State v. Corder

2021 Ohio 2880
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 18, 2021
Docket20CA10
StatusPublished

This text of 2021 Ohio 2880 (State v. Corder) 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. Corder, 2021 Ohio 2880 (Ohio Ct. App. 2021).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Corder, 2021-Ohio-2880.]

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

State of Ohio, : Case No. 20CA10

Plaintiff-Appellee, :

v. : DECISION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY Andrew Corder, :

Defendant-Appellant. : RELEASED 8/18/2021

______________________________________________________________________ APPEARANCES:

Kathyrn Cornelius-Blume, Dagger, Johnston, Miller, Ogilvie & Hampson, LLP, Lancaster, Ohio, for appellant.

Ryan Stickel, Hocking County Prosecutor’s Office, Logan, Ohio, for appellee. ______________________________________________________________________ Hess, J.

{¶1} Andrew Corder appeals from a judgment of the Hocking County Court of

Common Pleas revoking his judicial release and reimposing his original prison sentence

with credit for time served. Corder contends that the state failed to submit competent,

credible evidence that he violated the terms of his “probation.” He also contends, and the

state concedes, that the trial court erred when it failed to advise him about post-release

control at his “probation violation sentencing hearing.” For the reasons that follow, we

reject these contentions and affirm the trial court’s judgment.

I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

{¶2} In January 2016, the Hocking County grand jury indicted Corder on the

following charges with forfeiture specifications: (1) Count I, unlawful sexual conduct with Hocking App. No. 20CA10 2

a minor in violation of R.C. 2907.04(A), a third-degree felony; (2) Count II, unlawful sexual

conduct with a minor in violation of R.C. 2907.04(A), a third-degree felony; (3) Count III,

importuning in violation of R.C. 2907.07(B)(1), a fifth-degree felony; (4) Count IV,

contributing to the unruliness of or delinquency of a child in violation of R.C. 2919.24(A)

(now (B)(1)), a first-degree misdemeanor; and (5) Count V, contributing to the unruliness

of or delinquency of a child in violation of R.C. 2919.24(A) (now (B)(1)), a first-degree

misdemeanor. Corder ultimately pleaded guilty as charged.

{¶3} In July 2016, the court issued an entry sentencing him to a prison term of

24 months on Count I, 24 months on Count II, 11 months on Count III, 180 days on Count

IV, and 180 days on Count V. The court ordered the sentences on “Count I, Count II and

Count III to be served consecutive to each other, with the sentences ordered on Count IV

and Count V to merge for sentencing for a total term of 4 years 11 months.” The entry

states that the court “notified the defendant that post release control is mandatory for

FIVE years, as well as the consequences of violating conditions of post release control *

* *.”

{¶4} In May 2019, the court issued an entry that granted Corder judicial release

under R.C. 2929.20. The court placed him on five years of community control with

conditions, including that he successfully complete an appropriate community based

correctional facility (CBCF) program and inpatient treatment. The court stated:

Defendant is placed on a Community Control Sanction, and if the conditions of the sanction are violated, * * * the court may (1) lengthen the term of the community control sanction (2) impose a more restrictive community control sanction or (3) impose a prison term on the offender. The reserved term is: 4 years, 11 months (less credit). This Court reserves the right to re-impose the sentence. Hocking App. No. 20CA10 3

{¶5} In December 2019, the state moved the court to revoke Corder’s

“supervision” and impose his previously suspended sentence, in part because he was

“unsuccessfully terminated” from the Franklin County CBCF. In January 2020, the court

issued an entry finding he had violated “the terms and conditions of his community

control,” ordering that he “remain under community control sanctions and conditions as

originally imposed by the Court” in May 2019, and ordering that he “enter and successfully

complete the full 6-month STAR program.” The entry states that if he “violates the rules

of community control,” the court can “(1) lengthen the term of the community control

sanction (2) impose a more restrictive community control sanctions [sic] or (3) impose the

balance of his reserved prison term of 4 years and 11 months minus jail time credit.” The

entry also states that the court has “notified the defendant that post release control is

mandatory in this case for a period of 5 years, as well as the consequences of violating

conditions of post release control * * *.”

{¶6} In August 2020, the state moved the court to revoke Corder’s “supervision”

and impose his previously suspended sentence because he was unsuccessfully

terminated from STAR. In September 2020, the court conducted a hearing at which the

state introduced into evidence a STAR discharge statement which indicates Corder

entered STAR on January 21, 2020, and was unsuccessfully discharged on July 7, 2020,

i.e., 11 days before he would have completed the program. The statement indicates he

had five major concern slips (one for “out of area,” one for “non-homework compliance,”

two for “disrespectful behavior,” and one for “threats of violence”) and 44 minor concern

slips. The statement provides that “[s]taff made several attempts to address these Hocking App. No. 20CA10 4

antisocial behaviors through various levels of interventions,” but “[d]ue to continued rule

infractions, it was determined that Mr. Corder is not amenable to treatment at this time.”

{¶7} Cindy Hacker, an employee at STAR Community Justice Center, testified

that STAR is “a community behavior therapy facility where we challenge residents’

thoughts and behaviors and try to teach them a new way of living so they don’t go back

out into the community and have violations again * * *.” STAR residents receive a

handbook of program rules and can receive “major concern” and “minor concern” slips

for violations. Major violations “have criminal behavior * * * or criminal intent behind them,”

and minor violations relate more to forgetfulness. Hacker testified that “a concern slip is

not grievable” but the “corrective action that is attached to it” is. She could not give details

about three of Corder’s major violations or his 44 minor violations. She testified that he

received a slip for disrespectful behavior because he flipped off another resident in

violation of STAR’s rule against profanity. When asked if it is “a major violation whenever

someone uses profanity,” Hacker testified that “it can be, absolutely” and that “[w]e

typically hold everybody accountable for if they use profanity or if they flip someone off.”

Hacker testified that Corder received a slip for threats of violence because he told another

resident that he did not know what Corder was like in prison and that Corder “would put

a lock in a sock and find him.” Corder claimed the resident had called him a name.

Hacker testified that Corder had more interventions than the average resident, and that

during them, he acknowledged his violations but tried to justify his behavior. She was not

aware of Corder failing any random drug tests given to residents and testified that he

attended all STAR classes prior to his discharge. She did not know whether he “put in a Hocking App. No. 20CA10 5

grievance” to challenge his discharge but knew he met with several administrative staff

members prior to his discharge.

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2021 Ohio 2880, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-corder-ohioctapp-2021.