Risner v. Ohio Dep't of Natural Res.

98 N.E.3d 1104, 2017 Ohio 7988
CourtCourt of Appeals of Ohio, Sixth District, Huron County
DecidedSeptember 29, 2017
DocketNo. H–16–031
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 98 N.E.3d 1104 (Risner v. Ohio Dep't of Natural Res.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Ohio, Sixth District, Huron County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Risner v. Ohio Dep't of Natural Res., 98 N.E.3d 1104, 2017 Ohio 7988 (Ohio Super. Ct. 2017).

Opinion

SINGER, J.

{¶ 1} Appellant, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, appeals the October 20, 2016 judgment of the Huron County Court of Common Pleas granting summary judgment in favor of appellee, Arlie Risner. We affirm, in part, and reverse, in part.

Assignments of Error

{¶ 2} Appellant sets forth the following assignments of error:

1. THE TRIAL COURT'S DECISION PRESUMES THE RETURN OF THE DEER MEAT AND ANTLERS TO ODNR ALREADY EFFECTUATED RESTITUTION TO THE STATE, BUT THE RETURN OF THE ANIMAL PARTS AFTER THE CRIMINAL CASE DOES NOT AMOUNT TO A PUNISHMENT.
2. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FINDING THAT A CIVIL RESTITUTION CLAIM AND LICENSE REVOCATION ISSUED BY ODNR PURSUANT TO R.C. 1531.201 VIOLATES THE DOUBLE JEOPARDY CLAUSE.
3. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FINDING THAT R.C. 1513.201 VIOLATES DUE (sic) BY FAILING TO PROVIDE NOTICE AND OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.
4. TO THE EXTENT THE TRIAL COURT'S DECISION APPROVED MR. RISNER'S EQUAL PROTECTION ARGUMENT, THE COURT ERRED IN FINDING R.C. 1531.201 UNCONSTITUTIONAL ON THAT BASIS.

Facts

{¶ 3} On February 23, 2011, appellee was convicted in the Norwalk Municipal Court ("municipal court"), following a no contest plea, of hunting and taking an antlered white-tailed deer on private property without permission in violation of R.C. 1533.17, a misdemeanor of the third degree. Appellee was "sentenced to a fine of $200.00, restitution of $90.00, and court costs of $55.00." The judgment entry also notified appellee that his hunting license would be "suspended from February 23, 2011, to February 23, 2012[,]" and that he "shall pay fine and costs within 60 days."

{¶ 4} On April 7, 2011, appellant (or "ODNR") through acting chief, Vicki Mountz, sent a letter informing appellee that because he pled guilty to violating R.C. 1533.17, and because the deer taken had a "gross antler score of 228 6/8 inches[,]" "[t]he Revised Code and Administrative Code place[d] a restitution value on the [deer] at $27,851.33." The letter also informed appellee that pursuant to R.C. 1531.201(D), he would not be afforded an administrative hearing under R.C. 119.06.

{¶ 5} Until appellee paid the $27,851.33 restitution value, his hunting license was to stay suspended, even beyond February 23, 2012. After this date, appellee sought to *1107reinstate his license to no avail. The record reveals appellant stated appellee must pay the restitution first.

{¶ 6} Appellee filed a complaint for declaratory judgment in the Huron County Court of Common Pleas ("trial court"), in which he attacked the additional restitution imposed in an effort to regain his hunting license. He argued that R.C. 1531.201 was unconstitutional on its face and as applied because "it denies Plaintiffs their particular rights secured by the United States and Ohio Constitutions including but not limited to Plaintiffs' right to * * * due process of law[.]" Appellee also asserted that the deer and antlers were repossessed by appellant and, therefore, any further attempts to seek additional restitution for the deer should have been precluded under the plain language of R.C. 1531.201.

{¶ 7} Based on this restitution preclusion argument, the trial court granted appellee summary judgment on April 9, 2013. The trial court found it unnecessary to consider the constitutional arguments asserted by appellee because the matter was decided on statutory interpretation grounds. Appellee's license was ordered to be reinstated, and appellant subsequently appealed the judgment.

{¶ 8} We reversed the judgment on appeal, holding that the plain language of R.C. 1531.201 allowed repossession of the deer and antlers in addition to the restitution value. See Risner v. Ohio Dept. of Natural Res. , 2013-Ohio-5902, 8 N.E.3d 330 (6th Dist.), aff'd , 144 Ohio St.3d 278, 2015-Ohio-3731, 42 N.E.3d 718. We further remanded the case to the trial court to address the unresolved constitutional issues presented below. The Supreme Court of Ohio affirmed our judgment. Id. at ¶ 2.

{¶ 9} The Risner majority held as follows:

For the reasons that follow, R.C. 1531.201 is unambiguous and clearly expresses the intent of the legislature. Therefore, we hold that R.C. 1531.201(C) mandates that ODNR recover the civil restitution value of an antlered white-tailed deer with a gross score of more than 125 inches from an offender who has been convicted of a violation of R.C. Chapter 1531 or 1533 or division rule. We further hold that R.C. 1531.201(B) permits ODNR to file a civil action to recover the civil restitution value even though it had seized the deer meat and antlers as evidence in the criminal investigation and was awarded possession of those items as a result of a conviction for a violation of R.C. Chapter 1531 or 1533 or division rule. We affirm the judgment of the court of appeals.

See id.

{¶ 10} On remand to the trial court, the parties were given an opportunity to reargue the constitutional issues and, after allowing briefing on the matter, the trial court held that R.C. 1531.201 was unconstitutional both on its face and as applied to appellee. The trial court then ordered appellee's hunting license to be reinstated. The judgment was journalized on October 20, 2016, and appellant now timely appeals.

Standard of Review

{¶ 11} When reviewing a trial court's summary judgment decision, the appellate court conducts a de novo review. Grafton v. Ohio Edison Co. , 77 Ohio St.3d 102, 105, 671 N.E.2d 241 (1996). Summary judgment will be granted when there remains no genuine issue of material fact and, when construing the evidence most strongly in favor of the non-moving party, reasonable minds can only conclude that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Civ.R. 56(C). Accord *1108Lopez v. Home Depot, USA, Inc. , 6th Dist. Lucas No. L-02-1248, 2003-Ohio-2132, 2003 WL 1962360, ¶ 7. When a properly supported motion for summary judgment is made, an adverse party may not rest on mere allegations or denials in the pleading, but must respond with specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue of material fact. Civ.R. 56(E) ; Riley v. Montgomery ,

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Toledo v. Whiting
2019 Ohio 56 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2019)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
98 N.E.3d 1104, 2017 Ohio 7988, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/risner-v-ohio-dept-of-natural-res-ohctapp6huron-2017.