Court Opinion

ID: 9960804
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-17 13:04:28.960344+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:19:54.371575
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                         ATLANTA,____________________
                                                  April 17, 2024

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24A1117. JEFFERY SAMUELS v. THE STATE.

      In 2021, Jeffery Samuels pled guilty and was convicted of various crimes,
including possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm
during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.1
In 2024, Samuels filed a motion to correct his illegal sentence, arguing that he pled
guilty without receiving a copy of the indictment or discovery from the State, and that
his conviction for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony should
have merged with his conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The
trial court denied the motion, finding that the sentence was proper, and Samuels
appealed. We lack jurisdiction.
      A direct appeal may lie from an order denying or dismissing a motion to vacate
a void sentence, but only if the defendant raises a colorable claim that the sentence is,
in fact, void. See Harper v. State, 286 Ga. 216, 217, n. 1 (686 SE2d 786) (2009); Burg
v. State, 297 Ga. App. 118, 119 (676 SE2d 465) (2009). “Motions 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).

      1
         In 2022, Samuels filed a motion for leave to file an out of time appeal, which
the trial court dismissed; subsequently, this Court dismissed Samuels’ appeal of that
order. See Case No. A22A1270 (May 11, 2022).
      Here, Samuels’ motion to correct an illegal sentence does not argue that his
sentence exceeded the maximum allowable punishment for his convictions, instead
he argues that two counts of conviction should have merged. This merger claim is a
challenge to his convictions, not his sentence, and thus does not state a valid
void-sentence claim. See Williams v. State, 287 Ga. 192, 193-194 (695 SE2d 244)
(2010) (merger argument constitutes a challenge to conviction). Similarly, Samuels’
claim that his counsel was ineffective for failing to obtain discovery or a copy of the
indictment does not call into question the validity of his sentence and therefore does
not state a valid void-sentence claim. See von Thomas, 293 Ga. at 572 (2). Our
Supreme Court has made clear that a motion seeking to challenge an allegedly invalid
or void judgment of conviction “is not one of the established procedures for
challenging the validity of a judgment in a criminal case” and that an appeal from the
denial of such a motion is subject to dismissal. Roberts v. State, 286 Ga. 532, 532 (690
SE2d 150) (2010).
      Accordingly, because Samuels has not raised a colorable void-sentence claim
and is not authorized to collaterally attack his convictions in this manner, this appeal
is hereby DISMISSED.

                                        Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                          Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                      04/17/2024
                                                   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.