# 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 73 0 . BURSE v . THE STATE.

On No v em

b er 3 0

, 2 0 1 2

, aft er a j u ry tri al

, ap p el l an t Ni ch o l as Bu rs e was

co n vi ct ed o f arm ed ro b b ery an d o t h er ch arg es

. On Sep t em ber 3 0, 2 0 14

, t h e t ri al co u rt

d en ied Bu rs e’ s m o t i o n f

o r a co u rt -o rd ered t ran s cri p t, wh i ch was n o net h el es s fi l ed

s h o rt l y aft erward

. Bu rs e am en ded h i s m o t io n fo r new t ri al fo r t h e l as t t i m e i n J u n e

2 0 1 7

. On Feb ru ary 7

, 2 01 9

, th e t ri al co u rt d en i ed Bu rs e’ s m o t i on fo r n ew t ri al wi t h o ut

ex p lan at i o n

. Bu rs e’ s no t i ce of ap p eal as k ed t h at t h e ap p ella t e r eco rd i n cl u d e “ [c] o p i es

o f al l ex h i b i t s

, i n cl u d i n g v i d eo an d au d i o reco rd i n g s .” Hi s am en d ed n o t i ce o f ap p eal

as k ed th at “ [c] o p ies o f al l ex h i b i t s s u b m i t t ed t o t h e co u rt d u ri n g t h e p ro ceed i n g s ” b e

i n cl u d ed . Th i s ap p eal was d o ck et ed o n Decem b er 8 , 2 0 20

.

Sh o rt l y aft erward , o ur Cl erk n o t ed t h e ab s en ce o f Ex h ib i t S-4 , a s urv ei l l an ce

v i d eo ad m i t t ed i nt o ev id en ce at t ri al

, an d as k ed t he cl erk o f W al k er Co u n ty Su p eri o r

Co u rt fo r h el p

. Th e cl erk res p o n d ed t h at h is o ffi ce “ h as n o t no w n o r h as i t ev er b een

i n p o s s es s i o n ” o f t h e ex h i b i t

, an d t h at i n t h ei r ci rcu i t, “ t h e Co u rt Rep o rt er i s t h e

cu s t o d i an o f ev id en ce.” On J an u ary 5

, 20 2 1

, Bu rs e m o v ed t hi s Co u rt t o s up p l em en t

t h e ap pel l at e reco rd wi t h t h e m i s s i ng ex h i b i t

. In th e al t ern at iv e, Bu rs e m o v ed to

rem an d t h e cas e t o t h e t ri al co u rt fo r co m p l et i o n o f t h e reco rd

. In hi s m o t i o n s

, Bu rs e

rep res en t s t h at h e h as rep eat ed l y co n t act ed t h e cl er k s an d t he co u rt rep o rt er i n h i s

effo rt t o co m

p l et e t h e reco rd

.

OCGA § 5 -6 -4 1 (d ) p ro v i d es t h at “ [w] h ere a t ri al i n an y ci v i l o r cri m i n al cas e

i s rep o rt ed b y a co u rt rep o rt er, al l m o t i o n s

, co l l o qu i es

, o b ject i o n s, ru l i n g s

, evi d

en ce

, January 13, 2021w h e t h e r ad m i t t ed o r s tri ck en on o b ject i o n o r o t h erwi s e, co p i es o r s u m m ari es o f a l l

d o cu m en t ary ev i d en ce, t h e ch arg e o f t h e co u rt

, an d al l o t h er p ro ceed i n g s w h i ch m ay

b e cal l ed i n q u es t io n o n ap peal o r o t h er p o s t -t ri al p ro ced ure s ha l l b e r ep o r t ed ; an d,

wh ere t h e rep o rt is t ran s cri bed

, al l su c h m a t t e r s s h al l b e i n cl u d ed i n th e wri t t en

t ran s cri p t

, i t bei n g t h e i n t e n t i o n o f t h i s ar t i cl e t ha t a l l t h es e ma t t er s a p pea r i n t h e

r eco r d .” (Em

p h as i s s u pp l i ed

. ) Su b s ect i o n (f) o f t h e s am e st at u t e fu rt her p ro vi d es t h at

“ [w] h ere an y part y co n ten d s t h a t t he t ran s cri p t o r reco rd d o es n o t t ru l y o r fu l l y

d i s cl os e wh at t ran s p i red i n t h e t ri al co u rt an d t h e p art i es are u n ab l e t o ag ree t h ereo n,

t h e t r i a l co u r t s h a l l s et t h e m a t t er d o wn f o r a h ea r i n g wi t h n o t i ce t o b o t h p a r t i es a n d

r es o l ve t h e d i

ff er en ce s o a s t o m a k

e t h e r eco r d co n

f or m t o t h e t r u t h .” (Em

p h as i s

s u p p li ed .)

M o re t h an ei g ht y ears h av e p as s ed s i n ce Bu rs e’ s co nv i ct i o n

, an d m o re t h an

t h ree s i n ce t h e fi l i n g o f h i s am en d ed m ot i o n fo r new t ri al

. I n t h e ab s en ce o f an y

fi nd i ng s o f fact by t h e t ri al co urt as t o t h e ex h i b i t at i s s u e o r an y res p on s e fro m t h e

St at e, we GRANT Bu rs e’ s m o t i o n fo r rem an d

. Im m ed i at el y u p o n rem an d, t h e t ri al

co u rt s h al l h o l d a heari n g o n t he s t at u s o f t h e m i ss i n g ex hi b i t

, wi t h t h e co u rt cl erk an d

t h e co u rt rep o rt er am o n g t h e wi t n es s es

, an d m ak e fi n d i n g s of f a c t a s t o i t s

wh ereab o u t s

. Bu rs e s h al l h av e 30 d ay s fro m t h e en t ry o f t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er o n t h i s

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

. In l i g h t o f t h i s di s p o s i t i o n

, Bu rs e’ s m o t i o n to

s u p p lem en t t he ap p el l at e reco rd i s DENIED AS M O OT.

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 t n 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

. 01/13/2021