Jamaarl Butts v. State

Opinion

THIRD DIVISION DILLARD, P. J., GOBEIL and HODGES, JJ.

NOTICE: Motions for reconsideration must be physically received in our clerk’s office within ten days of the date of decision to be deemed timely filed. https://www.gaappeals.us/rules

DEADLINES ARE NO LONGER TOLLED IN THIS COURT. ALL FILINGS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITHIN THE TIMES SET BY OUR COURT RULES.

July 23, 2020

In the Court of Appeals of Georgia A19A0313. BUTTS v. THE STATE.

GOBEIL, Judge.

In his motion for an out-of-time appeal, Jamaarl Butts alleged in relevant part

that plea counsel failed to advise him of the rights he would be waiving by pleading

guilty or of his right to appeal. Further, he sought an evidentiary hearing in

connection with his motion for an out-of-time appeal. Prior to the Supreme Court’s

decision in Collier v. State, 307 Ga. 363 (834 SE2d 769) (2019), the trial court

denied the motion without conducting a hearing. In Butts v. State, Case No.

A19A0313 (April 25, 2019) (unpublished), we affirmed the denial of Butts’s pro se

motion for an out-of-time appeal.

In doing so, we relied on Brooks v. State. 299 Ga. 474, 475 (788 SE2d 766)

(2016) (“[I]f the claims the defendant seeks to raise in an out-of-time appeal can be resolved against him on the face of the record, so that even a timely appeal would

not have been successful, then the failure of plea counsel to advise the defendant to

file such an appeal cannot be found professionally deficient, nor can any prejudice

result. Thus, in such circumstances, the trial court may deny the defendant’s motion

for an out-of-time appeal without conducting an evidentiary hearing.”) (citations

and punctuation omitted; emphasis supplied). Thereafter, the Supreme Court of

Georgia vacated our opinion and remanded for reconsideration in light of Collier. See

Butts v. State, No. S19C1221 (Ga. Dec. 23, 2019).

In Collier, the Supreme Court clarified that a defendant seeking an

out-of-time appeal, from either a conviction at trial or following a guilty plea, has to

allege and show that counsel’s ineffectiveness deprived him or her of the right to an

appeal, and that the trial court must conduct a factual inquiry into the defendant’s

allegation that counsel’s performance deprived him or her of the right to appeal. 307

Ga. at 365 (1), n.1, 376 (3).

In light of Collier, we vacate the trial court’s \order denying the motion for

out-of-time appeal, and we remand the case to the trial court for further proceedings

consistent with Collier. Warner v. State, 353 Ga. App. 325, 326-327 (836 SE2d 638)

2 (2019); Sosa v. State, 352 Ga. App. 637, 638-639 (1) (835 SE2d 695) (2019); see also

Lane v. State, 352 Ga. App. 589, 590 (835 SE2d 384) (2019).

Judgment vacated and case remanded with direction. Dillard, P. J., and

Hodges, J., concur.