midpage

Taylor v. GreenTaylor v. Green

Supreme Court of Georgia
May 18, 1972
26973
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Gunter
Gunter, Justice.

The basis for this habeas corpus appeal is that the Chatham Superior Court’s oral pronouncement of a seven-year sentence for the offenses of robbery, ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‍the sentence appellant is presently serving, did not specify whether the sentence was to be served consecutively to or concurrently with a prior sentence imposed by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

The State court’s written order provided for a consecutive sentence, and the ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‍contention is that, under the provisions of Code Ann. § 27-2510 (b), in the absence of a provision for a consecutive sentence in the oral sentence, the oral sentence must be construed as providing for a concurrent sentence, which could not be changed by the written sentencing order in ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‍the defendant’s absence.

The trial court properly remanded the petitioner to the custody of the respondent, finding that § 27-2510 (b) is inapplicable to the present situation. The State oral sentence, in the absence of an expression that it was to be served concurrently with the Federal ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‍sentence, runs consecutively to the Federal sentence under State law, citing Grimes v. Greer, 223 Ga. 628 (157 SE2d 260); and that the State trial court’s written sentence only made explicit what was implicit in the oral pronouncement of sentence and did not conflict therewith or constitute an enlargement ‍‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‍thereof, citing Montos v. Smith, 406 F2d 1243 (5th Cir. 1969).

Judgment affirmed.

All the Justices concur. *165 Elwood D. Taylor, pro se. Arthur K. Bolton, Attorney General, for appellee.

Case Details

Case Name: Taylor v. Green
Court Name: Supreme Court of Georgia
Date Published: May 18, 1972
Citations: 229 Ga. 164; 190 S.E.2d 66; 1972 Ga. LEXIS 539; 26973
Docket Number: 26973
Court Abbreviation: Ga.
Log In