State v. Cornwell

776 N.E.2d 572, 149 Ohio App. 3d 212
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 23, 2002
DocketCase No. 00-C.A.-223.
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 776 N.E.2d 572 (State v. Cornwell) 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. Cornwell, 776 N.E.2d 572, 149 Ohio App. 3d 212 (Ohio Ct. App. 2002).

Opinions

Waite, Judge.

{¶ 1} This timely appeal arises from the conviction of Sean Cornwell, appellant, in Youngstown Municipal Court for violating a loud-music ordinance. Appellant argues on appeal that the ordinance is unconstitutionally vague and overbroad and violates the First Amendment. For the following reasons, we overrule appellant’s assignment of error and affirm the judgment of the trial court.

{.¶ 2} On June 2, 2000, appellant was cited for a violation of former Youngstown Municipal Ordinance (“Ord.”) 539.07(b)(1). This ordinance has since been *214 substantially amended, but at the time appellant was cited the ordinance stated as follows:

{¶ 3} “No person shall play any radio, music player or an audio system in a motor vehicle at such volume as to disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of other persons or at a volume which is plainly audible to persons other than the occupants of said vehicle.”

{¶ 4} On September 25, 2000, appellant’s counsel made an oral motion to dismiss the charge on constitutional grounds. The court denied the motion, and appellant immediately entered into a Crim.R. 11 plea agreement. Appellant pleaded no contest to the charge. The court determined that this was appellant’s fourth offense for the same crime, and sentenced him to 60 days in jail and a $600 fine. Appellant filed this timely appeal on October 17, 2000.

{¶ 5} Appellant presents a single assignment of error for our review:

{¶ 6} “The trial court erred by entering judgment against appellant since Section 539.07 of the Youngstown Municipal Ordinances is unconstitutional pursuant to the First, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 16 of the Ohio Constitution.”

{¶ 7} Appellant raises three issues regarding the constitutionality of Ord. 539.07(b)(1). We begin our review by noting that all “legislation enjoys a presumption of constitutionality.” State v. Thompson (2001), 92 Ohio St.3d 584, 586, 752 N.E.2d 276. Any doubts about the constitutionality of a statute should be resolved in favor of a construction that upholds its validity. State v. Dorso (1983), 4 Ohio St.3d 60, 61, 4 OBR 150, 446 N.E.2d 449.

{¶ 8} Ord. 539.07(b)(1) contains two distinct limitations on the sound level of audio equipment in an automobile. The first provision prohibits maintaining the audio system in a car “at such a volume as to disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of other persons.” The second provision prohibits using the audio system “at a volume which is plainly audible to persons other than the occupants of said vehicle.” Appellant was charged with playing “loud and disturbing music from an automobile” in violation of Ord. 539.07(b)(1). This charge encompasses both provisions of Ord. 539.07(b)(1). Appellant focuses exclusively on the phrase “plainly audible” in the second part of Ord. 539.07(b)(1). Based on the record, it appears that the trial court was justified in convicting appellant under the first provision found in Ord. 539.07(b)(1). Since we determine that the first part of Ord. 539.07(b)(1) is constitutionally sound and provides ample justification for appellant’s conviction, it is not necessary for us to consider the constitutionality of the second part of the ordinance in this appeal.

{¶ 9} The record plainly reflects that appellant pleaded no contest to the loud-music violation. A plea of no contest is an admission of the facts set forth in *215 the complaint or indictment. State v. Bird (1998), 81 Ohio St.3d 582, 584, 692 N.E.2d 1013. Therefore, appellant admitted that he was playing loud and disturbing music in and from his automobile so as to violate Ord. 539.07(b)(1).

{¶ 10} Appellant’s first argument asserts that the loud-music ordinance is impermissibly vague. “[A]n enactment is void for vagueness if its prohibitions are not clearly defined.” Grayned v. Rockford (1972), 408 U.S. 104, 108, 92 S.Ct. 2294, 33 L.Ed.2d 222.

{¶ 11} “Under the vagueness doctrine, which is premised on the Fourteenth Amendment due-process requirement that a ‘law give fair notice of offending conduct,’ a statute is void for vagueness if it ‘ “fails to give a person of ordinary intelligence fair notice that his contemplated conduct is forbidden by the statute” * * * [or if] it encourages arbitrary and erratic arrests and convictions.’ Papachristou v. Jacksonville (1972), 405 U.S. 156, 162, 92 S.Ct. 839, 843, 31 L.Ed.2d 110, 115-116 (quoting United States v. Harriss [1954], 347 U.S. 612, 617, 74 S.Ct. 808, 812, 98 L.Ed. 989).” Cincinnati v. Thompson (1994), 96 Ohio App.3d 7, 24, 643 N.E.2d 1157.

{¶ 12} In Dorso, supra, the Ohio Supreme Court was faced with a “void for vagueness” challenge of a Cincinnati noise ordinance. The court was asked to determine whether the phrase “to disturb the peace and quiet” was so subjective and dependent on the personal sensitivities of the listener that, essentially, the ordinance provided no measurable standard of conduct. 4 Ohio St.3d at 63, 4 OBR 150, 446 N.E.2d 449.

{¶ 13} The Dorso court stated:

{¶ 14} “[W]e construe the Cincinnati ordinance at issue to prohibit the playing of music, amplification of sound, etc., in a manner which could be anticipated to offend the reasonable person, i.e., the individual of common sensibilities. Specifically, we find the ordinance to proscribe the transmission of sounds which disrupt the reasonable conduct of basic human activities, e.g., conversation or sleep. Our construction of the ordinance does not permit the imposition of criminal liability upon a party whose conduct disturbs only the hypersensitive. Thus, the standard hereby adopted vitiates the claimed vagueness of the ordinance.” Id. at 63-64, 4 OBR 150, 446 N.E.2d 449.

{¶ 15} Many other courts have held that noise statutes that are based on the “reasonable person” standard are sufficiently clear to withstand a “void for vagueness” challenge. Kovacs v. Cooper (1949), 336 U.S. 77, 69 S.Ct. 448, 93 L.Ed. 513; Kelleys Island v. Joyce (2001), 146 Ohio App.3d 92, 765 N.E.2d 387; Edison v. Jenkins (June 7, 2000), 5th Dist. No. CA893, 2000 WL 873692; State v. Boggs (June 25, 1999), 1st Dist. No. C-980640, 1999 WL 420108; State v. Linares (1995), 232 Conn. 345, 655 A.2d 737; Price v. State (Ind.1993), 622 N.E.2d 954; *216 Beaufort v. Baker (1993), 315 S.C. 146, 432 S.E.2d 470; Madison v. Baumann (1991), 162 Wis.2d 660, 470 N.W.2d 296.

{¶ 16} Additionally, the fact that Ord.

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Bluebook (online)
776 N.E.2d 572, 149 Ohio App. 3d 212, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-cornwell-ohioctapp-2002.