State v. Cisler

2016 Ohio 5016
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 12, 2016
Docket15CA43
StatusPublished

This text of 2016 Ohio 5016 (State v. Cisler) 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. Cisler, 2016 Ohio 5016 (Ohio Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Cisler, 2016-Ohio-5016.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT WASHINGTON COUNTY

STATE OF OHIO, : : Case No. 15CA43 Plaintiff-Appellee, : : vs. : DECISION AND JUDGMENT : ENTRY BRANDON RAY CISLER, : : Defendants-Appellant. : Released: 07/12/16

APPEARANCES:

William B. Summers, Parkersburg, West Virginia, for Appellant.

Paul G. Bertram, III, Marietta City Law Director, and Catherine Ingram Reynolds, Marietta City Assistant Law Director, Marietta, Ohio, for Appellee.

McFarland, J.

{¶1} Brandon Ray Cisler appeals the October 2, 2015 judgment of the

Marietta Municipal Court convicting him of domestic violence, R.C. 2919.25(C), a

misdemeanor of the fourth degree. On appeal, he asserts that: (1) the trial court

erred by failing to advise him of his right to post bond; and (2) the trial court erred

by failing to properly advise him of the effect of his plea upon his right to possess a

firearm. Having reviewed the record, we find no merit to Appellant’s arguments.

As such, we overrule the sole assignment of error and affirm the judgment of the

trial court. Washington App. No. 15CA43 2

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

{¶2} A complaint was filed with the Marietta City Police Department by

Cisler’s step-mother, alleging that on September 30, 2015, Appellant had

threatened to “beat her ass.” On October 1, 2015, Appellant was arrested on a

charge of domestic violence by threat of force, and taken to the Washington

County Jail. On October 2, 2015, Appellant was arraigned by video, pled no

contest, and sentenced.1

{¶3} This appeal followed. Additional relevant facts are set forth below.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR

“I. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY FAILING TO ADVISE THE APPELLANT OF HIS RIGHT TO POST BOND AND THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY FAILING TO PROPERLY ADVISE THE APPELLANT OF THE EFFECT OF HIS GUILTY PLEAS ON HIS RIGHT TO POSSESS A FIREARM.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

{¶4} Crim.R. 10(C) is mandatory and not merely a procedural guideline. It

sets forth fundamental and constitutionally protected rights that must be observed

by the court. Failure of the court to inform a defendant of the rights pursuant to the

criminal rules constitutes “prejudicial error.” State v. Orr, 26 Ohio App.3d 24, 25,

498 N.E.2d 181 (1985)(Record did not reflect defendant was advised of her rights

pursuant to Crim.R. 5(A), 10(C) and 11(E)). State v. Groner, 7th Dist. Mahoning 1 Appellant’s sentence was 15 days of jail, with credit for one day served and the remainder suspended; $150.00 fine and costs; and one year of non-reporting probation. The terms of probation specified that Appellant was to have no contact with the victim and that Appellant could not own or possess firearms during the probationary year. Washington App. No. 15CA43 3

No. 96CA144, 1998 WL 15865, (Mar. 31, 1998). A violation of the criminal rule

invites reversal. State v. Richter, 92 Ohio App.3d 395, 399, 635 N.E.2d 1295, (6th

Dist.1993).

LEGAL ANALYSIS

{¶5} While Appellant’s arguments relate specifically to an alleged violation

of Crim.R. 10(C), in essence, he challenges the knowing, voluntary, and intelligent

nature of his plea based on alleged defective arraignment procedure. Crim.R.

11(E) details the conditions under which a court may accept a guilty or no contest

plea in misdemeanor cases. State v. Newman, 4th Dist. Scioto Nos. 97CA2507,

97CA2525, 1998 WL 151386 (April 3, 1998), *3. The rule provides in pertinent

part:

“In misdemeanor cases involving petty offenses the court may refuse to accept a plea of guilty or no contest, and shall not accept such plea without first informing the defendant of the effect of the pleas of guilty, no contest, and not guilty.

