State v. Allenbaugh, Unpublished Decision (12-6-2006)

2006 Ohio 6386
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 6, 2006
DocketNos. 06COA004, 06COA005.
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2006 Ohio 6386 (State v. Allenbaugh, Unpublished Decision (12-6-2006)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law.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
State v. Allenbaugh, Unpublished Decision (12-6-2006), 2006 Ohio 6386 (Ohio Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION {¶ 1} On June 24, 2003, the Ashland County Grand Jury indicted appellant, David Allenbaugh, on four counts of rape in violation of R.C.2907.02 and four counts of sexual battery in violation of R.C. 2907.03 (Case No. 03CRI072). Said charges arose from incidents involving appellant's stepdaughter.

{¶ 2} On June 8, 2004, the trial court ordered appellant to post a personal recognizance bond and a $10,000.00 bail bond. Appellant posted the bonds and was released from jail pending trial. Appellant failed to appear for a September 20, 2004 pretrial. As a result, a bench warrant was issued. On October 26, 2004, the Ashland County Grand Jury indicted appellant for failure to appear in violation of R.C. 2937.99 (Case No. 04CRI092).

{¶ 3} On November 7, 2005, appellant pled guilty to one count of attempted rape in Case No. 03CRI072 and the failure to appear charge in Case No. 04CRI092. The remaining charges were dismissed. A sexual predator hearing was held on January 17, 2006. By judgment entries filed January 18, 2006, the trial court sentenced appellant to eight years on the attempted rape count and eighteen months on the failure to appear count, to be served consecutively, and classified appellant as a sexual predator.

{¶ 4} Appellant filed an appeal in each case and this matter is now before this court for consideration. Assignments of error are as follows:

I
{¶ 5} "THE SENTENCES IN THESE CASES ARE BASED ON UNCONSTITUTIONAL STATUES AND THE CASES MUST BE REMANDED FOR RE-SENTENCING."

II
{¶ 6} "THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FINDING THAT A MANDATORY PRISON TERM WAS REQUIRED FOR THE CRIME OF ATTEMPTED RAPE, AND IN NOT FULLY ADVISING MR. ALLENBAUGH OF THIS PENALTY."

III
{¶ 7} "THE SEXUAL PREDATOR FINDING IS CONTRARY TO LAW DUE TO THE SENTENCING COURT'S NONCOMPLIANCE WITH THE STATUTES, AND THE FINDING WAS ALSO NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE FACTS."

IV
{¶ 8} "THE SENTENCING JUDGE IMPOSED A CONSECUTIVE SENTENCE IN THIS CASE WHICH EXCEEDS THE MAXIMUM PRISON TERM ALLOWED BY 2929.14(A) FOR THE MOST SERIOUS OFFENSE OF WHICH HE WAS CONVICTED."

V
{¶ 9} "THE LOWER COURT COMMITTED PLAIN ERROR BY ACCEPTING A GUILTY PLEA FOR THE CRIME OF FAILURE TO APPEAR WHEN THE DEFENDANT WAS NOT RELEASED ON HIS OWN RECOGNIZANCE."

VI

{¶ 10} "MR. ALLENBAUGH SUFFERED INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL IN CASE NO. 04-CRI-092, IN VIOLATION OF HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, WHEN HIS COUNSEL ALLOWED HIM TO PLEAD GUILTY TO AN OFFENSE WHICH WAS NOT A CRIME; AND MR. ALLENBAUGH COULD NOT HAVE KNOWINGLY PLED GUILTY PURSUANT TO CRIM.R. 11 BECAUSE HIS ATTORNEY DID NOT ADVISE HIM THAT HIS ACT WAS NOT A CRIME."

VII
{¶ 11} "THE SENTENCING JUDGE COMMITTED PLAIN ERROR IN CASE NO. 04-CRI-092 BY SENTENCING THE APPELLANT TO PRISON FOR A FOURTH DEGREE FELONY."

VIII

{¶ 12} "THE COURT COMMITTED PLAIN ERROR BY SENTENCING MR. ALLENBAUGH TO MORE THAN MINIMUM PRISON TERMS."

I, IV, VII, VIII
{¶ 13} Appellant claims the trial court erred in sentencing him. We agree.

{¶ 14} Specifically, appellant argues the trial court sentenced him under unconstitutional statutes based upon the Supreme Court of Ohio's opinion in State v. Foster, 109 Ohio St.3d 1, 2006-Ohio-856, wherein theFoster court held R.C. 2929.14(B) and (C), R.C. 2929.19(B)(2), R.C.2929.14(E)(4) and R.C. 2929.41(A), requiring "judicial factfinding before imposition of a sentence greater than the maximum term authorized by a jury verdict or admission of the defendant" and/or consecutive sentences, are unconstitutional. Id. at ¶ 83. The Foster court severed the statutes, and concluded "* * * trial courts have full discretion to impose a prison sentence within the statutory range and are no longer required to make findings or give their reasons for imposing maximum, consecutive, or more than the minimum sentences." Id. at ¶ 100.

{¶ 15} In addition, the state concedes this issue in its brief at 2, 6 and 8-9.

{¶ 16} In accordance with the directives of the Foster court, we grant the assignments of error and vacate the sentence herein. The matter is remanded to the trial court for resentencing pursuant toFoster.

II
{¶ 17} Appellant claims the trial court erred in finding a mandatory sentence was required for the attempted rape count. We agree.

{¶ 18} Upon review, we find there is nothing in the record to support a mandatory sentence for the attempted rape count under R.C.2929.13(F)(2) and R.C. 2907.02(B).

{¶ 19} Assignment of Error II is granted.

III
{¶ 20} Appellant claims the trial court erred in classifying him as a sexual predator. Specifically, appellant claims the trial court failed to comply with R.C. 2950.09(B)(4), failed to make a determination on appellant's status as a habitual sex offender and the classification was inconsistent with the "clear and convincing evidence" standard of R.C.2950.09(B)(3). We agree in part.

{¶ 21} In State v. Cook (1998), 83 Ohio St.3d 404, the Supreme Court of Ohio determined R.C. Chapter 2950 is remedial in nature and not punitive. As such, we will review this assignment of error under the standard of review contained in C.E. Morris Co. v. FoleyConstruction (1978), 54 Ohio St.2d 279. We find this to be the applicable standard as the Cook court addressed a similar challenge under a manifest weight standard of review. See, Cook at 426.

{¶ 22} R.C. 2950.01(E) defines a "sexual predator" as "a person who has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to committing a sexually oriented offense and is likely to engage in the future in one or more sexually oriented offenses." R.C. 2950.09(B)(3) sets forth the relevant factors a trial court is to consider in making its determination:

{¶ 23} "(3) In making a determination under divisions (B)(1) and (4) of this section as to whether an offender is a sexual predator, the judge shall consider all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

{¶ 24} "(a) The offender's or delinquent child's age;

{¶ 25} "(b) The offender's or delinquent child's prior criminal or delinquency record regarding all offenses, including, but not limited to, all sexual offenses;

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Related

State v. Tucker, Unpublished Decision (9-15-2005)
2005 Ohio 4959 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2005)
State v. Craig, Unpublished Decision (1-10-2005)
2005 Ohio 81 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2005)
C. E. Morris Co. v. Foley Construction Co.
376 N.E.2d 578 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1978)
State v. Cook
700 N.E.2d 570 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1998)
State v. Foster
845 N.E.2d 470 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2006)

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Bluebook (online)
2006 Ohio 6386, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-allenbaugh-unpublished-decision-12-6-2006-ohioctapp-2006.