THI RD DI VI SI ON

M C FA DDEN, C. J.

, D OYLE, P. J.

, and HODGES, J.

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

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C O U R T. A LL FILIN G S M U ST B E S U B M I TTE D WITH IN

TH E TIM E S S E T B Y

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A ugust 21, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 0 A1 41 2 . NELSON v

. THE STATE.

M C F A D D E N , Ch i ef J u d g e.

In 2 0 0 7

, a f

t e r a ju ry t ri al

, J u rd i s N el s o n was co nv i ct ed o f v ari o u s offen s es

,

i n cl u d i n g rap e. Hi s co nv i ct i o n was affi rm ed o n a p p e a l i n an u n p u b l is hed o p i n i o n.

Nel s o n v. S t a t e , 3 32 Ga. Ap p . XXIX (Cas e No

. A1 5 A1 2 7 3

, d eci d ed M ay 2 2

, 2 0 1 5 )

( Nel s o n I ). Befo re, d uri n g

, an d aft er t h at d i rect ap p eal

, Nel s o n fi led n u m ero u s p ro s e

m o ti o n s, s o m e wh i le h e w as rep res en t ed b y co u n s el

. In m o st o f t h o se fi l i n g s

, Nel so n

arg u ed t h at t h e p ro s ecu t i o n h ad u s ed fab ri cat ed DNA ev i d en ce t o co n v i ct h i m

.

On Ju n e 1 4

, 2 0 1 7

, t h e t ri al co u r t en t ered an ord er d en y i n g al l o f Nel s o n ’ s

“ cu rren t l y -p en d i n g p ro s e m o t i o n s ,” wh ich i n cl u d ed h i s m o t i o n s fo r ap p o in t m en t o f

p o s t -co n v i ct i o n co un s el

, hi s ch al l en ges to t he D NA ev id en ce, an d h i s m ot i o n s toco rrect a v o i d s en t en ce. Nel s o n n o w ap p eal s p ro s e fro m t h e J u n e 1 4

, 2 0 1 7 o rd er an d,

fi nd i ng n o erro r, we affi rm

.

1

. Ap p el l a t e j u r i s di ct i o n

.

As an i n i t i al m at t er, w e co n s i d er o u r ap p el l at e ju ri s di ct i o n

. See S t at e v. S mi t h

,

3 0 8 Ga. A p p

. 3 4 5

, 3 4 8 (1 ) (7 07 SE2 d 56 0 ) (2 0 1 1 ) (ap p el l at e co u rt h as “ a d u t y to

i n q u i r e i n t o i t s ju ri sd i ct i o n t o rev i ew t h e erro rs al l eg ed o n ap p eal ”) (ci t at i o n s an d

p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t e d )

. In t h i s cas e, Nel s o n ap peal s fro m an o rd er t h at was fi n al fo r

p u rp os es o f OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4

. See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) (1 ) (d efi n i ng fi n al ju dg m en t as

o n e “ wh ere t h e cas e i s n o l o n g er p en d in g i n t h e co u rt b el o w ”). Am o n g o t her t h i n g s

,

t h at fi n al o rd er co nt ai n ed a ru l i n g d en y i n g Nel s o n ’ s req u es t fo r ap p o i n tm en t o f p o s t

co n vi ct i o n co u n s el

, wh i ch i s d i rect l y ap p eal ab le t o t h i s co u rt

. Pi er ce v. S t a te

, 2 8 9 Ga.

8 9 3

, 8 9 4 (1 ) (7 1 7 SE2 d 2 0 2 ) (2 0 1 1 ); Hi g h t v. S t a t e

, 3 08 G a. Ap p

. 5 9 5 n

. 2 (7 0 8 SE2 d

5 5 5 ) (2 0 1 1 ). So “ we can

. . . ad dres s ‘ al l ju d g m en t s

, ru l i n g s

, o r o rd ers ren d ered i n t h e

cas e wh i ch are rai s ed o n ap p eal an d wh i ch m ay affect t h e p ro ceed i ng s b el o w.’ OCGA

§ 5 -6 -3 4 (d ).” H

i g h t , s u pra.

2

. Ru l i n g s i n t h e t ri a l co u r t ’s Ju n e 1 4 , 2 0 1 7 o r d er

.

