State v. Bailey, Unpublished Decision (06-25-2001)

CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 25, 2001
DocketNo. 2000CA00307.
StatusUnpublished

This text of State v. Bailey, Unpublished Decision (06-25-2001) (State v. Bailey, Unpublished Decision (06-25-2001)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law.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State v. Bailey, Unpublished Decision (06-25-2001), (Ohio Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

OPINION
On May 17, 2000, the Stark County Grand Jury indicted appellant, Craig Bailey, on one count of rape in violation of R.C. 2907.02, one count of kidnapping in violation of R.C. 2905.01 and one count of felonious assault in violation of R.C. 2903.11. All counts carried firearm and repeat violent offender specifications. Said counts arose from incidents on May 6, 2000 involving Megan McKernan and her sister-in-law, Stephanie McKernan.

Prior to trial, appellant filed numerous motions to suppress, including a motion to suppress his statements made to police. Following hearings on August 21 and 28, 2000, the trial court denied said motion.

A jury trial commenced on September 5, 2000. The jury found appellant guilty on all three counts including the firearm specifications. The trial court found appellant guilty of the repeat violent offender specifications. By judgment entry filed September 13, 2000, the trial court sentenced appellant to a total aggregate term of fifty-two years in prison.

Appellant filed an appeal and this matter is now before this court for consideration. Assignments of error are as follows:

I
THE APPELLANT WAS DEPRIVED OF A FAIR TRIAL DUE TO PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT.

II
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN OVERRULING THE APPELLANT'S MOTION TO SUPPRESS.

III
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN ADMITTING THE 911 TAPE.

IV
THE APPELLANT'S CONVICTION WAS AGAINST THE MANIFEST WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE.

V
THE RECORD DOES NOT SUPPORT THE SENTENCE IMPOSED BY THE TRIAL COURT.

I
Appellant claims he was deprived of a fair trial due to prosecutorial misconduct. Specifically, appellant claims the prosecutor improperly permitted answers that implied appellant had invoked his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, and improperly commented on appellant's failure to testify, the credibility of the state's witnesses and appellant's personality. We disagree.

At the outset, we note no objections were raised to the complained of questions and comments. An error not raised in the trial court must be plain error for an appellate court to reverse. State v. Long (1978),53 Ohio St.2d 91; Crim.R. 52(B). In order to prevail under a plain error analysis, appellant bears the burden of demonstrating that the outcome of the trial clearly would have been different but for the error. Long. Notice of plain error "is to be taken with the utmost caution, under exceptional circumstances and only to prevent a manifest miscarriage of justice." Id. at paragraph three of the syllabus.

The test for prosecutorial misconduct is whether the prosecutor's comments and remarks were improper and if so, whether those comments and remarks prejudicially affected the substantial rights of the accused.State v. Lott (1990), 51 Ohio St.3d 160, certiorari denied (1990),112 L.Ed.2d 596. In reviewing allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, it is our duty to consider the complained of conduct in the context of the entire trial. Darden v. Wainwright (1986), 477 U.S. 168.

TESTIMONY ELICITED ABOUT APPELLANT'S RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT

Appellant complains of the following exchange between the prosecutor and Detective Tim Taylor on direct examination:

Detective, when you arrested the Defendant, was the Defendant informed of the charges against him and the date in which the crime had occurred?

Yes, he was.

Did he respond in any way to that statement?

He didn't respond at all to us.

Okay. Did he make any statements to you in regard to that evening?

* * * At that point we gave him a Miranda. We asked him at that point if he was going to make a statement or if he would like to. He said he wanted an attorney —

T. at 455-456.

Appellant also complained of the following exchange between the prosecutor and Detective Ty Bissler on direct examination:

Did he give a statement?

No, he invoked his right to have an attorney.

T. at 483.

Both times the prosecutor did not elicit any further comments from the detectives. Following the exchange with Detective Taylor, the prosecutor directed the testimony to statements made by appellant while in the police cruiser regarding an alibi. T. at 456-458, 483. Although the prosecutor engaged in a tortured avenue to appellant's alibi statements, we cannot say it was an intentional violation of State v. Rogers (1987)32 Ohio St.3d 70, and State v. Combs (1991), 62 Ohio St.3d 278. The questioning did lead to an admissible statement (Assignment of Error II) and therefore any prejudice created was outweighed by the admissible statement. Prosecutors cannot be held responsible for non-responsive answers and volunteered statements by police officers when there are legitimate reasons for the questions.

COMMENTS ON APPELLANT'S FAILURE TO TESTIFY
Appellant complains of the following comment made by the prosecutor during final closing argument regarding appellant's failure to testify:

* * * Where is the evidence to support that? Did anybody come in here and say that besides that man? Anybody?

T. at 716.

Taken in a vacuum, it appears appellant's assignment of error is correct. However, a fair reading of the entire statement leads us to a different conclusion. The prosecutor was actually commenting on matters argued by defense counsel in opening statement:

* * * In Mr. Pitinii's opening statement, he indicated to you that all three [Appellant, Megan and Stephanie] were drinking, all three were drinking behind Dave Young's house, they were having a nice little party, laughing, flirting, remember that?

COMMENTS ON APPELLANT'S PERSONALITY
Appellant complains of the following comment made by the prosecutor during final closing argument regarding appellant's personality:

Some people are pathological. I submit to you that that man is pathological.

T. at 718.

During closing argument, defense counsel raised the specter that the victims were lying and had misstated what had happened. Defense counsel alluded to Megan being a "[t]ough girl" and "[r]ough" and raised questions about appellant's conduct given the facts that appellant did not ejaculate inside the victim, smoked a cigarette with her afterwards and offered her a ride home so she would not have to walk in her bare feet. T. at 707, 710, 713. We find the prosecutor's comment on appellant's pathological acts was directly linked to defense counsel's closing argument and was made in response to defense counsel's comments:

* * * Mr.

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Related

Rhode Island v. Innis
446 U.S. 291 (Supreme Court, 1980)
Darden v. Wainwright
477 U.S. 168 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Ornelas v. United States
517 U.S. 690 (Supreme Court, 1996)
State v. Claytor
620 N.E.2d 906 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1993)
State v. Martin
485 N.E.2d 717 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1983)
Nelson v. Pleasant
597 N.E.2d 1137 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1991)
State v. Curry
641 N.E.2d 1172 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1994)
State v. Guysinger
621 N.E.2d 726 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1993)
State v. Williams
619 N.E.2d 1141 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1993)
State v. Long
372 N.E.2d 804 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1978)
State v. Logan
397 N.E.2d 1345 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1979)
State v. Fanning
437 N.E.2d 583 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1982)
Blakemore v. Blakemore
450 N.E.2d 1140 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1983)
State v. Sage
510 N.E.2d 343 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1987)
State v. Rogers
512 N.E.2d 581 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1987)
State v. Jamison
552 N.E.2d 180 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1990)
State v. Lott
555 N.E.2d 293 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1990)
State v. Jenks
574 N.E.2d 492 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1991)
State v. Combs
581 N.E.2d 1071 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1991)
State v. Thompkins
678 N.E.2d 541 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1997)

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Bluebook (online)
State v. Bailey, Unpublished Decision (06-25-2001), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bailey-unpublished-decision-06-25-2001-ohioctapp-2001.