State v. Cooper

370 N.E.2d 725, 52 Ohio St. 2d 163, 6 Ohio Op. 3d 377, 1977 Ohio LEXIS 482
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 14, 1977
DocketNo. 77-219
StatusPublished
Cited by104 cases

This text of 370 N.E.2d 725 (State v. Cooper) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Cooper, 370 N.E.2d 725, 52 Ohio St. 2d 163, 6 Ohio Op. 3d 377, 1977 Ohio LEXIS 482 (Ohio 1977).

Opinion

Per Curiam.

In his propositions of law Nos. 20 and 23, appellant contends that there were so many errors made by the trial court in its rulings on motions and objections, as well as in its jury instructions, that the judgment and findings of the court were contrary to law and prejudicial to the defendant. We disagree.

Several of the issues raised by appellant in his brief to this court were not properly preserved at the trial level. In paragraph three of the syllabus in State v. Childs (1968), 14 Ohio St. 2d 56, this court stated:

“It is a general rule that an appellate court will not consider any error which counsel for a party complaining of the trial court’s judgment could have called but did not call to the trial court’s attention at a time when such error could have been avoided or corrected by the trial court. * * *”

Thus, in proposition of law No. 1, the appellant contends in part that the trial court committed reversible error in denying his motion to strike the testimonies of Doctor Maxwell Burnham and Doctor Charles Hirsch, on the basis that neither doctor was shown to be duly qualified and licensed to practice medicine in the state of Ohio, nor was it éstablished that their testimonies were based upon medical or scientific certainty. However, the record shows that appellant did not raise an objection until after the conclusion of the state’s presentation of 30 additional witnesses.

Appellant contends in his proposition of law No. 4, that the trial judge committed prejudicial error in denying his motion to strike the testimonies of Deputies Sam [168]*168Avallone and Timothy. A. Mathis, who did not specifically identify the appellant during their testimonies. However, it was not until the close of the state’s presentation of evidence that the defense filed .a motion to strike.

In proposition of law No. 6, the appellant avers that he was denied a fair trial in that the prosecution in its opening statement deliberately inflamed the jury by making reference to facts which were never proven. The court again notes that at no time during the trial did the appellant make objection thereto. The record only shows that the appellant’s counsel in his closing argument to the jury, over the objection of the prosecution, challenged point by point the factual basis of the prosecution’s opening remarks.

As to each of the above instances, the court finds that the appellant either failed to make a timely objection or made no objection at all.. We therefore overrule the above contentions by appellant presented in propositions of law Nos. 1, 4 and 6.

In proposition of law No. 2, appellant contends that the trial court committed reversible error in admitting the testimony of Doctor Hirsch on the basis that he had no authority under R. C. 313.16 to perform an autopsy on the victim.

R. C. 313.16 provides in part that a coroner in a county which does not have a laboratory may request a coroner from another county with such facility to conduct the autopsy. Appellant contends that because Lake County has facilities for performing autopsies, Doctor Burnham, as Lake County Coroner, had no authority to send the victim’s body to Cuyahoga County for examination by Doctor Hirsch. Thus, appellant reasons, the testimony of Doctor Hirsch should have been prohibited at trial. This argument lacks any merit.

R. C. 313.16 merely provides the coroner with authority to obtain assistance from outside the county to conduct an autopsy and does not. provide that failure to; use one’s own laboratory affects the accuracy or reliabil-1 [169]*169ity of the autopsy itself. Irrespective of whether Lake County had a laboratory at the time Doctor Burnham authorized Doctor Hirsch to perform the autopsy, the testimony of Doctor Hirsch with respect to his autopsy was admissible at trial.

Appellant contends further in his second proposition of law that the testimony of Doctor Burnham should also have been prohibited at trial since he himself did not perform the autopsy.

This argument also lacks any merit. The record reflects that Doctor Burnham testified only as to his death certificate entry concerning the immediate cause of death. The doctor did not render an opinion based on observations by another as to the cause of death.

Appellant’s second proposition of law is overruled.

In propositions of law Nos. 1 and 3, appellant contends in effect that the prosecution fáiled to produce evidence showing the existence of the criminal agency of another as the cause of death, one of two elements necessary to establish the corpus delicti of the crime. (State v. Monago [1974], 38 Ohio St. 2d 223.)

The court finds overwhelming evidence to establish death by a criminal agency. Expert testimony clearly indicates that Rebecca died as a result of strangulation. Witnesses who first arrived at the scene of the crime testified that Rebecca’s body was lying face down in a stream, with a towel around her neck. Furthermore, there was no evidence of death caused by other means such as drowning.

Appellants first and third proposition of law are rejected.

Appellant contends in part of proposition of law No. 4 that the trial court committed prejudicial error in allowing Deputy- Avallone to testify that he had prior contact with the appellant in an official capacity. Appellant contends that by allowing the deputy-to describe how the defendant acted on prior occasions, the trial court violated its own order issued before trial prohibiting testimony regarding prior similar acts of the defendant.

[170]*170Simply because the deputy stated during trial that he had prior contact with the defendant in an official capacity does not indicate that the defendant had a prior record or had committed prior similar acts. At trial, the deputy merely testified that, based on his prior acquaintance with the defendant, the defendant was now more calm and more cooperative with authorities than he had been previously. There is no indication of prejudice resulting from this testimony. Therefore, the appellant’s fourth proposition of law is overruled.

Appellant claims in proposition of law No. 5, that there was reversible error on the part of the trial court in denying his motion for mistrial on the basis that the trial court allowed Chief Deputy Amiott, a state’s witness, to accompany the jury to their lodgings the night of July 17, 1974.

The record reflects that the trial court, concerned for the safety of the jurors, suggested that the bailiff obtain a police officer to escort the jurors on foot from the courthouse to their motel. The officer assigned was Chief Deputy Amiott. No evidence of any specific indiscretion on the part of the officer, such as conversing with the jurors, is contained in the record. During a special hearing conducted on this issue, the defense was given the opportunity to question the bailiff as to what had occurred, but the defense declined, contending that the appointment of the deputy as custodian for the jury alone constituted reversible error.

Although the trial court should' not permit government witnesses to serve as custodians for the jury, we decline to adopt the appellant’s view suggesting that such activity on the part of a witness, per se, constitutes reversible error. See State v. Bailey (Del. Super. 1976), 352 A. 2d 415; Kiper v. Commonwealth (Ky. App.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
370 N.E.2d 725, 52 Ohio St. 2d 163, 6 Ohio Op. 3d 377, 1977 Ohio LEXIS 482, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-cooper-ohio-1977.