Th e p ro s e m ot i o n s w h ich t h e t ri al co u rt d en i ed i n t h e J u n e 1 4

, 2 0 17 o rd er fal l

i n t o t h ree b ro ad cat eg o ri es : m o t i o n s fi l ed b y Nel s o n at t i m es wh en he was rep res en t ed

2b y co u n sel ; m ot io n s fi l ed b y Nel s o n b ef o re h i s d irect ap p eal i n Nel s o n I ; an d m o t i on s

fi led b y Nel s o n a

f t er h i s d i rect ap p eal i n Nel so n I at t i m es w h e n h e was n ot

rep res en t ed b y

co u n s el

.

(a) Ru l i n gs o n p r o s e mo t i o n s f il ed wh en Nel

s o n wa s r ep res en t ed b

y co u n s el

a n d mo t i o n s f

i l ed b ef o r e Nel s o n ’s d i r ect

a p p ea l i n Nel s o n I

.

Nel s o n ’ s ch al l en g es t o ru l i n g s o n t h e fi rs t t wo cat eg o ri es o f m o t io n s are eas i l y

d i s p o s ed o f. Th e m o t i o n s w h ich Nel s o n fi l ed p ro s e d es pi t e b ei n g rep res en t ed by

co u ns el are l eg al n ul li t i es

, R i cks v. S t at e , 3 07 Ga. 1 6 8 , 1 6 9 (8 3 5 SE2 d 1 7 9 ) (2 0 1 9 ),

an d al t h o u g h t h e t ri al co u rt s h o u l d h av e d i s m i s sed rat h er t h an d en i ed t h o s e m o t i on s

we m ay affi rm t he t ri al co urt ’ s d en i al b ecau se t h e t ri al co u rt d i d no t ad d res s t h e m eri t s

o f t h e m o t i o n s

. See Br o oks v. S t a t e

, 3 0 1 G a. 7 4 8

, 7 5 2 (2 ) ( 8 0 4 SE2 d 1 ) (2 01 7 ) (we

m ay affi rm rat her t h an v acat e t ri al co u rt ’ s “ d en i al ” o f m o t io n th at s h o u l d hav e b een

d i s m i s s ed i f t ri al co u rt d i d n o t ru l e o n m o t i o n ’ s m eri t s ). Th ere is al s o no g ro u n d fo r

rev ers i n g t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s d en i al o f m o t i o n s w h i ch N el s o n fi led b efo re h i s d i rect

ap p eal i n Nel

s o n I

. Becau s e an y erro rs Nel s on s eek s t o rai s e i n co n n ect i o n wi t h t h o s e

m o ti o n s c o u l d h av e b een as s ert ed i n h i s fi rs t ap p eal

, t h ey can n o t fo rm t h e b as i s fo r

p o s t -co n v i ct i o n rel i ef. See Ho l l mo n v. St a t e

, 3 05 Ga. 9 0

, 9 2 (2 ) (8 23 SE2 d 7 7 1 )

(2 0 1 9).

3(b ) Rema in i n g r u li n g s

.

In t h e rem ai n i n g ru li n g s

, t h e t ri al co u rt den i ed m o t i o n s s ee k i n g ap p o i n t m en t

o f p o s t

- c o n v i ct i o n co u ns el

, ch al l en g i n g t h e D NA ev i d en ce, an d ch al l en g i n g t h e

s en t en ce as v o i d . Nel s on h as s h o wn n o rev ers i bl e erro r reg ard i n g t h o se ru li n g s

.

(i ) Ap p o i n t men t

o f p o s t -co n vi ct i o n co u n s el

.

In at l eas t o n e m o ti o n fi l ed aft er Nel s o n’ s di rect ap p eal fro m h i s co n v i ct i o n

, h e

s o u g ht th e ap p o i n tm en t o f p os t -co n vi ct i o n co u n s el

. Th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed t h at req u es t

o n th e g ro u n d t h at

, g en eral l y

, an i n d i gen t d e fen d an t i s en ti t led t o rep res en t at i o n by

co u ns el o n l y fo r t h e t ri al an d d i r e c t ap p eal fro m th e co n v i ct i o n an d s en ten ce. See

