Merrick Redding v. State

Opinion

Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia

ATLANTA,____________________ August 22, 2019

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A20A0154. MERRICK REDDING v. THE STATE.

A jury found Merrick Redding guilty of felony murder and aggravated assault, and the trial court imposed a sentence of life in prison on the felony murder conviction. Redding filed a motion for new trial, which the trial court denied. Redding then filed this appeal. We 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 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 to the Supreme Court “all cases in which either a sentence of death or of life imprisonment has been imposed upon conviction of murder”). Accordingly, Redding’s appeal is hereby TRANSFERRED to the Supreme Court for disposition.

Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________ 08/22/2019 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.