no t sh o w t h at h i s t ri al

co u ns el h ad b een fo rm al l y perm i t t ed t o wi t h d raw. Acco rd i n g l y

, h i s n ot ice o f ap p eal

was a l eg al n u l l it y , an d t h i s ap p eal i s h ereb y o rd ered d is m i ss ed

.

Ap p ea l d i s mi s s ed . An d

r ews a n d Ri ckma n , JJ., co n cu r

.

3 To l b er t v. To o l e

, 2 9 6 Ga. at 3 63 (“ A cri m i n al d efen dan t i n Geo rg i a d o es n ot

h av e t h e ri g h t t o rep res en t h im s el f an d al s o b e rep res en t ed b y an at t o rn ey

, an d p ro s e

fi li n g s b y rep res en t ed p art i es are t h erefo re u n a u t h o ri zed an d wi t h o ut effect .”)

(ci t at i o n s an d pu n ct u at i o n om it t ed ); W il l i a ms v. M

o o d y

, 2 8 7 Ga

. 6 6 5, 6 69 (2 ) (6 9 7

SE2 d 1 99 ) (2 0 1 0 ) (“ A p ro s e m o t i o n fi l ed b y a co n v i ct ed d efen dan t wh i le rep res en t ed

b y co u n sel i s u n au t h o ri zed an d wi t h o ut effect .”) (ci tat i o n s an d p u n ct u at i on o m i t t ed );

Ma d d o x v. S t a t e

, 2 1 8 Ga. Ap p

. 3 2 0

, 3 2 1 (1 ) (4 6 1 SE2 d 2 8 6 ) (1 9 95 ) (Th e t ri al co u rt

co rrect ly d en ied t he d efen d an t ’ s m o t i o n fo r acq ui t t al wh ere t h e d efen d an t h ad fi l ed

h i s d em an d fo r a s p eed y t ri al pro s e wh i l e rep res en t ed b y co u n s el an d

, as a res u l t

, “ t h e

d em an d was a n u l l i t y ” an d “ o f n o l eg al effect wh at s o e v e r .”) (ci t at io n s an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m it t ed ).

4 Th e term s o f co u rt fo r t h e Su p eri o r Co u rt o f Ch ero k ee Co u n t y beg i n o n t h e

s eco n d M o n day i n J an uary , M ay , an d Sep t em b er. OCGA § 1 5-6 -3 (6 ).

4