Pope v. State

Summary

The Supreme Court of Georgia held that Pope's life‑without‑parole sentence was void because the sentencing court failed to make a contemporaneous finding of a statutory aggravating circumstance required by former OCGA § 17‑10‑32.1, and ordered the lower court to vacate that sentence and reconsider his motions to withdraw his Alford plea and to obtain appointed counsel, noting that vacating the sentence does not automatically permit withdrawal of the plea on the remaining counts.