Court Opinion

ID: 9905582
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-29 19:05:09.297022+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:46.280631
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                       ATLANTA,____________________
                                                November 29, 2023

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24A0426. YATHOMAS RILEY v. THE STATE.

      After a jury trial, Yathomas Riley was convicted of malice murder, felony
murder, and several other felonies. Following the denial of his motion for new trial,
Riley appealed to this Court. We, however, lack jurisdiction.
      The Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction over “[a]ll cases in which a
sentence of death was imposed or could be imposed.” Ga. Const. of 1983, Art. VI,
Sec. VI, Par. III (8). Because a penalty of death may be imposed for the crime of
murder, jurisdiction is in the Supreme Court. See OCGA § 16-5-1 (a), (e) (1); Neal
v. State, 290 Ga. 563, 572 (722 SE2d 765) (2012) (Hunstein, C. J., concurring); see
also State v. Thornton, 253 Ga. 524, 524 (1) (322 SE2d 711) (1984) (directing this
Court to transfer to the Supreme Court “all cases in which either a sentence of death
or of life imprisonment has been imposed upon conviction of murder, and all
pre-conviction appeals in murder cases”), overruled in part on other grounds as
recognized in Elliott v. State, 305 Ga. 179, 205 (III) (C) (i) (824 SE2d 265) (2019).
Accordingly, this appeal is hereby TRANSFERRED to the Supreme Court for
disposition.

                                Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                       Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                 11/29/2023
                                       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.