Court Opinion

ID: 9958434
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-09 14:03:15.629638+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:18:23.784579
License: Public Domain

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

                                        ATLANTA,____________________
                                                 April 09, 2024

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A24A1208. RANDOLF SMITH v. THE STATE.

      In 2016, Randolf Smith pleaded guilty to multiple counts of aggravated stalking.
He was sentenced to ten years, to serve four years in prison and the remainder on
probation. In 2022, the court revoked the balance of Smith’s probation. He thereafter
filed a pro se motion to vacate the revocation of his probation, which the court denied
on January 11, 2024. On March 21, 2024, Smith filed this appeal. We lack jurisdiction.
      Because the underlying subject matter of Smith’s appeal is the revocation of his
probation, he was required to file an application for discretionary appeal to obtain
review in this Court. See OCGA § 5-6-35 (a) (5); White v. State, 233 Ga. App. 873, 874
(505 SE2d 228) (1998).“Compliance with the discretionary appeals procedure is
jurisdictional.” Smoak v. Dept. of Human Resources, 221 Ga. App. 257, 257 (471 SE2d
60) (1996). Moreover, even if Smith was entitled to appeal directly from the trial
court’s order, his notice of appeal is untimely. To be timely, a notice of appeal must
be filed within 30 days after entry of the order on appeal. See OCGA § 5-6-38 (a). The
proper and timely filing of a notice of appeal is an absolute requirement to confer
jurisdiction on this Court. Redford v. State, 357 Ga. App. 247, 250 (850 SE2d 447)
(2020). Here, Smith’s notice of appeal was filed 70 days after entry of the trial court’s
January 11, 2024 order.
      For these reasons, we lack jurisdiction to consider this appeal, which is hereby
DISMISSED.

                                         Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
                                           Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
                                                                       04/09/2024
                                                    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.