Dayton City v. Allen

200 N.E.2d 356, 94 Ohio Law. Abs. 129, 27 Ohio Op. 2d 179, 1959 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 244
CourtMontgomery County Court of Common Pleas
DecidedMay 19, 1959
DocketNo. 114781
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 200 N.E.2d 356 (Dayton City v. Allen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dayton City v. Allen, 200 N.E.2d 356, 94 Ohio Law. Abs. 129, 27 Ohio Op. 2d 179, 1959 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 244 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1959).

Opinion

Martin, J.

This case comes before the Court on the appeal of the defendant-appellant from the verdict of the jury in the Municipal Court of Dayton, Ohio, finding him guilty of driving while intoxicated, and from the judgment entered on the verdict.

Appellant claims the Court erred, first, in refusing a request that the jury be polled; second, in failing to instruct the jury upon two included lesser offenses, to-wit, physical control of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, and improper operation of a motor vehicle; third, in permitting the Prosecuting Attorney to make reference during the trial of the case and in argument to the drunkometer, its performance and [131]*131the failure aud refusal of defendant to take a drunkometer test, and in not removing such remarks from the consideration of the jury; and fourth, in the admission of evidence concerning a drunkometer.

With relation to appellant’s first specification of error, to-wit, the Court’s refusal to poll the jury as requested by counsel for defendant, we note the following from the bill of exceptions and transcript of the proceedings from the time the jury returned to the Courtroom:

“4:50 P. M. (Jury returns to Courtroom)
“THE COURT: (To the Jury) Have you arrived at a verdict?
“JUROR No. 6 (foreman) We have, your Honor. (Verdict handed to Mr. Prank Neutbenholzer, who reads as follows:)
“The City of Dayton, Ohio, v. Jay W. Allen, Case No. B-166613. November 5, 1958
“VERDICT: We, the Jury in this case, being duly impaneled and sworn, do find the defendant GUILTY.
(Signed) Oliver Taulbee, Foreman
(Signed) 2 Florence M. Herolzer
3 Gloria Cave
4 Barbara Stoeckel
5 Beatrice H. Peck
6 Marvin L. Poindexter
7 James P. Roberts
8 Jack L. Schoner
9 James M. Ruel
10 Leroy Newman
11 Amy E. Dillard
12 Raymond W. Ran”
“MR. EIKENBARY: (To the Court) Could we ask that the jury be polled, your Honor?
“THE COURT: No. They have all signed here. (Indicating the twelve signatures on the verdinct form)
‘ ‘ MR. EIKENBARY: I would like the customary time for a motion.
“THE COURT: You may file your motion by Monday, November 10th, 1958.
“MR. EIKENBARY: Could we have a little longer? I have another case in Court and would like it a little later.
[132]*132“THE COURT: All right. November 14th, 1958.”

There is no other reference to the polling of the jury in the bill of exceptions and transcript of the testimony and proceedings, prior to the discharge of the jury.

The above-quoted portion of the transcript of the proceedings indicates that the Clerk receiving and reading the verdict did not, after he read the verdict, put, or have the opportunity to put the usual and customary question to the jury, “Is this your verdict? So say you all?” He may have been prevented from doing so by Mr. Eikenbary’s interjection of the question, “Could we ask that the jury be polled, your Honor?” The Court’s statement in response to the question of counsel for the defendant, “No, they have all signed here.”, accompanied by some gesture referring to the location on the verdict form of the twelve signatures, fails to indicate that the Court made any inquiry of the jury as to whether or not they all assented to the verdict.

From the foregoing, it appears that the jury were never individually, or as a group questioned by the Court or the Clerk, as to whether or not the verdict was their verdict before their discharge, and were not afforded an opportunity in open Court to indicate their assent to or dissent from the verdict.

Under such circumstances, was the defendant deprived of a fundamental right to have determined in open court, before the verdict was finally accepted and the jury discharged, whether or not the verdict at that time was the verdict of each and every member of the jury of twelve?

Under the provisions of Section 1901.21, Revised Code of the Uniform Municipal Court Act of Ohio, the practice, procedure, the mode of bringing and conducting prosecutions for offenses in criminal cases in the Municipal Court of Dayton, and the power of the Court in relation thereto, are controlled by paragraph (A) of said Section, which provides:

“In a criminal case or proceeding, the practice, procedure, and mode of bringing and conducting prosecutions for offenses, and the power of the court in relation thereto, are the same as those which are conferred upon police courts in municipal corporations. If no practice or procedure is provided for police courts, then the practice or procedure of mayors’ courts shall apply. If no practice or procedure is provided for police [133]*133courts or mayors’ courts, then tbe practice or procedure of justice of the peace courts shall apply. * * *”

No provisions can be found in the Police Court Acts governing the practice and procedure in receiving verdicts. However, Section 1905.05, Revised Code, in the chapter dealing with mayors’ courts, provides:

“If the charge against an accused is the violation of a city ordinance in a matter with respect to which imprisonment may be a part of the punishment, and the accused does not waive a jury, the mayor of such city shall impanel a jury, and try the case on the affidavit, in the same manner, and with the same effect, as misdemeanors are tried in the Court of Common Pleas on indictment.”

Consequently, the Revised Code provisions applicable to Common Pleas Courts, and the construction given such sections, are binding on the Municipal Court of Dayton in cases involving prosecution of misdemeanors punishable by imprisonment, as is the Municipal Court in the case under consideration.

Section 2945.77, Revised Code, a part of our present Code of Criminal Procedure, governing the procedure of polling a jury in both felony and misdemeanor cases, and applicable to the instant case, reads as follows:

“Polling Jury.
“When jurors agree upon their verdict, they must be conducted into court by the officer having them in charge.
“When the verdict is accepted the jury may be polled at the request of either the prosecuting attorney or the defendant. If one of the jurors upon being polled declares that said verdict is not his verdict, the jury must further deliberate upon the case. ’ ’

The question raised by the language, “the jury may be polled at the request of either the prosecuting attorney or the defendant,” is whether or not it was mandatory upon the court or the clerk to poll the jury individually when requested to do so by counsel for the defendant.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
200 N.E.2d 356, 94 Ohio Law. Abs. 129, 27 Ohio Op. 2d 179, 1959 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 244, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dayton-city-v-allen-ohctcomplmontgo-1959.