State v. Fafrak

8 Ohio App. Unrep. 453
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 12, 1990
DocketCase No. 1897
StatusPublished

This text of 8 Ohio App. Unrep. 453 (State v. Fafrak) 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. Fafrak, 8 Ohio App. Unrep. 453 (Ohio Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

CIRIGLIANO, J.

On January 12, 1989, Joan E. Fafrak, defendant-appellant, was issued a citation for driving under the influence of alcohol in violation of R.C. 4511.19(A)(1) and for failing to stop within an assured clear distance in violation of R.C. 4511.21(A). The charges resulted from an automobile accident that occurred in Medina County that same day.

After several trial continuances were granted either at the request of one of the parties or, by the court sua sponte, a jury trial was scheduled for December 5, 1989. On December 4, 1989 Fafrak filed a waiver of a jury trial. Subsequently, the case was set for a bench trial on January 26, 1990.

[454]*454On January 11, 1990 appellant filed a second demand for a jury trial which the trial court denied. Fafrak motioned for a continuance of the case two days before the January trial date since her former counsel was permitted to withdraw from the case and, she had retained new counsel. The trial court denied this motion.

A bench trial was held in the Medina Municipal Court and the appellant was found guilty of both charges. Fafrak appeals the trial Court's judgment and sentence raising five assignments of error.

Assignment of Error I

"The trial court committed error by not granting Appellant's January 11, 1990 demand for jury trial."

Fafrak argues that the trial court Committed reversible error when it denied a motion for a trial by jury which was timely filed pursuant to Crim. R. 23 (A) after she had previously waived her right to a trial by jury pursuant to R.C. 2945.05. We agree.

R.C. 2945.05 provides in pertinent part:

"In all criminal cases pending in courts of record in this state, the defendant may waive a trial by jury and be tried by the court without a jury.***.

"***Such waiver may be withdrawn by the defendant at any time before the commencement of the trial."

Crim. R. 23(A) provides:

"***In petty offense cases, where there is a right of jury trial, the defendant shall be tried by the court unless he demands a jury trial. Such demand must be in writing and filed with the clerk of court not less than ten days prior to the date set for trial, or on or before the third day following receipt of notice of the date set for trial, which ever is later. Failure to demand a jury trial as provided in this subdivision is a complete waiver of the right thereto."

In State v. Grimsley (1982), 3 Ohio App. 3d 265 the court held that it was error when the trial court denied a defendant's second demand for a jury trial which was timely filed pursuant to Crim. R. 23(A) following a statutory jury trial waiver in accordance with R.C. 2945.05. The Supreme Court of Ohio, recognizing the fundamental right of trial by jury, has held that the time limits of Crim. R. 23(A), regarding the filing of a jury demand, are to be computed with respect to the last scheduled trial date. Tallmadge v. DeGraft-Biney (1988), 39 Ohio St. 3d 300, syllabus. Further, the court held:

"The provision of Crim. R. 23(A) requiring that jury demands in petty offense cases be filed 'not less than ten days prior to the date set for trial' means ten days before the actual trial date regardless of the number of continuances for what ever reasons which may have been granted."

Id. at 303. (Emphasis in original.)

In the instant Case, the defendant filed a statutory waiver of her right to a jury trial on December 4, 1989. Her case was rescheduled for a bench trial on January 26, 1990. On January 11, 1990 Fafrak refiled her request for a trial by jury which the trial court denied the same day. we find the decision in Grimsley, supra, controlling and note that Fafrak's demand was timely filed within the applicable ten day time period set forth in Crim. R. 23(A). Therefore, we sustain appellant’s first assignment of error.

Assignment of Error II

"The trial court abused its discretion when it failed to grant new counsel a motion for continuance two days before trial."

Upon review of the denial of a continuance, absent a showing of an abuse of discretion, the ruling must be affirmed. State v. Unger (1981), 67 Ohio St. 2d 65, 67. In ruling on motions for continuance, a trial court should balance factors including the defendant's right to counsel, potential prejudice to the defendant and to the state, the court's right to control its own docket and the public's interest in prompt justice. State v. Jones (1987), 42 Ohio App. 3d 14, 15-16.

There are no mechanical tests for deciding when a denial of a continuance is so arbitrary as to violate due process. Ungar v. Sarafite (1964), 376 U.S. 575, 589. The answer must be found in the Circumstances in every case. State v. Jones, supra, at 16.

In the instant case, a continuance was requested two days prior to trial when the defendant dismissed her former counsel and hired a new attorney to represent her. We note that this case was over one year old when the request for withdrawal of counsel was filed. Furthermore, defendant had representation by counsel from the time of her arraignment in December 1989, to the time the request from her former counsel to withdraw was filed two days before trial when Fafrak decided to retain new counsel. In light [455]*455of these facts we cannot say that such facts support the conclusion that the denial of he continuance in this case was unreasonable, arbitrary or unconscionable. Ruwe v. Bd. of Springfield Twp. Trustees (1987), 29 Ohio St. 3d 59, 61. Therefore, this assignment of error is overruled.

Assignment of Error III

"The trial court erred when in rendering its final decision, it found appellant's refusal to answer questions at the hospital inconsistent with her testimony at trial when she had no obligation to answer the officer's questions at the hospital in accordance with her Fifth Amendment right."

Fafrak argues that the trial court used the defendant's silence following the state trooper's administration of Miranda warnings as a basis of finding her guilty of the offenses charged. We disagree.

In its decision the court stated:1

"I would indicate that there are, with regard to credibility, a couple of matters that cause concern with reference to the testimony presented by the defendant. First, there has been at least three different versions as to the amounts consumed, one initially given to the trooper on the evening of the accident of two beers; one and a half admitted to in a hearing later in this court; and a testimony today of two sips of one beer; the testimony today with regard to where the defendant was coming from was a fairly innocent story and made sense under the type of circumstances, yet on the evening of this offense, after being advised of her rights pursuant to Miranda, she began to answer questions by the trooper. The defendant refused to answer the, 'Where did you start from?' and did not answer any additional questions after that.***"

It is obvious from the excerpt above that the trial court was concerned with the defendant's credibility arising from the discrepancies in her testimony regarding the amount of alcohol consumed that evening and not her post-arrest silence following the administration of the Miranda warnings.

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Related

Ungar v. Sarafite
376 U.S. 575 (Supreme Court, 1964)
Miranda v. Arizona
384 U.S. 436 (Supreme Court, 1966)
Strickland v. Washington
466 U.S. 668 (Supreme Court, 1984)
State v. Grimsley
444 N.E.2d 1071 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1982)
State v. Martin
485 N.E.2d 717 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1983)
State v. Brandenburg
534 N.E.2d 906 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1987)
State v. Jones
535 N.E.2d 1372 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1987)
State v. Nagel
506 N.E.2d 285 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1986)
State v. Dehass
227 N.E.2d 212 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1967)
City of Piqua v. Hinger
238 N.E.2d 766 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1968)
State v. Unger
423 N.E.2d 1078 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1981)
Ruwe v. Board of Township Trustees
505 N.E.2d 957 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1987)
City of Tallmadge v. DeGraft-Biney
530 N.E.2d 1310 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1988)
State v. Bradley
538 N.E.2d 373 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1989)
State v. Bresson
554 N.E.2d 1330 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1990)

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Bluebook (online)
8 Ohio App. Unrep. 453, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-fafrak-ohioctapp-1990.