State v. Domanick

2018 Ohio 936
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 13, 2018
Docket17AP-628
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2018 Ohio 936 (State v. Domanick) 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. Domanick, 2018 Ohio 936 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Domanick, 2018-Ohio-936.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO

TENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

State of Ohio, :

Plaintiff-Appellee, : No. 17AP-628 v. : (C.P.C. No. 12CR-6487)

Michael P. Domanick, : (REGULAR CALENDAR)

Defendant-Appellant. :

D E C I S I O N

Rendered on March 13, 2018

On brief: Ron O'Brien, Prosecuting Attorney, and Laura R. Swisher, for appellee.

On brief: Joseph F. Salzgeber, for appellant.

APPEAL from the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas

BRUNNER, J. {¶ 1} Defendant-appellant, Michael P. Domanick, appeals decisions of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas entered on August 3 and 4, 2017, denying his post- sentencing motion to withdraw an Alford1 plea, and finding violations of Domanick's community-control conditions, resulting in extending his period of community control, along with new conditions. Because we agree that there is no manifest injustice in allowing his plea to stand and because the hearing before the trial court on the revocation request demonstrated that Domanick could pay considerably more toward his arrearages than he paid, we affirm the decisions of the trial court. I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY {¶ 2} On December 26, 2012, a Franklin County Grand Jury indicted Domanick for felony nonsupport of dependents. (Dec. 26, 2012 Indictment.) Dominick was served with

1 North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25 (1970). No. 17AP-628 2

the indictment approximately nine months later. (Sept. 19, 2013 Warrant Return.) He was arraigned and pled "not guilty" to the charges on September 20, 2013. (Sept. 20, 2013 Plea Form.) Approximately one year after his initial plea, following a number of changes of counsel and considerable motions practice, on November 3, 2014, Domanick entered an Alford plea to a single count of nonsupport of dependents with a joint recommendation of two years of community control. (Nov. 3, 2014 Guilty Plea Entry.) {¶ 3} The plea and sentencing transcript reflects the following exchange regarding the voluntariness of his plea: THE COURT: Mr. Domanick, would you stand please, sir? Sir, there are a number of things that we need to talk about. If I say anything that you are not sure of or you do not understand, will you please speak up and let us know that because then we can talk until you do understand?

THE DEFENDANT: Yes.

THE COURT: How old are you?

THE DEFENDANT: 45.

THE COURT: How far have you gone in school?

THE DEFENDANT: I have a college degree.

THE COURT: I take it you read and write the English language?

THE COURT: Are you a citizen of the United States?

THE COURT: Here today in this courtroom are you under the influence of alcohol or any drug or prescription medication?

THE DEFENDANT: No.

THE COURT: Is there anything at all that is affecting your judgment?

THE COURT: Has anybody threatened you or forced you to change your plea to guilty? No. 17AP-628 3

THE COURT: Has anybody promised you anything other than what you just heard here in this courtroom that causes you to plead guilty?

[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Your Honor, I just want to mention we are doing the Alford plea. I know you are using the word guilty. That may be some of his hesitation.

THE COURT: Let's deal with that right now. An Alford plea is a guilty plea, but it's a plea where you are basically saying: I'm not going to admit that I'm guilty, but I'm pleading guilty because I want to avoid a possible bad consequence that might occur if I go to trial. So it's a special kind of guilty plea, but it's a guilty plea nonetheless. And I understand that this is an Alford plea, and the record can reflect that whenever I say guilty or use that word, there is an understanding that we are talking about an Alford plea. So if that makes anything more clear or easier, then we have got that on the record.

Mr. Domanick, did you understand the things I said?

THE COURT: Okay. Now I need to try and remember where I was in my litany.

[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: I apologize. I think it was changing the plea.

THE COURT: Has anybody promised you anything other than what you heard here in this courtroom that is causing you to change your plea to guilty?

THE COURT: Has anybody offered to give you a bunch of money to plead guilty?

THE COURT: Has anybody promised you are going to get some big prize? These are pretty simple questions.

THE DEFENDANT: No. No. 17AP-628 4

THE COURT: Are you currently on probation or parole or community control or post-release control for any other criminal offenses?

THE COURT: Has [Defense Counsel] explained everything to you and answered all your questions?

THE COURT: Are you satisfied with her counsel and her advice?

THE COURT: The law requires that you understand the maximum penalty that could be imposed. This is a felony of the fifth degree. The maximum sentence would be one year in prison and a fine of up to $2,500. Do you understand those penalties?

THE COURT: Now, there is a recommendation from both sides here that I put you on community control -- that is what we call probation nowadays -- and that I do that for two years. I believe I intend to follow that recommendation.

Conditions will be placed upon your behavior. If you violate any of those conditions, there are basically three things that the Court could do. Your period of supervision could be extended out to five years, or different or greater restrictions could be placed on your behavior, or the community control could be revoked and you could be punished in some other fashion, not the least of which would be a year in prison and a fine of up to $2,500. Do you understand those things?

THE COURT: Now, if you go to prison on this case at any point in time you would have a chance to participate in programs in the prison that could reduce your sentence. If you went to prison, at the point where you are released from the prison the Adult Parole Authority, if they choose to, can supervise your behavior on the street for three years. If that happened and you violated any condition of your release, they could send you back No. 17AP-628 5

to the prison for additional time and it could be up to one half of whatever the original sentence might be.

That is a mouthful. Let me give you an example. If you were sent for a year and you messed up when you got out, they could send you back for six months. If you were sent for six months, they could send you back for three months. It's always one half of the original sentence. Any questions about all of that?

THE COURT: Have you understood everything so far?

THE COURT: Sir, I have got a two-page entry of guilty plea form up here electronically. It appears to have your signature on both pages. Did you sign these forms?

THE COURT: Did you go over the forms with [Defense Counsel] before you signed them?

THE COURT: Do you believe you understand the things that are contained in the forms?

THE COURT: This form is telling me, amongst other things, that you want to change your plea to guilty to this nonsupport and you do not want to have a trial. Is that accurate?

THE DEFENDANT: Same thing?

THE COURT: Mr. Domanick, the explanation I gave you is going to cover us all of the way to the very end.

THE DEFENDANT: Yes. I'm sorry.

THE COURT: This form is telling me that you want to change your plea to guilty and you do not want to have a trial. Is that accurate?

THE DEFENDANT: Yes. No. 17AP-628 6

THE COURT: And you understand what we are doing right now is not a trial?

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Bluebook (online)
2018 Ohio 936, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-domanick-ohioctapp-2018.