State v. Arnwine

2022 Ohio 3186
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 12, 2022
Docket16-21-04
StatusPublished

This text of 2022 Ohio 3186 (State v. Arnwine) 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. Arnwine, 2022 Ohio 3186 (Ohio Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Arnwine, 2022-Ohio-3186.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT WYANDOT COUNTY

STATE OF OHIO, CASE NO. 16-21-04 PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE,

v.

CHERIA J. ARNWINE, OPINION

DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.

Appeal from Wyandot County Common Pleas Court Trial Court No. 20-CR-0125

Judgment Affirmed

Date of Decision: September 12, 2022

APPEARANCES:

Erin M. Branham for Appellant

Douglas D. Rowland for Appellee Case No. 16-21-04

WILLAMOWSKI, J.

{¶1} Defendant-appellant Cheria J. Arnwine (“Arnwine”) brings this appeal

from the judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Wyandot County accepting her

guilty pleas to Aggravated Vehicular Assault, Improperly Handling a Firearm in a

Motor Vehicle and Operating a Vehicle While Under the Influence of Alcohol, and

sentencing her for those convictions. On appeal, Arnwine claims that 1) the trial

court failed to comply with Criminal Rule 11; 2) the trial court erred accepting the

guilty plea when Arnwine lacked the requisite mens rea for the improper handling

of a firearm in a motor vehicle charge; and 3) the trial court should have permitted

Arnwine to withdraw her guilty plea. For the reasons set forth below, the judgment

is affirmed.

{¶2} On October 24, 2021, Arnwine was involved in a traffic accident. She

was eventually placed in the patrol car, where the officer noticed the odor of an

alcoholic beverage on her person. The officer then conducted field-sobriety tests

on Arnwine. Additionally, a search of her vehicle produced a firearm secured in a

lockbox and inside a duffel bag. On November 18, 2020, the Wyandot County

Grand Jury indicted Arnwine on five counts: 1) Aggravated Vehicular Assault in

violation of R.C. 2903.08(A)(1)(a), a felony of the third degree; 2) Aggravated

Vehicular Assault in violation of R.C. 2903.08(A)(1)(a), a felony of the third

degree; 3) Improper Handling Firearms in a Motor Vehicle in violation of R.C.

2923.16(B), a felony of the fourth degree; 4) Improper Handling Firearms in a

-2- Case No. 16-21-04

Motor Vehicle in violation of R.C. 2923.16(D)(1), a felony of the fifth degree; and

5) Operating a Vehicle While Under the Influence of Alcohol and/or Drug of Abuse

in violation of R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(a), a misdemeanor of the first degree. Doc. 1.

On July 13, 2021, Arnwine entered pleas of guilty to Count One, Aggravated

Vehicular Assault, Count Four, Improper Handling Firearms in a Motor Vehicle,

and Count Five, Operating a Vehicle While Under the Influence of Alcohol and/or

Drug of Abuse, a misdemeanor of the first degree. Doc. 30. In exchange for the

guilty pleas, the State agreed to dismiss Counts Two and Three. Doc. 30.

{¶3} A change of plea hearing was held on July 13, 2021. Doc. 31.

Following the Criminal Rule 11 dialogue, the trial court accepted Arnwine’s guilty

pleas and, after a presentation of facts by the State found Arnwine guilty of Counts

One, Four, and Five, and dismissed Counts Two and Three. July 13, 2021 Tr. 17.

The trial court then found Arnwine guilty of Counts One, Four, and Five. Doc. 31

at 5.

{¶4} The sentencing hearing was held on September 22, 2021. Doc. 34. The

judgment entry noted that Counts Two and Three were previously dismissed. Doc.

34 at 2. The trial court sentenced Arnwine to 36 months in prison as to Count One,

11 months in prison as to Count Four, and 160 days in the Wyandot County Jail as

to Count Five, with the sentences to be served concurrently. Doc. 34 at 5. Arnwine

filed a notice of appeal. On January 7, 2022, Arnwine filed a motion to withdraw

her plea. Doc. 46. The trial court overruled the motion on March 15, 2022. Doc.

-3- Case No. 16-21-04

54. On March 29, 2022, Arnwine filed a motion to amend her notice of appeal to

include the judgment on her motion to withdraw her plea. This Court granted that

motion on April 6, 2022. On appeal, Arnwine raises the following assignments of

error.

First Assignment of Error

The trial court erred when it accepted [Arnwine’s] guilty plea after failing to notify [Arnwine] of the maximum penalties and ineligibility for probation during the Crim.R. 11 plea colloquy.

Second Assignment of Error

The trial court erred in accepting [Arnwine’s] plea agreement where she lacked the requisite mens rea for the for improper handling charge.

Third Assignment of Error

The trial court erred in denying [Arnwine’s] motion to withdraw [her] plea where [Arnwine] was denied her rights to the effective assistance of counsel and due process as guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments.

Acceptance of Plea

{¶5} In her first assignment of error, Arnwine alleges that the trial court

failed to inform her of the maximum penalties and her ineligibility for probation

before accepting her guilty plea.

In felony cases the court may refuse to accept a plea of guilty or a plea of no contest, and shall not accept a plea of guilty or no contests without first addressing the defendant personally and doing all of the following:

-4- Case No. 16-21-04

(a) Determining that the defendant is making the plea voluntarily with understanding of the nature of the charges and of the maximum penalty involved, and, if applicable, that the defendant is not eligible for probation or for the imposition of community control sanctions.

(b) Informing the defendant of and determining that the defendant understands the effect of the plea of guilty or no contest, and that the court, upon acceptance of the plea, may proceed with judgment and sentence.

(c) Informing the defendant and determining that the defendant understands that by the plea the defendant is waiving the rights to jury trial, to confront witnesses against him or her, to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in the defendant’s favor, and to require the state to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at a trial at which the defendant cannot be compelled to testify against himself or herself.

Crim.R. 11(C)(2).

{¶6} A review of the record in this case shows the following dialogue

occurred between the trial court and Arnwine prior to her entering her guilty plea.

The Court: * * * you understand for the felony of the third degree there is a mandatory prison sentence –

The Defendant: Yes, ma’am.

The Court: -- of 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, or 60 months?

The Court: And there is a fine of up to $10,000?

The Court: The Court would also be required to suspend your operator’s license, uh, from two to ten years.

-5- Case No. 16-21-04

The Court: And that six points would be assessed on your driving record.

The Court: Do you understand the penalty for the improper handling of the firearm?

The Court: That would be a maximum of 12 months in prison and a maximum $2,500 fine.

The Court: And as to the misdemeanor of the first degree, the DUI, that would be a $1,000 fine maximum and 180 days in jail.

The Court: You understand?

The Defendant: Yes.

The Court: Also, as to that DUI, there would be six points total from the first charge to the misdemeanor DUI, six points total would be assessed on your driving record.

There is also, um, a maximum fine, I’m sorry, of $1,075 of which at least $350 is mandatory, and the Court under that charge could suspend your driver’s license for one to three years.

***

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2022 Ohio 3186, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-arnwine-ohioctapp-2022.