Abbott v. City of Columbus

289 N.E.2d 589, 32 Ohio Misc. 152, 61 Ohio Op. 2d 268, 1972 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 185
CourtCourt of Common Pleas of Ohio, Franklin County, Civil Division
DecidedMay 19, 1972
DocketNo. 72CV-05-1540
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 289 N.E.2d 589 (Abbott v. City of Columbus) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Common Pleas of Ohio, Franklin County, Civil Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Abbott v. City of Columbus, 289 N.E.2d 589, 32 Ohio Misc. 152, 61 Ohio Op. 2d 268, 1972 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 185 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1972).

Opinion

Wright, J.

Petitioners have invoked this proceeding by way of habeas corpus for the purpose of being granted reasonable bail. All of the petitioners are presently confined to jail in default of bail fixed by the Franklin County Municipal Court. Petitioners, Neiburger, J. Miernik, M. Miernik and Friedman are being held in lieu of $100,000 bond. All of the aforementioned petitioners have been charged with inciting to riot and disorderly conduct. It should be noted that conviction for these offenses could lead to prison sentences in the maximum amount of 90 days on disorderly conduct. Conviction for inciting to riot, depending upon whether there is a later disposition as to treat this matter as a felony or a misdemeanor, and there is a reason to believe the former is the case, could lead to maximum sentences of either not less than one nor more [153]*153than three years in prison or a fine of not more than $1000 and imprisonment for not more than one year.

Petitioner Abbott is charged with second degree riot, disorderly conduct and malicious destruction of property. Conviction on these offenses could lead to maximum sentences of not more than one year in jail, 90 days imprisonment, and not more than 90 days imprisonment. Mr. Dilday has the same bond of $20,000 and is charged with second degree riot and disorderly conduct.

It should be noted that all of the aforementioned offenses are misdemeanors with the exception of the offense of inciting a riot which may be treated as either a misdemeanor or a felony. At this point no final determination has been made as to whether or not the charges of inciting a riot will be treated as felonies or misdemeanors by the offices of the Columbus City Attorney and the Prosecuting Attorney for Franklin County.

It is agreed that petitioners have exhausted their remedies with respect to bail reduction at the level of the Franklin County Municipal Court. Petitioners have applied to this court pursuant to R. C. 2725..02, citing Section 9, Article 1 of the Ohio Constitution which provides in part that “all persons shall be bailable except for capital offenses * * * excessive bail shall not be required. * * *” Petitioners also cite in support of their petition the provisions of the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution which contains similar provisions prohibiting excessive bail.

In construing the provisions as outlined above, our courts have consistently supported the general principle that the amount of bail must be a reasonable amount keeping in mind that the purpose for the requirement of bail is to secure the appearance of the accused at trial. The case law in this area sets out a number of factors for consideration in determining the “reasonableness” of bail in any particular case. These are:

1. The seriousness of the offense and the penalty for conviction for same;

2. the evidence of character and reputation of the accused along with any criminal record if present; and

[154]*1543. most importantly, any evidence bearing on the probability or lack of probability of the accused appearing for trial.

It should be noted that before granting relief on petitions of this nature there must be a clear cut demonstration that the bail set by the trial court was not reasonable and that the criteria outlined above was not applied to the particular fact situation before the trial court. This is not a hearing held de novo. It must clearly appear from the record of the proceeding in the trial court that an abuse of discretion was present in the application of the aforementioned criteria.

Before undertaking an examination of the record, it should be noted that our courts have consistently recognized that punishment should follow conviction and that preventive detention is in no case proper absent an emergency situation involving a clear and present danger to the community. It is incumbent upon this court regardless of its own predilections with respect to the alleged conduct involved to support the constitutional rights of these petitioners, if for no other reason than to encourage respect for and confidence in the judicial system of the citizenry.

Counsel for the petitioners cite the case of State v. Bevacqua, 147 Ohio St. 20, in support of the general proposition that keeping an accused in jail by excessive bail is as much a denial of his constitutional rights as outright refusal to fix same. Bevacgua, supra, stands for the further point that the accused may upon refusal by the trial court to reduce or fix bond, sue out a writ of habeas corpus in a court of competent jurisdiction where bail may be given pending hearing and a final adjudication made as to whether the bail required in the court in which the charge pends, is excessive.. See also Locke v. Jenkins, 20 Ohio St. 2d 45.

The court’s attention has been directed to the case of In re Lonardo, 86 Ohio App. 284 and In re Polizzi, 61 Ohio App. 354. These cases involve the same procedure used in the present case. Aside from these cases, there is a dearth of case- law in our state on the subject at bar. Both Polizzi and Lonardo cite with approval State v. Snow, 340 [155]*155Ill. 464, 173 N. E. 8. The petitioner in this ease was charged with vagrancy. Excerpts from this case follow:

‘ ‘ The maximum penalty upon conviction of that charge was imprisonment at hard labor for six months or a fine of $100. It appeared that the petitioner in that case had a long criminal record. In 1900 he was sentenced to the Pontiac Reformatory for rape and subsequently paroled, in 1904 he was sentenced to the Joliet Penitentiary for robbery, on May 28, 1904, he was taken from the peni tentiary, was tried and convicted of murder and sentenced to be hanged on June 17, 1904, but was reprieved on June 16, and his sentence commuted to life imprisonment. On June 10, 1917, he escaped, but on October 4, 1917, he was returned from his escape. On July 28,1923, he was paroled and was discharged on January 28, 1926. On August 12, 1927, he was sentenced to the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth and fined $1,500 for conspiracy against the laws of the United States. At the time of the vagrancy charge there was also pending against him three indictments for assault with intent to murder, driving while intoxicated and carrying weapons. ’ ’

In reducing the bail on the charge of vagrancy from $50,000 to $5,000, Chief Justice Dunn, speaking for the Supreme Court of Illinois said:

‘ ‘ The constitutional right to be admitted to reasonable bail cannot be disregarded. The judge has no more right to disregard and violate the Constitution than the criminal has to violate the law. It is the duty of courts to support and maintain the Constitution, and if the judges, who have taken an oath to support the Constitution, openly violate it, how can they expect the courts to retain the confidence and respect of the people? A criminal may have forfeited his right to liberty, but neither courts nor any other power have the right to deprive him of it except in accordance with the law of the land. Under the circumstances of this ease, in which the extreme penalty is imprisonment at hard labor for six months or a fine of $100, the action of the court in requiring $50,000 bail was unreasonable and violated the constitutional right of the petitioner to be bailed by sufficient sureties,”

[156]

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Bluebook (online)
289 N.E.2d 589, 32 Ohio Misc. 152, 61 Ohio Op. 2d 268, 1972 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 185, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/abbott-v-city-of-columbus-ohctcomplfrankl-1972.