City of Euclid v. Moore, Unpublished Decision (12-9-1999)

Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided December 9, 1999·No. No. 75143.·Unpublished

Opinions

OPINION
Defendant Kathy Moore appeals from her convictions for disrupting school activities and criminal trespass. For the reasons set forth below, we reverse defendant's conviction for disrupting school activities, and affirm her conviction for criminal trespass.

On April 23, 1998, defendant was issued citations for disrupting school activities and trespass, in violation of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Euclid, in connection with an incident during which she brought her son to Glenbrook Elementary School. Defendant pleaded not guilty and the matter proceeded to a jury trial on July 6, 1998.

The city prosecutor presented the testimony of Nancy Smialek, John Coppenhager, Joseph Madachy, and Richard Shisila.

Nancy Smialek testified that she is a first grade teacher at Glenbrook Elementary and that defendant's son, Bradley, was a student in her 1997-1998 class. Ms. Smialek testified that Bradley was frequently tardy to school and that on these occasions, defendant generally walked Bradley into the classroom and got him seated. On these occasions, defendant sometimes spoke to Smialek even though class had already begun. Smialek stated that it was not fair to stop the lesson in order to respond, so she "would just keep going." On some occasions, defendant spoke to some of the children in the class.

Smialek spoke to the principal, Mr. Shisila, about the matter and complained that defendant's frequent visits were disruptive. They informed defendant that if she wished to observe the class, she would have to prearrange it with the school office. She was sent a letter which reiterated these instructions.

Ms. Smialek further testified that parents are welcome to walk their children into the building before the start of school. After 8:30 a.m., parents must report to the office to register children who are tardy. Parents are considered visitors at this point and must obtain a visitor's pass.

On March 24, 1998, defendant brought Bradley into his classroom after 8:30 a.m. She did not register with the office and did not obtain a visitor's pass. Defendant hung Bradley's coat in the closet and got his things out of his school bag. Smialek testified that she believes that defendant spoke to her but she could not recall what, if anything, defendant said. Smialek did not stop the lesson, and "kept going, * * * kept teaching." After a few minutes, defendant then left the classroom on her own and was not asked to leave.

John Coppenhager testified that in 1998 he was the assistant Director of Security for Euclid Schools. In March 1998, he received three reports that defendant was disruptive. He met with defendant on March 18, 1998, and informed her of the school's policy regarding visitation and reporting her presence with the school office. At this time, she was given a letter which stated in relevant part as follows:

As a courtesy, visitations and observations should be arranged 24 hours in advance. During all future visits/observations to any classroom at Euclid City Schools, Glenbrook included, parents must adhere to the following procedures. All visitors or observers will:

* Sign in at the Main Office and will receive a yellow, visitor's badge

* Refrain from speaking to students and staff during observations

* Talk to their child in the hallways if needed

* Be escorted off school property by a Euclid City Schools Administrator, Security, or the Euclid Police if not in compliance with the outlined procedures.

Euclid Police Officer Joseph Madachy testified that he has responded to reports of defendant causing disturbances at the school. During one such response, he outlined the instructions as stated in the letter, and advised defendant that if she did not adhere to the school policies, she could receive a criminal citation.

Richard Shisila testified that there are notices on the doors of the building which indicate that visitors must report to the office. By January 1998, visitors were given passes. Tardy children must be signed in at the main desk or at the clinic.

Mr. Shisila testified that prior to March 24, 1998, he repeatedly asked defendant to sign in and to have Bradley walk to his class alone so that the class would not be disturbed. On one instance, defendant stated that she was not a visitor but was merely accompanying her son to his class. Shisila reiterated that the policy of signing in applies in these instances. Following subsequent violations of the policy, Shisila began to report the matter to security.

Finally, Shisila testified that on March 24, 1998, defendant signed Bradley in at the clinic before walking him into his classroom, but, he stated, she did not have permission to take her son directly to his classroom and did not obtain a visitor's pass.

Defendant elected not to present evidence. She was subsequently convicted of both charges and sentenced to ten days incarceration (suspended), one year active probation, and ordered to attend parenting classes. Defendant now appeals and assigns three errors for our review. For the sake of clarity we shall address the errors our of their predesignated order.

Defendant's third assignment of error states:

SECTION 537.24 (a) OF THE EUCLID CODIFIED ORDINANCES IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL AS VOID FOR VAGUENESS.

Herein, defendant asserts that Section 537.24 (a) of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Euclid does not contain ascertainable standards of guilt.

The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution requires the language of a criminal statute to be sufficiently definite "to give a person of ordinary intelligence fair notice that his contemplated conduct is forbidden by the statute." State v. Earlenbaugh (1985), 18 Ohio St.3d 19,21. A statute must be sufficiently clear in defining the activity proscribed so that it informs persons subject to it's provisions what conduct on their part will render them liable to the statute's penalties. Columbus v. Thompson (1971),25 Ohio St.2d 26, 30. "A law which forbids the doing of an act in terms so vague that people of ordinary intelligence must guess at its meaning violates that person's right to due process of the law." Singer v. Cincinnati (1990), 57 Ohio App.3d 1, 3-4.

In Grayned v. Rockford (1972), 408 U.S. 104, 120,92 S.Ct. 2294, 2304, the Supreme Court of the United States recognized that, in order to prevent interference with schools, municipalities may forbid willful activity which disrupts or is about to disrupt normal school activity. The Court stated:

Although the prohibited quantum of disturbance is not specified in the ordinance, it is apparent from the statute's announced purpose that the measure is whether normal school activity has been or is about to be disrupted. We do not have here a vague, general `breach of the peace' ordinance, but a statute written specifically for the school context, where the prohibited disturbances are easily measured by their impact on the normal activities of the school. Given this `particular context,' the ordinance gives `fair notice to those to whom (it) is directed.'

Turning to the law of this state, in State v. Schwing (1975),

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City of Euclid v. Moore, Unpublished Decision (12-9-1999), (Ohio Ct. App. 1999).

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