State v. Daniel

2022 Ohio 1348
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided April 22, 2022·No. L-21-1104·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

LUCAS COUNTY

State of Ohio Court of Appeals No. L-21-1104 Appellee Trial Court No. CR0201902973 v. Tyree K. Daniel DECISION AND JUDGMENT Appellant Decided: April 22, 2022

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Julia R. Bates, Lucas County Prosecuting Attorney, and Evy M. Jarrett, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for appellee.

Edward J. Stechschulte, for appellant.

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PIETRYKOWSKI, J.

{¶ 1} Appellant, Tyree K. Daniel, appeals the judgment entered by the Lucas County Common Pleas court, sentencing him to three years of community control, with 60 days of incarceration at CCNO, and stating that he was given an “Explanation of

Duties to Register as an Arson Offender pursuant to O.R.C. 2950.032.” For the reasons that follow, we affirm the trial court’s judgment and remand to the trial court for a nunc pro tunc entry as described herein.

Statement of the Case and the Facts {¶ 2} On or about October 10, 2019, appellant and others were involved in setting fire to a studio structure at 3240 Lagrange Street, in Toledo, Ohio.

{¶ 3} On November 12, 2019, appellant was indicted on one count of aggravated arson in violation of R.C. 2909.03(A)(1), (B)(1), and (B)(2), a felony of the first degree (“Count 1”), and one count of aggravated arson in violation of R.C. 2909.03(A)(2), (B)(1), and (B)(3), a felony of the second degree (“Count 2”).

{¶ 4} On January 16, 2020, appellant entered a guilty plea to Count 2 as amended, which charged him with arson, in violation of R.C. 2909.03(B)(1) and (D)(1),(2), a felony of the fourth degree. Pursuant to the plea agreement, the state of Ohio agreed to dismiss Count 1 at the time of sentencing.

{¶ 5} Under R.C. 2909.15(D)(2)(b), appellant is required to register as an arson offender upon sentencing. An initial sentencing hearing was held on March 31, 2021. At that hearing, appellant’s counsel objected to R.C. 2909.15(D)(2)(b) as unconstitutional, on the grounds that the statutory provision violates the separation of powers doctrine. R.C. 2909.15(D)(2)(b) requires lifetime registration on the arson registry except that “the judge may limit an arson offender’s duty to reregister at an arson offender’s sentencing hearing to not less than ten years if the judge receives a request from the prosecutor and the investigating law enforcement agency to consider limiting the arson offender’s registration period.” The trial court found appellant’s objection not well-taken and denied the same, concluding that it did not appear beyond a reasonable doubt that the statute was, in fact, unconstitutional.

{¶ 6} On April 28, 2021, the trial court sentenced appellant to three years of community control, with 60 days of incarceration at CCNO. The state did not request a reduced period of registration, and the trial court notified appellant of his duties to register as an arson offender for a period of life.

Assignments of Error

{¶ 7} Appellant asserts the following assignments of error on appeal:

I. Ohio Revised Code § 2909.15(D)(2)(b) is Unconstitutional as it Violates the Separation of Powers Doctrine.

II. The Trial Court erred in sentencing Appellant to register pursuant to R.C. § 2950.032.

Analysis

{¶ 8} The Ohio General Assembly passed legislation requiring mandatory registration for all arson offenders. Am.Sub.S.B. No. 70, R.C. 2909.14(A). Effective July 1, 2013, an offender who meets the definition of an “arson offender” must register annually for life. R.C. 2909.15(D)(2)(a). An “arson offender” is one who has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to an arson-related offense, as well as one who is serving a term of imprisonment for an arson-related offense as of July 1, 2013. R.C. 2909.13(B)(1),(2). A limited exception to the mandatory lifetime registration requirement permits a trial court to reduce the reporting period to a specified term not less than ten years, but only upon the request of the prosecutor and the investigating law enforcement agency. R.C. 2909(D)(2)(b).

{¶ 9} Appellant, in his first assignment of error, challenges the constitutionality of R.C. 2909.15(D)(2)(b), claiming that statutory provision violates the separation of powers doctrine. In conducting this analysis, we are mindful that “‘[t]he constitutionality of a statute or regulation is a question of law to be reviewed de novo.’” State v. Towns, 6th Dist. Williams No. WM-19-023, 2020-Ohio-5120, ¶ 38, appeal allowed, 161 Ohio St.3d 1449, 2021-Ohio-534, 163 N.E.3d 586, quoting State v. Whites Landing Fisheries, LLC, 2017-Ohio-4021, 91 N.E.3d 315, ¶ 15 (6th Dist.). (Additional citations omitted.) “When considering the constitutionality of a statute, [a reviewing court] ‘presume[s] the constitutionality of the legislation, and the party challenging the validity of the statute bears the burden of establishing beyond a reasonable doubt that the statute is unconstitutional’” Towns at ¶ 38, citing Dayton v. State, 151 Ohio St.3d 168, 2017-Ohio- 6909, 87 N.E.3d 176, ¶ 12. (Additional citations omitted.) “Parties have a ‘heavy burden’ when attempting to rebut the presumption of constitutionality.” Towns at ¶ 38, citing Dayton at ¶ 12. (Additional citations omitted.)

Separation of Powers Doctrine {¶ 10} The Supreme Court of Ohio has held that “[a]lthough the Ohio Constitution does not contain explicit language establishing the doctrine of separation of powers, it is inherent in the constitutional framework of government defining the scope of authority conferred upon the three separate branches of government.” State v. Sterling, 113 Ohio St.3d 255, 2007-Ohio-1790, 864 N.E.2d 630, ¶ 22. “It ‘represents the constitutional diffusion of power within our tripartite government. The doctrine was a deliberate design to secure liberty by simultaneously fostering autonomy and comity, as well as interdependence and independence, among the three branches.’” State v. Bodyke, 126 Ohio St.3d 266, 2010-Ohio-2424, 933 N.E.2d 753, ¶ 42, quoting Norwood v. Horney, 110 Ohio St.3d 353, 2006-Ohio-3799, 853 N.E.2d 1115, ¶ 114.

{¶ 11} “While no exact rule can be set forth for determining what powers of government may or may not be assigned by law to each branch, * * * ‘[i]t is nevertheless true, in the American theory of government, that each of the three grand divisions of the government, must be protected from encroachment by the others, so far that its integrity and independence may be preserved.’” S. Euclid v. Jemison, 28 Ohio St.3d 157, 159, 503 N.E.2d 136 (1986), quoting Fairview v. Giffee, 73 Ohio St. 183, 187, 76 N.E. 865 (1905) (internal citation omitted). “The essential principle underlying the policy of the of the division of powers of government into three departments is that powers properly belonging to one of the departments ought not to be directly and completely administered by either of the other departments, and further that none of them ought to possess directly or indirectly an overruling influence over the others.” Bodyke at ¶ 44. Stated otherwise, “the separate powers of the government are not required to be kept entirely separate and distinct, in the sense that there must be no common link of connection or dependence, but rather that the ‘whole power of one of these departments should not be exercised by the same hands which possess the whole power of either of the other departments.’” Stanton v. State Tax Com., 114 Ohio St. 658, 664, 151 N.E. 760 (1926). Thus, for example, “an act by the [executive branch] within [its] constitutional or statutory authority will not breach the doctrine of the separation of powers unless such act is truly beyond [its] authority [either constitutional or statutory] and encroaches on the authority of the legislature or of the courts.” State ex rel. AFSCME v. Taft, 156 Ohio App.3d 37, 2004- Ohio-493, 804 N.E.2d 88, ¶ 47 (3d Dist.)

Judicial Power

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