Court Opinion

ID: 9919210
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-17 18:03:39.353132+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:06:10.769249
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                          ATLANTA,____________________
                                                   January 17, 2024

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24A0835. STACY CARREKER v. THE STATE.

       In 1999, Stacey Carreker was convicted of murder and other crimes, and was
sentenced to life in prison. The trial court denied Carreker’s motion for new trial, and
on appeal, the Supreme Court of Georgia affirmed his convictions. Carreker v. State,
273 Ga. 371 (541 SE2d 364) (2001). In October 2020, Carreker filed an extraordinary
motion for new trial. The trial court denied that motion, and Carreker filed this direct
appeal. We lack jurisdiction.
       The Supreme Court of Georgia 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
felony murder, jurisdiction is proper in the Supreme Court. See OCGA § 16-5-1 (c),
(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 “all cases in which either a sentence of death or of life
imprisonment has been imposed upon conviction of murder”), overruled in part on
other grounds as recognized in Elliott v. State, 305 Ga. 179, 205 (III) (C) (i) (824 SE2d
265) (2019). The Supreme Court’s jurisdiction over murder cases includes appeals
from orders resolving post-judgment motions in such cases. See Simpson v. State, 292
Ga. 764, 764 (740 SE2d 124) (2013) (appeal from denial of motion attacking murder
convictions as void).
      Accordingly, this appeal is hereby TRANSFERRED to the Supreme Court of
Georgia for disposition.

                                   Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                     Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                 01/17/2024
                                              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.