Willie Clarence Lee, Jr. v. State

Court of Appeals
of the State of Georgia

ATLANTA,____________________
April 23, 2026

The Court of Appeals hereby passes the following order:

A26A1648. WILLIE CLARENCE LEE, JR. v. THE STATE.

In 2014, a jury convicted Willie Clarence Lee, Jr., of two counts of rape, two counts of
statutory rape, and four counts of child molestation. This Court affirmed his conviction in an
unpublished opinion. See Lee v. State, Case No. A18A1940 (Jan. 17, 2019). In November 2025, Lee
filed a motion to vacate, set aside, or reverse judgment. On December 4, 2025, the trial court
dismissed the motion without prejudice and on January 7, 2026, Lee filed a notice of appeal. We lack
jurisdiction.
Pretermitting the substantive issues raised by this appeal, a notice of appeal must be filed
within 30 days of entry of the judgment or trial court order sought to be appealed. OCGA §
5-6-38(a). The proper and timely filing of a notice of appeal is an absolute requirement to confer
jurisdiction on this Court. Ebeling v. State, 355 Ga. App. 469, 469 (844 SE2d 518) (2020). Because
Lee’s notice of appeal was filed 34 days after entry of the trial court’s order, it is untimely.
Accordingly, this appeal is hereby DISMISSED.

Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia
Clerk’s Office, Atlanta,____________________
04/23/2026
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.