Opinion ID: 78503
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Expedited Appeal to the Georgia Court of Appeals

Text: On the morning of March 17, 2003, Hart filed an Extraordinary Motion for Expedited Appeal with the Georgia Court of Appeals seeking to secure his release. Defendant Hodges responded the same day, asserting that his previous notice of appeal of the state trial court's sentencing order acted as a supersedeas and suspended the effect of the second state sentence. Hodges also asserted the second state sentence was void. Before 5:00 p.m. on March 17, 2003, the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that Hart must be released instanter from the Georgia prison. Its order stated: [T]he District Attorney is not free to disregard the orders of the Dougherty Superior Court or to seek detainer against Hart . . . . The District Attorney contends that, by filing a notice of appeal, the trial court's original order clarifying Hart's sentence was immediately rendered null and void. This contention is patently erroneous . . . . The District Attorney simply has no authority to subjugate an order of the Superior Court to his own will, thereby circumventing the orderly imposition of justice.. . . . Given the fact that Hart has completely served his time under the existing order of the trial court, the State has no lawful authority to incarcerate him at this time. Hart alleges the Chief Clerk of the Georgia Court of Appeals faxed a copy of its order to the Georgia prison at approximately 5:00 p.m. on March 17, 2003 and also telephoned the Georgia prison and explained to an unknown employee that instanter in the order meant instantly. Hart was released from the Georgia prison at approximately 12:25 p.m. on March 18, 2003, after approximately 28.5 hours of incarceration. On August 28, 2003, the Georgia Court of Appeals issued a full decision on the merits of Defendant Hodges's appeal. State v. Hart, 263 Ga. App. 8, 587 S.E.2d 164 (Ga. Ct. App. 2003). The Court of Appeals determined the state trial court's second state sentence  stating that Hart would serve no additional time in a state prison after his federal release  was void because it was for an indeterminate period of time, in violation of Georgia law. Id. at 9, 587 S.E.2d at 166. The Court of Appeals vacated that second state sentence and remanded for re-sentencing. Id. Because the Georgia DOC's detainer was based on a void sentence, the Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed the portion of the state trial court's sentencing order removing the detainer. Id. On October 9, 2003, the state sentencing court held another sentencing hearing and sentenced Hart to time served.