State v. Craft, Unpublished Decision (4-27-2001)

CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 27, 2001
DocketCourt of Appeals No. F-00-013, Trial Court No. 99CR000047.
StatusUnpublished

This text of State v. Craft, Unpublished Decision (4-27-2001) (State v. Craft, Unpublished Decision (4-27-2001)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law.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State v. Craft, Unpublished Decision (4-27-2001), (Ohio Ct. App. 2001).

Opinions

DECISION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY
On July 8, 1999, appellant, Thomas Craft, was indicted for aggravated murder, a violation of R.C. 2903.01(A); murder, a violation of R.C.2903.02(A); possession of criminal tools, a violation of R.C. 2923.04(A) and, gross abuse of a corpse, a violation of R.C. 2927.01(B). On March 3, 2000, appellant entered a plea of guilty pursuant to North CarolinaV. Alford (1970), 400 U.S. 25, to one count of voluntary manslaughter, a violation of R.C. 2903.03(A) and a felony of the first degree. Appellant also entered no contest pleas to possession of criminal tools1 and gross abuse of a corpse, both fifth degree felonies.

The state's theory of the case was that appellant intentionally killed his wife and dismembered her body with a knife. He then attempted to dispose of her body parts at various locations in the state of Michigan in an effort to avoid detection. The defense claimed that appellant's wife, suffering from severe mental illness, committed suicide by stabbing herself in the chest. Appellant then dismembered and disposed of her body so his young children would not know their mother killed herself.

Appellant was sentenced to ten years in prison for voluntary manslaughter, one year in prison for possession of criminal tools and one year in prison for gross abuse of a corpse. The sentences were ordered to be served consecutively. Appellant now appeals setting forth the following assignment of error:

"THE DEFENDANT'S MAXIMUM AND CONSECUTIVE SENTENCES ARE ILLEGAL AND CONTRARY TO BOTH HIS RIGHTS UNDER THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND OHIO STATUTORY LAW."

I.
Appellant first contends that the trial judge failed to act as an impartial tribunal thereby denying appellant his right to a fair trial. Specifically, appellant contends that the trial court's bias against him was apparent at sentencing. In support of his claim, appellant cites to various comments made by the judge during the sentencing phase of the case:

"This is the type of case that fans emotions, passions, of those who are the loved ones of the parties involved

* * *

"There has been some rather vehement criticism of the justice system in this case. Judges read newspapers also. I too have received letters, as has the prosecutor. These have been generated by aroused citizens who are expressing outrage at what they perceive to be a case of justice awry. Injustice if you will.

"Mr. Craft, even assuming that your version of the facts is true, what you did was criminal. You are asking for this court to grant you additional mercies and extenuations of considerations over and above what your attorneys have already been able to secure for you. You are asking for a lighter sentence. However, you have already received a major consideration in this case. Frankly, in this court's opinion any additional consideration, given the enormity of what happened here, is — would be unconscionable."

"The Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, or his designee, has exclusive jurisdiction to determine a claim that a common pleas judge is biased or prejudiced. Section 5(C), Article IV, Ohio Constitution."

State v. Mackey (Feb. 14, 2000), Warren App. No. CA99-06-065, unreported, See also, State ex rel. Pratt v. Weygandt (1956),164 Ohio St. 463, paragraph three of the syllabus; Jones v. Billingham (1995), 105 Ohio App.3d 8, 11.

Appellant's exclusive remedy if he believed that the trial judge was biased or prejudiced against him at any stage of her trial was to file an affidavit of disqualification pursuant to R.C. 2701.03. Id. Accordingly, this court lacks jurisdiction to decide the merits of appellant's first argument.

II.
Appellant next contends that the court's "findings" in support of appellant's maximum, consecutive sentences are not supported by the record.

Prior to the enactment of Senate Bill 2, which took effect on July 1, 1996, trial courts had virtually unlimited discretion in choosing a sentence within statutory guidelines. See, e.g., State v. Hill (1994),70 Ohio St.3d 25, 29, State v. Bruce (1994), 95 Ohio App.3d 169, 172,Columbus v. Jones (1987), 39 Ohio App.3d 87, 88. Accordingly, our standard of review was limited to examining whether the trial court abused its discretion in choosing a particular sentence. While Senate Bill 2 gives the trial courts some discretion in choosing an appropriate sentence, this discretion is no longer as broad as it was under the former law. State v. Smith,(Mar. 17, 1999), Meigs App. No. 98CA02, unreported. In conducting our review, we recognize that Senate Bill 2 places various controls upon judicial discretion through statutory guidelines stating various purposes, principles, presumptions, and factors the court must consider in making its sentencing determination.State v. Dunwoody,(Aug. 5, 1998), Meigs App. No. 97-CA-11, unreported.

"The overriding purposes of felony sentencing are to protect the public from future crime by the offender and others and to punish the offender." R.C. 2929.11(A). R.C. 2953.08 states in pertinent part:

"(A) In addition to any other right to appeal and except as provided in division (D) of this section, a defendant who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a felony may appeal as a matter of right the sentence imposed upon the defendant on one of the following grounds:

"(1) The sentence consisted of or included the maximum prison term allowed for the offense by division (A) of section 2929.14 of the Revised Code, the sentence was not imposed pursuant to division (D)(3)(b) of section 2929.14 of the Revised Code, the maximum prison term was not required for the offense pursuant to Chapter 2925. or any other provision of the Revised Code, and the court imposed the sentence under one of the following circumstances:

"(a) The sentence was imposed for only one offense.

"(b) The sentence was imposed for two or more offenses arising out of a single incident, and the court imposed the maximum prison term for the offense of the highest degree."

The permissible sentencing range for a first degree felony is three to ten years. R.C. 2929.14(A)(1). Appellant was sentenced to ten years for the first degree felony of voluntary manslaughter. The permissible sentencing range for a fifth degree felony is six months to a year. R.C.2929.14(A)(5). Appellant was sentenced to a year for each of the fifth degree felony offenses of possession of criminal tools and abuse of a corpse.

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Related

North Carolina v. Alford
400 U.S. 25 (Supreme Court, 1970)
State v. Whitsell
591 N.E.2d 265 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1990)
State v. Bruce
642 N.E.2d 12 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1994)
Jones v. Billingham
663 N.E.2d 657 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1995)
State v. Collins
585 N.E.2d 532 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1990)
City of Columbus v. Jones
529 N.E.2d 947 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1987)
State v. Hill
635 N.E.2d 1248 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1994)
State v. Edmonson
715 N.E.2d 131 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1999)

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Bluebook (online)
State v. Craft, Unpublished Decision (4-27-2001), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-craft-unpublished-decision-4-27-2001-ohioctapp-2001.