In Re Holcomb

768 N.E.2d 722, 147 Ohio App. 3d 31
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 4, 2002
DocketNo. 79378.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 768 N.E.2d 722 (In Re Holcomb) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Holcomb, 768 N.E.2d 722, 147 Ohio App. 3d 31 (Ohio Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

*33 Terrence O’Donnell, Judge.

{¶ 1} Timothy Holcomb appeals from a judgment of the juvenile court adjudicating him to be delinquent and committing him to the custody of the Ohio Department of Youth Services. On appeal, Holcomb argues that the court erred in accepting his admissions because it failed to substantially comply with the requirements of Juv.R. 29. After careful review of the record, we have concluded that the court did not substantially comply with Juv.R. 29(D)(1), and, in particular, failed to determine whether Holcomb fully understood the consequences of his admissions. Accordingly, we vacate Holcomb’s admissions, reverse the judgment of the juvenile court, and remand this matter for further proceedings.

{¶ 2} On November 8, 2000, fifteen-year-old Timothy Holcomb and his brother Daniel broke into Emerson Middle School, located at 13439 Clifton Boulevard in Lakewood, Ohio, vandalized school property, including musical instruments and audio-visual equipment, and stole several other items, including watches, keys, and radios.

{¶ 3} On November 12, 2000, Patrolman Morley of the Lakewood Police Department filed a juvenile complaint against Holcomb, charging him with breaking and entering, vandalism, and theft. At a pretrial hearing held on that day, Holcomb denied these charges.

{¶ 4} However, at an adjudicatory hearing conducted on November 27, 2000, Holcomb admitted all three charges. The court accepted his admissions and found him to be delinquent, but continued final disposition for another hearing; during the interim, the court ordered him to home detention with electronic monitoring.

{¶ 5} On February 13, 2002, after discussing a subsequent trespassing charge against Holcomb, the court committed him to the custody of the Ohio Department of Youth Services for a minimum period of six months and a maximum period not to exceed his twenty-first birthday.

{¶ 6} Holcomb now appeals, raising one assignment of error for our review. It states:

{¶ 7} “Timothy Holcomb’s admission to the charges of breaking and entering, vandalism, and theft were not knowing, intelligent, and voluntary, in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, Article I, Section[s] 10 and 16 of the Ohio Constitution, and Juv.R. 29.”

{¶ 8} Holcomb claims that the juvenile court failed to substantially comply with Juv.R. 29 prior to accepting his admissions, urging that the court’s colloquy failed to satisfy every requirement of that rule. Among other faults, he complains that the court did not inform him that it could commit him to the Ohio *34 Department of Youth Services for a minimum term of six months or until his twenty-first birthday. The state contends that the court substantially complied with Juv.R. 29, and “adequately” explained to Holcomb that commitment to the Ohio Department of Youth Services could be a potential consequence of his admissions.

{¶ 9} Juvenile Rule 29(D) provides:

{¶ 10} “The court may refuse to accept an admission and shall not accept an admission without addressing the party personally and determining both of the following:
{¶ 11} “(1) The party is making the admission voluntarily with understanding of the nature of the allegations and the consequences of the admissions;
{¶ 12} “(2) The party understands that by entering an admission the party is waiving the right to challenge the witnesses and evidence against the party, to remain silent, and to introduce evidence at the adjudicatory hearing.
{¶ 18} “In order to satisfy the requirements of this rule, the court must address the youth personally and conduct an on-the-record discussion to determine whether the admission is being entered knowingly and voluntarily.” In re West (1998), 128 Ohio App.3d 356, 359, 714 N.E.2d 988. Although strict compliance with Juv.R. 29(D) is not required, courts must substantially comply with the procedures specified therein. In re Goolsby (Apr. 19, 2001), Cuyahoga App. Nos. 78014 and 78015, 2001 WL 406225, citing In re Terrance P. (1998), 129 Ohio App.3d 418, 425, 717 N.E.2d 1160; In re Taylor (June 8, 2000), Cuyahoga App. No. 76429, 2000 WL 739457.

{¶ 14} As the court stated in In re Royal (1999), 132 Ohio App.3d 496, 725 N.E.2d 685:

{¶ 15} “The best method for obtaining compliance with Juv.R. 29(D) is for a court to use the language of the rule, ‘ * * * carefully tailored to the child’s level of understanding, stopping after each right and asking whether the child understands the right and knows that he is waiving it by entering an admission.’ In re Miller, 119 Ohio App.3d at 58 [694 N.E.2d 500], citing State v. Ballard (1981), 66 Ohio St.2d 473 [20 O.O.3d 397], 423 N.E.2d 115. If the juvenile court fails to substantially comply mth Juv.R. 29(D), the adjudication must be reversed so that the minor ‘ * * * may plead anew. In re Christopher R. [ (1995) ], 101 Ohio App.3d [245] at 248 [655 N.E.2d 280], quoting In re Meyer (Jan. 15, 1992), Hamilton App. Nos. C-910292, C-910404, unreported [1992 WL 5843].” (Emphasis added.)

{¶ 16} Holcomb first argues that the juvenile court failed to personally address him because it intermingled the acceptance of his plea with that of his *35 brother, Daniel. To support this argument, Holcomb cites In re Miller (1997), 119 Ohio App.3d 52, 694 N.E.2d 500. In that case, the Clark County Juvenile Court addressed a group of juveniles collectively before addressing Miller; then, the court merely asked Miller whether he heard and understood what it had previously said to the other juveniles. The Second Appellate District concluded that this did not satisfy Juv.R. 29(D)(l)’s requirement that the court address each party personally.

{¶ 17} However, the facts of Miller are distinguishable from those of this case. Here, unlike Miller, the court individually addressed each of the two brothers after each major component of its Juv.R. 29(D) colloquy.

{¶ 18} Holcomb also claims that the trial court failed to determine whether he made his admissions voluntarily. However, at Tr. 5, the following exchange took place between the juvenile court and Holcomb:

{¶ 19} “THE COURT: All right. Either of you under the influence of any alcohol or drugs that would cloud your judgment in this matter? Timothy?
{¶ 20} “TIMOTHY HOLCOMB: No, sir.

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Bluebook (online)
768 N.E.2d 722, 147 Ohio App. 3d 31, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-holcomb-ohioctapp-2002.