Br o oks

, 3 0 1 Ga. at 7 5 2 -7 5 3 (3 ). Al t h o u g h Nel so n en u m erat ed t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s ru l i n g

o n t h i s is s u e as erro r, h e o ffered n o arg u m en t o r ci tat i on t o au t ho ri t y t o s u pp o rt t h i s

cl ai m i n h i s ap p el l at e b r i e f

. We d eem th e cl ai m ab an d o ned pu rs u an t t o Co u rt o f

Ap p eal s Ru l e 2 5 (c) (2 ), wh i ch p ro v i d es t h at “ [a] n y en u m erat i o n o f erro r t h at i s n ot

s u p p ort ed i n t h e b ri ef b y ci t at i o n o f au t h o ri t y o r arg um en t m a y b e d eem ed

ab an do n ed .” See B r u s t er v. S t a t e

, 2 9 1 Ga. Ap p

. 4 9 0

, 4 9 2 (4 ) (6 6 2 SE2 d 2 65 ) (2 0 0 8 )

(ap p l y i ng Ru l e 2 5 (c) (2 ) t o dee m e n u m e r a t i o n o f erro r ab an d o n ed i n ap p eal fro m

cri m i n al co n v i ct i o n b ro u g h t b y p ro s e ap p el lan t ).

(i i) DNA evi d

en ce.

4Aft e r t h e ru l i n g i n Nel s on I

, Nel s o n s u b m i tt ed n u m ero u s m o t i on s an d o t h er

fi li n g s cl ai m i n g t h at n ewl y d i s co v ered ev i d en ce s h owed th at DNA ev i d en ce h ad b een

fab ri cat ed

. Li k e t h e t ri al co u rt

, we co n s t ru e t h es e as an ex t rao rd in ary m o t i on fo r n ew

t ri al

. See Ho l l mo n

, 30 5 Ga. at 9 1 -9 2 (2 ) (“ A d efen d an t wh o

. . . h as had a co n v i ct i o n

affi rm ed o n d i rect ap p eal m ay g ai n fu rt her rev i ew o f t h e ju d g m en t o f co n v i ct i o n o n l y

b y fi l i n g an ex trao rd i nary m o t i o n fo r n ew t ri al o r pet i t i o n fo r wri t of h ab eas co rp u s .”)

(ci t at i o n an d pu n ct u at i o n o m it t ed ). Th e p reci s e n at u re o f t h e p u rp o rt ed l y n ewl y

d i s co v ered ev i d en ce is n ot cl ear fro m Nel s o n ’ s p ro s e b ri ef an d fi l i n gs

, b u t i t i s cl ear

fro m t h e reco rd t h at Nel s o n was aware of t hat ev i d en ce b ef o r e h i s t h en -co u n s el

m o ved fo r a n ew t ri al i n 20 1 3 b ecau s e, i n s ev eral pro s e m o t i o n s an d o t her fi l i n g s t h at

h e s u b m i t t ed t o t h e t ri al co u rt b efo re t h e 2 0 1 3 m o t i o n fo r n ew t ri al

, Nel so n as s ert ed

t h at t h e s t at e’ s DNA ev i den ce h ad b een fab ri cat ed

. Becau s e Nel so n co u l d h av e, b ut

d i d n o t, rai s e t h e fab ri cat ed -DNA cl ai m i n h i s m o t i o n fo r n ew t ri al

, th e t ri al co u rt d id

n o t er r i n d en y i n g hi s ex t rao rd i n ary m o t i on fo r new t ri al b as ed o n t hat cl ai m

. See

Bh a ra d i a v. S t at e , 2 9 7 Ga. 5 6 7 , 5 7 3 -5 7 4 (2 ) (7 7 4 SE2 d 9 0) (2 01 5 ).

(i ii ) Vo i d s en t en ce.

Th e t ri a l c o u r t den i ed Nel so n ’ s m o t i o n s ch al l en g i n g h i s s en ten ce as v o i d.

Nel s o n en u m erat es t h i s ru l in g as erro r b u t, as wi t h h i s cl ai m reg ard i n g ap p o i n t m en t

5o f co u n sel

, he h as ab an d o n ed t h e en u m erat i o n b y fa i l i n g t o su p p o rt it wi t h an y

arg u m en t o r ci tat i o n t o au th o ri t y i n h i s ap pel l at e b ri ef. See Co u rt o f Ap p eal s Ru l e 2 5

(c) (2 ).

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Do yl e, P. J., a n d

Ho d g es , J., co n cu r

.

6