State v. Carter

2011 Ohio 6256

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Carter, 2011-Ohio-6256.]

Court of Appeals of Ohio EIGHTH APPELLATE DISTRICT COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA

JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION No. 94967

STATE OF OHIO PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE

vs.

MICHAEL CARTER DEFENDANT-APPELLANT

JUDGMENT: APPLICATION DENIED

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Case No. CR-528720 Application for Reopening Motion No. 448561

RELEASE DATE: December 2, 2011

FOR APPELLANT

Michael Carter Inmate No. 582-874 Mansfield Correctional Inst. P. O. Box 788 Mansfield, OH 44901

ATTORNEY FOR RESPONDENT

William D. Mason Cuyahoga County Prosecutor 8th Floor Justice Center 1200 Ontario Street Cleveland, OH 44113

SEAN C. GALLAGHER, J.:

{¶ 1} In State v. Carter, Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas

Case No. CR-528720, the trial court found applicant, Michael Carter,

guilty of gross sexual imposition and unlawful sexual conduct with a

minor. This court affirmed that judgment in State v. Carter, Cuyahoga

App. No. 94967, 2011-Ohio-2658.

{¶ 2} Carter has filed with the clerk of this court an application for

reopening. He asserts that he was denied the effective assistance of

appellate counsel because his appellate counsel did not assign as error

that trial counsel was ineffective; the state introduced evidence of his prior convictions and juvenile court proceedings; and there was

insufficient evidence and the judgment was contrary to the manifest

weight of the evidence. We deny the application for reopening. As

required by App.R. 26(B)(6), the reasons for our denial follow.

{¶ 3} Initially, we note that App.R. 26(B)(1) provides, in part: “An

application for reopening shall be filed *** within ninety days from

journalization of the appellate judgment unless the applicant shows

good cause for filing at a later time.” App.R. 26(B)(2)(b) requires that

an application for reopening include “a showing of good cause for

untimely filing if the application is filed more than ninety days after

journalization of the appellate judgment.”

{¶ 4} This court’s decision affirming applicant's conviction was

journalized on June 2, 2011. The application was filed on October 14,

2011, clearly in excess of the ninety-day limit.

{¶ 5} Carter avers that he has good cause for the untimely filing of his

application for reopening because the prison librarian was on vacation

and then ill from August 14, 2011 through September 9, 2011, as well

as another seven days through September 25, 2011. Additionally,

when the librarian was available, the librarian was not able to print

documents for inmates’ legal research.

{¶ 6} That is, Carter contends that his limited access to library resources establishes good cause for his untimely filing of the

application for reopening. “[T]he courts have rejected the claim that

limited access to legal materials states good cause for untimely filing.

Prison riots, lockdowns, and other library limitations have been

rejected as constituting good cause. State v. Tucker, 73 Ohio St.3d 152,

1995-Ohio-2; State v. Kaszas (Sept. 21, 1998), Cuyahoga App. Nos.

72547 and 72547, reopening disallowed (Aug. 14, 2000), Motion No.

316752; State v. Hickman (Apr. 30, 1998), Cuyahoga App. No. 72341,

reopening disallowed (Dec. 13, 2000), Motion No. 320830 and State v.

Turner (Nov. 16, 1989), Cuyahoga App. No. 55960, reopening disallowed

(Aug. 20, 2001), Motion No. 323221.” State v. Wynn, Cuyahoga App.

No. 94967, 2010-Ohio-5469, ¶3.

{¶ 7} The Supreme Court has upheld judgments denying applications

for reopening solely on the basis that the application was not timely

filed and the applicant failed to show “good cause for filing at a later

time.” App.R. 26(B)(1). See, e.g., State v. Gumm, 103 Ohio St.3d 162,

2004-Ohio-4755, 814 N.E.2d 861; State v. LaMar, 102 Ohio St.3d 467,

2004-Ohio-3976, 812 N.E.2d 970. Carter’s failure to demonstrate good

cause is a sufficient basis for denying the application for reopening.

See, also, State v. Collier (June 11, 1987), Cuyahoga App. No. 51993,

reopening disallowed 2005-Ohio-5797, Motion No. 370333; State v. Garcia (July 8, 1999), Cuyahoga App. No. 74427, reopening disallowed

2005-Ohio-5796, Motion No. 370916.

{¶ 8} As a consequence, Carter has not met the standard for reopening.

Accordingly, the application for reopening is denied.

SEAN C. GALLAGHER, JUDGE

FRANK D. CELEBREZZE, JR., P.J., and KENNETH A. ROCCO, J., CONCUR