Court Opinion

ID: 9620831
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 05:48:25.683153+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:04:55.051618
License: Public Domain

Beasley, Judge,
dissenting.
It is noted at the outset of the opinion that this is an out-of-time appeal. Because of the state of the record, the trial court’s order permitting such should be vacated and the case remanded with direction, as was done in Cannon v. State, 175 Ga. App. 741 (334 SE2d 342) (1985). Cf. Johnson v. State, 182 Ga. App. 477 (356 SE2d 101) (1987). See the authorities cited in the dissent in Conway v. State, 183 Ga. App. 573, 575 (359 SE2d 438) (1987).
*893Decided October 21, 1988.
Harry J. Bowden, Jonathan J. Wade, for appellant.
Lewis R. Slaton, District Attorney, Benjamin H. Oehlert III, Joseph J. Drolet, Assistant District Attorneys, for appellee.
At the conclusion of the trial, the court called defendant forward again, after imposing sentence and excusing the jury, and informed him: “you have a right to file a motion for new trial in your case. If you desire to file such motion, it must be filed within 30 days of today. Moreover, the law provides that in lieu of filing a motion for new trial, you may go by direct appeal. If you desire to go by direct appeal you may file a notice of appeal, but such notice must be filed within 30 days. Moreover, there is a panel of superior court judges consisting of 3 in number who would review any sentence imposed by this court. If you desire for it to be reviewed, such application for review must also be filed within 30 days from today’s date.”
Final judgment was entered on October 16, 1987. No motion for new trial was filed but sentence review was applied for on November 12 by defendant’s counsel. The sentence as imposed was affirmed by the panel on March 30, 1988.
In the interim, defendant wrote to the trial judge on January 11 and asked for an out-of-time appeal and for appointed counsel. As a basis for his request, he stated in the letter that he had been told by trial counsel that a motion for new trial and appeal had been filed, but that he later learned it had not been done.
Apparently based on this letter and the status of the case, and without hearing, the court appointed the public defender and on January 27 granted an out-of-time appeal. There is no evidence that the court inquired into the truth of defendant’s assertions or the reason no timely appeal had been taken. The public defender filed a notice of appeal on January 27. This was more than two months beyond the statutory period provided. OCGA § 5-6-38 (a).
As we acknowledged in Shirley v. State, 188 Ga. App. 357 (373 SE2d 257) (1988) “an out-of-time appeal is unauthorized if the loss of the right to appeal was attributable to defendant sleeping on or waiving his rights.” Thus, consideration of the merits is premature.