The rule requires that the record affirmatively demonstrate that a plea of no contest

was entered voluntarily, intelligently, and knowingly. Newman, supra, citing State

v. Joseph, 44 Ohio App.3d 212, 213, 542 N.E.2d 690, 691(1988). In order to

comply with the rule, the trial court must engage the defendant in a “meaningful

dialogue.” Id.; State v. Luhrs, 69 Ohio App.3d 731, 591 N.E.2d 1251 (1990) (lack

of dialogue of any kind between trial court and defendant personally at time of no

contest plea accepted required reversal.) The failure to substantially comply with Washington App. No. 15CA43 4

Crim.R. 11 constitutes reversible error. See, e.g., State v. Mascaro, 81 Ohio

App.3d 214, 610 N.E.2d 1031 (9th Dist. 1991); Eastlake v. DeNiro, 21 Ohio

App.3d 102, 487 N.E.2d 324 (11th Dist. 1984); State v. Hays, 2 Ohio App.3d 376,

442 N.E.2d 127 (1st Dist. 1982).

{¶6} By way of an affidavit attached to his brief, Appellant advises he

watched an arraignment video while he was jailed with five other people. The

affidavit further informs that he was unable to make a phone call from the jail to

call a lawyer or his father, and he was very confused about his rights. Appellant

argues the trial court failed to fully inform Appellant of his Crim.R. 10(C) rights,

and at no time did the Court inform Appellant that he had a right to post bond and

to be released the same day. Appellant further asserts it is clear that he was mostly

concerned with being able to return to work on the following Monday. Appellant

argues that the law requires the trial judge to conduct an individualized inquiry to

determine if the defendant actually understood his rights before accepting a plea,

and that the transcript shows there was no meaningful dialogue between the court

and him. Appellant concludes he had little option other than to plead or lose his

job. The State concedes that the trial court did not give an explicit “word for

word” explanation of the right to bail, but argues there was no showing of a

prejudicial effect. Washington App. No. 15CA43 5

{¶7} We first observe this Court cannot consider Appellant’s affidavit

attached to his brief, as it is evidence that was not made part of the record below

and has not been made part of the record on appeal. App.R. 9 and App.R.

12(A)(1)(b). See Didonato v. Didonato, 9th Dist. Medina No. 2645-M, 1998 WL

18698, (Feb.11, 1998), Fn.2. We therefore turn our attention to the arraignment

procedures outlined in Crim.R. 10.

{¶8} Pursuant to Crim.R. 10(D) a trial court may conduct joint arraignments

of multiple defendants by providing a general announcement of their rights as

prescribed. State v. Bowers, 3rd Dist. Union No. 14-11-12, 2012-Ohio-1585, ¶ 10.

Joint arraignments are commonly employed by municipal courts. Katz, Martin,

Lipton & Crocker, Baldwin's Ohio Practice Criminal Law 42:6 (2011). Through

joint arraignments, trial courts inform defendants both of their constitutional rights

as well as the effect of the pleas of no contest, guilty, and not guilty. State v. Jones,

116 Ohio St.3d 211, 2007–Ohio–6093, Fn.3. However, the mere playing of an

audio CD does not satisfy the requirement in Crim.R. 10(C) prescribing a

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Related

State v. Taylor
2012 Ohio 963 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2012)
State v. Bowers
2012 Ohio 1585 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2012)
State v. Thompson
2014 Ohio 4665 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2014)
State v. Orr
498 N.E.2d 181 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1985)
State v. Fonseca
705 N.E.2d 1278 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1997)
State v. Mascaro
610 N.E.2d 1031 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1991)
State v. Bayer
656 N.E.2d 1314 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1995)
State v. Richter
635 N.E.2d 1295 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1993)
City of Eastlake v. DeNiro
487 N.E.2d 324 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1984)
State v. Donkers
867 N.E.2d 903 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2007)
State v. Joseph
542 N.E.2d 690 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1988)
State v. Hays
442 N.E.2d 127 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1982)
City of Garfield Heights v. Brewer
479 N.E.2d 309 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1984)
State v. Luhrs
591 N.E.2d 1251 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1990)
State v. Wilkinson, Unpublished Decision (1-28-2005)
2005 Ohio 314 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2005)
State v. Diroll, 2006-P-0110 (12-21-2007)
2007 Ohio 6930 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2007)
Wright v. Suzuki Motor, Unpublished Decision (6-27-2005)
2005 Ohio 3494 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2005)
State v. Jones
877 N.E.2d 677 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2007)

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