State v. Clay

933 N.E.2d 296, 187 Ohio App. 3d 633
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 14, 2010
DocketNo. 2009-CA-00249
StatusPublished
Cited by118 cases

This text of 933 N.E.2d 296 (State v. Clay) 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. Clay, 933 N.E.2d 296, 187 Ohio App. 3d 633 (Ohio Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

Gwin, Presiding Judge.

{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant, Michael S. Clay, appeals from his convictions and sentences in the Stark County Court of Common Pleas on one count of burglary, [639]*639a felony of the second degree, in violation of R.C. 2911.12(A)(1); one count of retaliation, a felony of the third degree, in violation of R.C. 2921.05(B); and one count of menacing by stalking, a felony of the fourth degree, in violation of R.C. 2903.21(A). Plaintiff-appellee is the state of Ohio.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND CASE

{¶ 2} On March 13, 2008, Jacqulyn Serrano called the police to report that appellant walked into her house without permission. Serrano reported that appellant began yelling at her, threw a weight-lifting bench through a window, and shoved her to the ground. The police responded to Serrano’s 9-1-1 call.

{¶ 3} Upon arriving at the scene, Alliance Police Officer Todd Aderholt observed Serrano’s adult son, Robert Goad, sitting on the front step, noticeably upset and angry. Goad told Officer Aderholt that appellant had just entered his mother’s house and assaulted her. As Officer Aderholt was listening, Serrano came outside noticeably shaken, crying, and limping. She echoed what her son had said, saying that appellant had just busted her front door and assaulted her. Officer Aderholt looked throughout the house and had Serrano give a written statement of the events that had transpired. Serrano told the officer where the initial contact with appellant took place and showed him where the weight-lifting bench had been and where it then was located in the window frame of the dining-room area. Serrano told the officer that she was pushed down a couple of times and pointed to appellant’s jacket, which he had left at the home. Serrano also pointed out a small dumbbell weight that appellant had picked up during the confrontation. Serrano told the officer that appellant did not have permission to be inside her house.

{¶ 4} Appellant does not dispute that he was in Serrano’s residence on March 13, 2008. He claimed that he had resided with Serrano at the home in the past and that he actually stayed overnight on March 12, 2008. Appellant argued that he was there with the permission of Serrano.

{¶ 5} There was prior court involvement with respect to these parties. On March 5, 2008, appellant pleaded guilty to criminal trespass in the Alliance Municipal Court and was sentenced to three days in the Stark County jail. Appellant also had pleaded guilty to trespass and assault against Serrano and her family on September 11, 2006, and February 14, 2007.

{¶ 6} The Stark County Grand Jury indicted appellant on one count of burglary in violation of 2921.12(A)(2), one count of retaliation in violation of R.C. 2921.05(B), and one count of menacing by stalking in violation of R.C. 2903.211(A)(1)(B)(2)(C).

{¶ 7} Appellant’s case proceeded to a jury trial on June 3, 2008.

[640]*640{¶ 8} The state called Serrano to the stand during appellant’s trial. During questioning she answered many of the questions with “I’m unsure” and “I cannot remember.” Based upon her answers, the state requested that the court declare her a hostile witness. The court granted the state’s request. The state then used the unsworn statement that she had given to Officer Aderholt on March 13, 2008, to refresh her recollection. The statement was marked as an exhibit and submitted to the jury. The state further submitted to the jury letters purportedly written by appellant to Serrano while he was incarcerated and awaiting trial.

{¶ 9} The jury found appellant guilty of burglary, retaliation, and menacing by stalking. On June 4, 2008, the court held a sentencing hearing. The court sentenced appellant to seven years’ incarceration on the count of burglary; four years’ incarceration on the count of retaliation; and 17 months’ incarceration on the count of menacing by stalking.

{¶ 10} Appellant filed his notice of appeal of his conviction in a timely manner on June 30, 2008. That appeal was dismissed pursuant to State v. Baker (2008), 119 Ohio St.3d 197, 2008-Ohio-3330, 893 N.E.2d 163. A nunc pro tunc order was filed in the trial court citing the manner of conviction on April 8, 2009. A subsequent notice of appeal was filed on September 30, 2009, and this court granted leave to file a delayed appeal.

{¶ 11} Appellant raises three assignments of error for our consideration:

{¶ 12} “The trial court committed abuse of discretion during defendant’s trial.
{¶ 13} “The trial court committed plain error in not giving a limiting instruction to the jury with respect to the victim’s admitted unsworn statement.
{¶ 14} “The trial court erred in denying appellant’s motion for acquittal, since the state failed to sustain its burden of proof.”

I

{¶ 15} In his first assignment of error, appellant argues that the trial court erred by admitting into evidence Serrano’s prior written statement, given to Officer Aderholt on March 13, 2008. Appellant further argues that the trial court erred by permitting the state to introduce into evidence appellant’s prior convictions involving trespass and assault against Serrano, from September 11, 2006, and February 14, 2007.

{¶ 16} At trial appellant submitted a written jury instruction requesting that the court instruct the jury that Serrano’s written statement was to be considered solely for impeachment purposes and not as substantive evidence of guilt. The trial court refused to give the instruction to the jury.

[641]*641{¶ 17} “And my reason for that is that the, in the Court’s opinion the document is not used to impeach the testimony of Ms. Serrano. She acknowledged that her signature was there and other matters which were set forth in the record and the gist of the argument and the proposed Jury instruction is that it was given for impeachment, and the Court does not find that that was the purpose.”

{¶ 18} In Rigby v. Lake Cty. (1991), 58 Ohio St.3d 269, 271, 569 N.E.2d 1056, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the longstanding test for appellate review of the admission of evidence:

{¶ 19} “Ordinarily, a trial court is vested with broad discretion in determining the admissibility of evidence in any particular case, so long as such discretion is exercised in line with the rules of procedure and evidence. The admission of relevant evidence pursuant to Evid.R. 401 rests within the sound discretion of the trial court. E.g., State v. Sage (1987), 31 Ohio St.3d 173, 31 OBR 375, 510 N.E.2d 343, paragraph two of the syllabus. An appellate court, which reviews the trial court’s admission or exclusion of evidence must limit its review to whether the lower court abused its discretion. State v. Finnerty (1989), 45 Ohio St.3d 104, 107, 543 N.E.2d 1233, 1237. As this court has noted many times, the term ‘abuse of discretion’ connotes more than an error of law; it implies that the court acted unreasonably, arbitrarily or unconscionably. E.g., Blakemore v. Blakemore (1983), 5 Ohio St.3d 217, 219, 5 OBR 481, 482, 450 N.E.2d 1140, 1142.”

{¶ 20} A reviewing court should be slow to interfere unless the court has clearly abused its discretion and a party has been materially prejudiced thereby. State v.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
933 N.E.2d 296, 187 Ohio App. 3d 633, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-clay-ohioctapp-2010.