State v. Earich

447 N.E.2d 121, 4 Ohio App. 3d 183, 4 Ohio B. 285, 1982 Ohio App. LEXIS 10981
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 26, 1982
Docket80-C-53
StatusPublished

This text of 447 N.E.2d 121 (State v. Earich) 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. Earich, 447 N.E.2d 121, 4 Ohio App. 3d 183, 4 Ohio B. 285, 1982 Ohio App. LEXIS 10981 (Ohio Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

O’Neill, J.

Michael Earich, defendant-appellant, was indicted on July 10, 1979 for gross sexual imposition under R.C. 2907.05(A)(1), a felony of the fourth degree and attempted rape under R.C. 2923.02(A), a felony of the second degree.

On April 25, 1980, the appellant was returned to Columbiana County from Florida for trial in this indictment.

He was arraigned on April 28, 1980, and the Columbiana County Public Defender’s Office was appointed to represent him.

The public defender’s office filed a motion to have bond reduced which was denied on May 9, 1980.

The state of Ohio subsequently filed a motion to consolidate for trial the indictment in this case with the indictment in case No. 79 CR 89, an indictment for rape. On May 30, 1980, the court denied the state’s motion.

The case came for trial on September 15 and 16, 1980, and a jury found the appellant guilty of both counts of the indictment as charged.

On September 18,1980, the appellant was sentenced to the Ohio State Penitentiary for a term of six months to five years on count one of the indictment and a term of two years to fifteen years on count two of the indictment, both counts to run concurrently with each other but consecutively with the sentence received in case No. 79 CR 89. On the same day the appellant’s counsel filed a motion for new trial and judgment of acquittal.

*184 The motion for new trial and judgment of acquittal was denied on September 23, 1980.

On October 17, 1980, a notice of appeal was filed on the appellant’s behalf.

In a very brief manner, the appellant for his first assignment of error states that he cannot be convicted of both gross sexual imposition (R.C. 2907.05[A][1]) and attempted rape (R.C. 2923.02[A]). Without much law or- argument, he concludes that under the evidence, he should only have been convicted of gross sexual imposition as a matter of law. Apparently, appellant wishes us to review his two sentences and conclude that they amount to multiple punishment for the same offense.

R.C. 2907.05, in pertinent part, states:

“(A) No person shall have sexual contact with another, not the spouse of the offender, * * * when any of the following apply:
“(1) The offender purposely compels the other person * * * to submit by force or threat of force.”

As to attempted rape, we must consider two statutes as they apply to this case. “Rape” is defined by R.C. 2907.02 as follows:

“(A) No person shall engage in sexual conduct with another, not the spouse of the offender, when any of the following apply:
“(1) The offender purposely compels the other person to submit by force or threat of force.”
“Attempt” is defined in R.C. 2923.02(A) as follows:
“No person, purposely or knowingly, and when purpose or knowledge is sufficient culpability for the commission of an offense, shall engage in conduct which, if successful, would constitute or result in the offense.”

Duplicitous offenses have been addressed by the Supreme Court of Ohio in the case of State v. Best (1975), 42 Ohio St. 2d 530 [71 O.O.2d 517], in paragraph three of the syllabus, as follows:

“The applicable rule under the Fifth Amendment is that where the same act or transaction constitutes a violation of two distinct statutory provisions, the test to be applied to determine whether there are two offenses or only one is whether each provision requires proof of a fact which the other does not. A single act may be an offense against two statutes, and if each statute requires proof of an additional fact which the other does not, an acquittal or conviction under either statute does not exempt the defendant from prosecution and punishment under the other. (Blockburger v. United States, 284 U.S. 299, and Duvall v. State, 111 Ohio St. 657, followed.)”
When one reads the evidence in this case it can be concluded that there were acts of gross sexual imposition, all prior to, but leading up to an unsuccessful attempt at intercourse. These acts of gross sexual imposition were all a part of the attempted rape, thus they were “the same act or transaction constitutpng] a violation of two distinct statutory provisions.” State v. Best, supra. The elements of gross sexual imposition as set forth in R.C. 2907.05(A)(1) and the elements of rape as proscribed in R.C. 2907.02(A)(1) are similar. In proving attempted rape, the prosecution of necessity must prove all of the elements of gross sexual imposition. The evidence of all of defendant’s acts prior to the attempted rape leads one to the conclusion that the acts of gross sexual imposition were incidental to the crime of attempted rape. R.C. 2941.25 states:
“(A) Where the same conduct by defendant can be construed to constitute two or more allied offenses of similar import, the indictment or information may contain counts for all such offenses, but the defendant may be convicted of only one.
“(B) Where the defendant’s conduct constitutes two or more offenses of *185 dissimilar import, or where his conduct results in two or more offenses of the same or similar kind committed separately or with a separate animus as to each, the indictment or information may contain counts for all such offenses, and the defendant may be convicted of all of them.”

Both offenses with which the appellant was charged were committed for the same purpose. Appellant could “be punished multiply only if” both crimes “were committed separately or with a separate animus as to each.” State v. Price (1979), 60 Ohio St. 2d 136 [14 O.O.3d 379]. The appellant was sentenced on the charge of gross sexual imposition to a term of not less than six months or more than five years. This sentence is vacated.

Ray Manning was called as a defense witness. At the close of his testimony, the following dialogue occurred:

“THE COURT: That’s all. Did you have something that you want to say to me, sir.
“MR. MANNING: Me?
“THE COURT: You walk by my Bench and make that look at me. Say it out loud.
“MR. MANNING: I just glanced over at you.
“THE COURT: Oh, now, Mr. Manning, get out. I don’t have to put up with that sort of conduct from any witness in this courtroom from anybody, Mr. Guehl. Go ahead. Call your next witness.
“MR. GUEHL: Your Honor, we call Mitch Wolfe.”

A short time later, out of the presence of the jury, the appellant moved for a mistrial. The judge overruled the motion but explained the occurrence as follows:

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Related

Blockburger v. United States
284 U.S. 299 (Supreme Court, 1931)
Duvall v. State
146 N.E. 90 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1924)
State v. Best
330 N.E.2d 421 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1975)
State v. Price
398 N.E.2d 772 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1979)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
447 N.E.2d 121, 4 Ohio App. 3d 183, 4 Ohio B. 285, 1982 Ohio App. LEXIS 10981, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-earich-ohioctapp-1982.