State v. Colburne

2015 Ohio 4348
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 21, 2015
Docket27553
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 2015 Ohio 4348 (State v. Colburne) 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. Colburne, 2015 Ohio 4348 (Ohio Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Colburne, 2015-Ohio-4348.]

STATE OF OHIO ) IN THE COURT OF APPEALS )ss: NINTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COUNTY OF SUMMIT )

STATE OF OHIO C.A. No. 27553

Appellee

v. APPEAL FROM JUDGMENT ENTERED IN THE ROYCE A. COLBURNE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS COUNTY OF SUMMIT, OHIO Appellant CASE No. CR 2014 04 1035

DECISION AND JOURNAL ENTRY

Dated: October 21, 2015

MOORE, Judge.

{¶1} Defendant-Appellant Royce Colburne appeals from the judgment entry of the

Summit County Court of Common Pleas. We affirm in part, and reverse in part.

I.

{¶2} In April 2014, Mr. Colburne was indicted on two counts of aggravated trafficking

in drugs (one count involving hydromorphone and one count involving oxycodone) in violation

of R.C. 2925.03(A)(C)(1) and two counts of aggravated possession of drugs (one count

involving hydromorphone and one count involving oxycodone) in violation of R.C.

2925.11(A)(C)(1). Each of the foregoing charges included an attendant forfeiture specification

and was a third-degree felony. Additionally, Mr. Colburne was charged with one count of illegal

use or possession of drug paraphernalia in violation of R.C. 2925.14(C)(1), a fourth-degree

misdemeanor, and one count of possession of marijuana in violation of R.C. 2925.11(A)(C)(3), a

minor misdemeanor. Ultimately, Mr. Colburne pleaded guilty to the indictment. Mr. Colburne 2

filed a motion to merge the sentences for the four felony charges, which the trial court denied at

the time of sentencing. The trial court, in its sentencing entry, placed Mr. Colburne on two years

of community control and indicated that, if he violated community control, he would be

sentenced to an aggregate term of 30 months in prison.

{¶3} Mr. Colburne has appealed, raising three assignments of error for our review.

II.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR I

THE TRIAL COURT ERRED WHEN IT IMPOSED SEPARATE SENTENCES FOR OFFENSES THAT AROSE FROM THE SAME CONDUCT, WERE NOT COMMITTED SEPARATELY OR WITH SEPARATE ANIMUS, AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN MERGED FOR SENTENCING PURPOSES UNDER R.C. 2941.25.

{¶4} Mr. Colburne asserts in his first assignment of error that the trial court erred in

imposing separate sentences for allied offenses. Specifically he argues that, “[t]he [t]rial [c]ourt

failed to properly address [his] request that his felony charges merge for purposes of

sentencing[.]” Additionally, he broadly asserts that his sentences on the four felony charges

merge, but only specifically discusses in any detail the merger of his sentences for trafficking

with his sentences for possession.

{¶5} “We ‘apply a de novo standard of review in reviewing a trial court’s R.C. 2941.25

merger determination.’” State v. Evett, 9th Dist. Medina No. 14CA0008-M, 2015-Ohio-2722, ¶

35, quoting State v. Williams, 134 Ohio St.3d 482, 2012-Ohio-5699, ¶ 28. Nonetheless, “[i]t is

the defendant’s burden to establish his or her entitlement to the protections of Section 2941.25.”

State v. Stoddard, 9th Dist. Summit No. 27426, 2015-Ohio-3750, ¶ 38, quoting State v. Dembie,

9th Dist. Lorain No. 14CA010527, 2015-Ohio-2888, ¶ 8. R.C. 2941.25 provides that: 3

(A) Where the same conduct by defendant can be construed to constitute two or more allied offenses of similar import, the indictment or information may contain counts for all such offenses, but the defendant may be convicted of only one.

(B) Where the defendant’s conduct constitutes two or more offenses of dissimilar import, or where his conduct results in two or more offenses of the same or similar kind committed separately or with a separate animus as to each, the indictment or information may contain counts for all such offenses, and the defendant may be convicted of all of them.

{¶6} In State v. Ruff, 143 Ohio St.3d 114, 2015-Ohio-995, the Supreme Court of Ohio

clarified how courts are to determine whether offenses are allied within the meaning of the

statute. “At its heart, the allied-offense analysis is dependent upon the facts of a case because

R.C. 2941.25 focuses on the defendant’s conduct. [Thus, t]he evidence at trial or during a plea

or sentencing hearing will reveal whether the offenses have similar import.” Evett at ¶ 36,

quoting Ruff at ¶ 26. “[C]ourts must ask three questions when [a] defendant’s conduct supports

multiple offenses: (1) Were the offenses dissimilar in import or significance? (2) Were they

committed separately? and (3) Were they committed with separate animus or motivation? An

affirmative answer to any of the above will permit separate convictions.” Evett at ¶ 36, quoting

Ruff at ¶ 31. “[T]wo or more offenses of dissimilar import exist within the meaning of R.C.

2941.25(B) when the defendant’s conduct constitutes offenses involving separate victims or if

the harm that results from each offense is separate and identifiable.” Evett at ¶ 36, quoting Ruff

at ¶ 26.

{¶7} Because this case was resolved via a plea agreement, the factual background in

the record is somewhat limited. Nonetheless, the presentence investigation report (“PSI”) states

that:

[Mr. Colburne] was arrested on April 11, 2014 by the Akron Police Department under the following summarized circumstance[s] as contained in the police report:

The SNUD Unit wished to serve a search warrant upon [Mr. Colburne’s] apartment residence on Cromwell Drive, noting [Mr. Colburne] had been the 4

target of a previous narcotics investigation at the same address. [Mr. Colburne] was located as he drove his Trailblazer. He ran two stop signs, prompting the officers to initiate a traffic stop.

Approaching [Mr. Colburne], the officers could see a baggie protruding from [his] sweatshirt pocket. The baggie was recovered and found to contain thirty-one 10 mg oxycodone pills. The officers further found twenty-four hydromorphone pills, one hundred thirty-nine 5 mg oxycodone pills, and 7.7 grams of marijuana.

[Mr. Colburne] was taken into custody and returned to his residence, where the search warrant was executed. Two mason jars were found containing 10 mg of marijuana, after [Mr. Colburne] stated it was in the closet.

After receiving his rights, [Mr. Colburne] said he had purchased the pills that were found on him from a male he would not identify. He said he sold the pills to support his percocet addiction. He stated his live-in girlfriend had no knowledge of what he was doing.

{¶8} During the sentencing hearing, the State clarified that, “[i]mmediately prior to the

execution of * * * that warrant at [Mr. Colburne’s] home he had 32 [o]xycodone pills in his

pocket, $415 in the car, 139 [o]xycodone pills more in the car. He also had hydromorphone and

marijuana.” Mr. Colburne did not object to the State’s foregoing recitation of events.

{¶9} As noted above, in addition to his two misdemeanor convictions, Mr. Colburne

was convicted of two counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs (one count involving

hydromorphone and one count involving oxycodone) and two counts of aggravated possession of

drugs (one count involving hydromorphone and one count involving oxycodone). Prior to

sentencing, Mr. Colburne filed a motion seeking merger of the related aggravated trafficking and

aggravated possession charges and merger of the hydromorphone charges and oxycodone

charges for the possession offenses and trafficking offenses.

{¶10} At sentencing, the trial court explicitly denied his motion and sentenced Mr.

Colburne on all counts. According to the judgment of conviction, the trial court placed Mr.

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2015 Ohio 4348, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-colburne-ohioctapp-2015.