X

Thank you for sharing!

Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.

Ellington, Justice. A Fayette County jury found Ted Jefferson guilty of kidnapping, two counts of armed robbery, and other offenses, and the trial court sentenced him to life plus five consecutive years in prison. Jefferson filed a motion for a new trial, and the trial court granted the motion in part, finding that the evidence was insufficient to support Jefferson’s convictions for armed robbery. The trial court denied the motion as to the remaining convictions. Jefferson then timely filed a direct appeal, which the Court of Appeals dismissed. In dismissing the appeal, the Court of Appeals reasoned that the order partially granting Jefferson’s motion for a new trial left the case pending in the trial court and that it was, therefore, a non-final order that could be appealed only through the interlocutory appeal process. This Court granted certiorari to consider whether the Court of Appeals err[ed] in its determination that the trial court’s order on Jefferson’s motion for new trial, which granted Jefferson’s motion with regard to two counts of armed robbery due to insufficiency of the evidence but denied Jefferson’s motion as to all remaining counts, was not a final judgment that could be immediately appealed under OCGA § 5-6-34 (a) (1)? We answer this question in the affirmative because, as more fully explained below, the trial court’s order on Jefferson’s motion for a new trial left no part of the case pending for trial court resolution and was, therefore, final within the meaning of OCGA § 5-6-34 (a).[1] Thus, the trial court’s order was directly appealable. Consequently, we vacate the dismissal order and remand the case to the Court of Appeals. The facts relevant to the question before us are undisputed. During the hearing on Jefferson’s motion for a new trial, the State conceded that the evidence presented at trial was legally insufficient to sustain Jefferson’s armed robbery convictions. The trial court agreed, and entered an order expressly vacating those convictions on insufficiency of evidence grounds. The trial court also denied Jefferson’s motion as to his remaining convictions, finding that Jefferson’s arguments with respect to those convictions lacked merit. Although the trial court “granted” Jefferson’s motion as to the armed robbery convictions, the State is legally barred from retrying Jefferson on those counts given the court’s rationale for its decision. “[O]nce a reviewing court reverses a conviction solely for insufficiency of the evidence to sustain the jury’s verdict of guilty, double jeopardy bars retrial.” Hall v. State, 244 Ga. 86, 93 (5) (259 SE2d 41) (1979) (citing Burks v. United States, 437 U. S. 1, 16-17 (III) (98 SC 2141, 57 LE2d 1) (1978)). See also Green v. State, 291 Ga. 287, 288 (1) (728 SE2d 668) (2012) (same). Compare Prather v. State, 303 Ga. App. 374, 376 (1) (693 SE2d 546) (2010) (“As a general rule, a post-conviction reversal or grant of a motion for new trial which is not based on insufficiency of the evidence does not preclude retrial.” (punctuation and footnote omitted)). Only in rare circumstances not present here might a retrial be possible following a judicial determination that the evidence presented in support of the crimes charged was insufficient. If, for example, the trial court had decided that the evidence was legally insufficient only because of a change in the substantive law after trial, then perhaps a retrial might be possible. Although this Court has yet to decide such a case, the Court of Appeals and other courts have determined that double jeopardy concerns do not preclude the State from retrying a defendant when the evidence presented at trial is rendered insufficient only by a post-trial change in law. See Levin v. State, 346 Ga. App. 340, 342-344 (1) (816 SE2d 170) (2018), cert. denied Mar. 4, 2019. See also Levin v. Morales, 295 Ga. 781, 785 (764 SE2d 145) (2014) (Blackwell, J., concurring.). Because no such holding was made below and the State does not suggest that this narrow exception would apply in this case, the trial court’s conclusion that the evidence was insufficient to support a conviction on either of the armed robbery counts of the indictment renders its decision with respect to those counts final, as Jefferson may not be retried on those counts. Further, we note that the Court of Appeals’ reliance on Ware v. State, 282 Ga. 676 (653 SE2d 21) (2007), for the proposition that the trial court’s order was not final was misplaced. Ware did not address whether a defendant may bring a direct appeal when a new trial is granted in part on insufficiency of evidence grounds. Rather, the State appealed from an order granting the defendant a new trial on all counts on ineffective assistance of counsel grounds. We held that former OCGA § 5-7-2, governing appeals by the State, did not permit a direct appeal from a judgment granting a motion for a new trial because the judgment was not final and “OCGA § 5-7-2 plainly requires a certificate of immediate review in any criminal case where the State appeals from a non-final order, decision, or judgment, except for those cases which involve a motion for suppression of evidence.” Ware, 282 Ga. at 677.[2] Finally, although we do not reach Jefferson’s alternative argument that an appellate court may retain jurisdiction of an appeal even when viable counts of an indictment remain pending in the trial court, we note that the case law upon which Jefferson relies did not clearly present such a situation but, rather, appears to have presented the situation in the instant case.[3] Judgment vacated and case remanded. All the Justices concur.

 
Reprints & Licensing
Mentioned in a Law.com story?

License our industry-leading legal content to extend your thought leadership and build your brand.

More From ALM

With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas.
View Now
Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys. Each attorney is granted unlimited access to high quality, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry along with administrative access to easily manage CLE for the entire team.
View Now
Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options! Our Compliance bundles are curated by CLE Counselors and include current legal topics and challenges within the industry. Our second option allows you to build your bundle and strategically select the content that pertains to your needs. Both options are priced the same.
View Now
June 20, 2024
Atlanta, GA

The Daily Report is honoring those attorneys and judges who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession.


Learn More
April 25, 2024
Dubai

Law firms & in-house legal departments with a presence in the middle east celebrate outstanding achievement within the profession.


Learn More
April 29, 2024 - May 01, 2024
Aurora, CO

The premier educational and networking event for employee benefits brokers and agents.


Learn More

A large and well-established Tampa company is seeking a contracts administrator to support the company's in-house attorney and manage a wide...


Apply Now ›

We are seeking an attorney to join our commercial finance practice in either our Stamford, Hartford or New Haven offices. Candidates should ...


Apply Now ›

We are seeking an attorney to join our corporate and transactional practice. Candidates should have a minimum of 8 years of general corporat...


Apply Now ›
04/15/2024
Connecticut Law Tribune

MELICK & PORTER, LLP PROMOTES CONNECTICUT PARTNERS HOLLY ROGERS, STEVEN BANKS, and ALEXANDER AHRENS


View Announcement ›
04/11/2024
New Jersey Law Journal

Professional Announcement


View Announcement ›
04/08/2024
Daily Report

Daily Report 1/2 Page Professional Announcement 60 Days


View Announcement ›