State v. Conley, 08ca784 (4-13-2009)

2009 Ohio 1848
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 13, 2009
DocketNo. 08CA784.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 2009 Ohio 1848 (State v. Conley, 08ca784 (4-13-2009)) 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. Conley, 08ca784 (4-13-2009), 2009 Ohio 1848 (Ohio Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

DECISION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY
{¶ 1} This is an appeal from a Pike County Common Pleas Court judgment of conviction and sentence. A jury found James M. Conley, defendant below and appellant herein, guilty of aggravated burglary in violation of R.C. 2911.11(A)(1).

{¶ 2} Appellant assigns the following errors for review:

FIRST ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR:

"THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR *Page 2 WHEN IT ALLOWED STATE WITNESS TOMMY R. COOPER TO IDENTIFY MR. CONLEY AT TRIAL AS THE PERPETRATOR OF THE CRIME IN VIOLATION OF MR. CONLEY'S FIFTH, SIXTH, AND FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT RIGHTS UNDER THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, AND SECTIONS 10 AND 16, ARTICLE I OF THE OHIO CONSTITUTION."

SECOND ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR:

"THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT ALLOWED STATE WITNESS SANDRA COOPER TO IDENTIFY MR. CONLEY AT TRIAL AS THE PERPETRATOR OF THE CRIME, WHEN SHE WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY MR. CONLEY AFTER THE ALLEGED INCIDENT, WHEN SHE NEVER SAW THE PERPETRATOR'S FACE, AND WHEN SHE FORMED HER BELIEF THAT MR. CONLEY WAS THE PERPETRATOR ONLY AFTER SEEING MR. CONLEY AT THE PRELIMINARY HEARING IN VIOLATION OF MR. CONLEY'S FIFTH, SIXTH, AND FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT RIGHTS UNDER THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, AND SECTIONS 10 AND 16, ARTICLE I OF THE OHIO CONSTITUTION."

THIRD ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR:

"THE TRIAL COURT VIOLATED MR. CONLEY'S RIGHTS TO DUE PROCESS AND A FAIR TRIAL WHEN IT ENTERED A JUDGMENT OF CONVICTION, WHEN THAT JUDGMENT WAS AGAINST THE MANIFEST WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE, IN VIOLATION OF MR. CONLEY'S RIGHTS UNDER THE FIFTH AND FOURTEENTH AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND SECTION 16, ARTICLE I OF THE OHIO CONSTITUTION."

FOURTH ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR:

"THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT ALLOWED THE PROSECUTOR, OVER OBJECTION, TO QUESTION MR. CONLEY REGARDING ALLEGED CRIMINAL CONDUCT OF WHICH MR. CONLEY HAD NOT BEEN CONVICTED, IN CONTRAVENTION OF EVID.R. 609 AND EVID.R. 404(B), AND IN VIOLATION OF *Page 3 MR. CONLEY'S FIFTH, SIXTH AND FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT RIGHTS UNDER THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, AND SECTIONS 10 AND 16, ARTICLE I OF THE OHIO CONSITUTION."

FIFTH ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR:

"THE PROSECUTOR'S MISCONDUCT DENIED MR. CONLEY A FAIR TRIAL AND DUE PROCESS OF LAW, IN VIOLATION OF MR. CONLEY'S FIFTH, SIXTH AND FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT RIGHTS UNDER THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, AND SECTIONS 10 AND 16, ARTICLE I OF THE OHIO CONSTITUTION."

SIXTH ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR:

"TRIAL COUNSEL RENDERED INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL IN VIOLATION OF MR. CONLEY'S RIGHTS UNDER THE FIFTH, SIXTH, AND FOURTEENTH AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND SECTIONS 10 AND 16, ARTICLE I OF THE OHIO CONSTITUTION."

SEVENTH ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR:

"UNDER THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO'S AUTHORITY ANNOUNCED IN STATE V. COLON, 118 OHIO ST.3D 26, 2008-OHIO-1624, AND STATE V. COLON SLIP OPINION NO. 2008-3749, STRUCTURAL ERROR PERMEATED MR. CONLEY'S TRIAL, IN VIOLATION OF MR. CONLEY'S RIGHTS UNDER THE FIFTH, SIXTH, AND FOURTEENTH AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, AND SECTIONS 10 AND 16, ARTICLE I OF THE OHIO CONSTITUTION."

{¶ 3} On the morning of December 19, 2007, Tom and Sandra Cooper were awaken by their barking dog. Sandra investigated and noticed that the door to their home was open. She called for her husband. Both Sandra and Tom then observed a closed bathroom door that was usually kept open. Tom investigated and found an intruder. Tom attempted to trap the intruder while Sandra called 911, but the intruder *Page 4 fought his way out. The couple wrestled with the intruder, and Sandra struck him on the head and shoulders with a flashlight, but the intruder eventually ran out the door.

{¶ 4} Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to investigate, and several suspicious individuals were observed running around the streets of Beaver early that morning. Authorities did not, however, apprehend the suspect. The following day, Tom Cooper identified appellant from a photo lineup as the man that he attempted to subdue. Sandra Cooper did not identify anyone from the lineup but, later, at a preliminary hearing, identified appellant as the perpetrator.

{¶ 5} The Pike County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging appellant with aggravated burglary. Appellant pled not guilty and matter came on for a jury trial. The only evidence that linked appellant to the break-in was the Coopers' identification of him as the man in their home. No physical evidence linked appellant to the crime scene. Appellant testified in his own defense that he spent the night before the break-in with his cousin and that he awoke early the next morning to go to his grandfather's house. He denied any involvement with the break-in.

{¶ 6} After hearing the testimony, the jury found appellant guilty. Subsequently, the trial court sentenced appellant to serve seven years in prison. This appeal followed.

I
{¶ 7} We jointly consider appellant's first and second assignments of error because they raise similar issues. Appellant contends that the Coopers should not have been permitted to identify him at trial as the man they found in their home.

{¶ 8} Our analysis begins with a precise framing of the question before us. *Page 5 Appellant does not argue that the photographic lineup shown to the Coopers was suggestive. Instead, he argues that the "eyewitnesses to the crime were substantially impeached, and the reliability and certainty of their identification was virtually nil."

{¶ 9} Generally, as long as pretrial identification procedures are not unduly suggestive, issues concerning the reliability of that identification goes to the weight of the evidence, not its admissibility. State v. Wills (1997), 120 Ohio App.3d 320, 324,697 N.E.2d 1072; State v. McCroskey, Stark App. No. 2007CA89,

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Bluebook (online)
2009 Ohio 1848, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-conley-08ca784-4-13-2009-ohioctapp-2009.