Court Opinion

ID: 9927566
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-29 15:03:34.40496+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:24:35.041801
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                        ATLANTA,____________________
                                                 January 29, 2024

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24A0746. RANDY CLAY v. THE STATE.

      Randy Clay was convicted of multiple counts of aggravated child molestation
and related offenses, and his convictions were affirmed on appeal. See Clay v. State,
Case No. A15A0766 (July 9, 2015) (affirming convictions but remanding for
resentencing because of a merger issue). He subsequently filed a motion to correct a
void sentence, claiming that his convictions should be set aside because a witness for
the State gave perjured testimony. The trial court denied the motion, and Clay filed
this appeal. We, however, lack jurisdiction.
      A post-conviction motion seeking to vacate an allegedly void conviction is not
a valid procedure in a criminal case, and any appeal from the denial or dismissal of
such a motion must be dismissed. See Williams v. State, 287 Ga. 192, 194 (695 SE2d
244) (2010); Roberts v. State, 286 Ga. 532, 532 (690 SE2d 150) (2010). A direct
appeal may lie from the denial of a motion to correct a void sentence if the defendant
raises a colorable claim that the sentence is void. See Burg v. State, 297 Ga. App.
118, 119 (676 SE2d 465) (2009). But “[m]otions to vacate a void sentence generally
are limited to claims that – even assuming the existence and validity of the conviction
for which the sentence was imposed – the law does not authorize that sentence, most
typically because it exceeds the most severe punishment for which the applicable
penal statute provides.” von Thomas v. State, 293 Ga. 569, 572 (2) (748 SE2d 446)
(2013).
      Here, Clay’s motion does not allege that his sentence exceeds the maximum
allowed by law. Instead, Clay alleges that his convictions were based on perjured
testimony and prosecutorial misconduct. These are not valid void-sentence
arguments. Accordingly, Clay’s appeal is hereby DISMISSED.

                                   Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                       Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                  01/29/2024
                                           I certify that the above is a true extract from
                                   the minutes of the Court of Appeals of Georgia.
                                          Witness my signature and the seal of said court
                                   hereto affixed the day and year last above written.

                                                                                  , Clerk.