State v. Figueroa

2020 Ohio 1328, 153 N.E.3d 522
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 6, 2020
Docket2019-P-0079
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2020 Ohio 1328 (State v. Figueroa) 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. Figueroa, 2020 Ohio 1328, 153 N.E.3d 522 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Figueroa, 2020-Ohio-1328.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS

ELEVENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

PORTAGE COUNTY, OHIO

STATE OF OHIO, : OPINION

Plaintiff-Appellee, : CASE NO. 2019-P-0079 - vs - :

JOHN L. FIGUEROA, II, :

Defendant-Appellant. :

Criminal Appeal from the Portage County Municipal Court, Ravenna Division. Case No. 2018 CRB 00849.

Judgment: Affirmed in part and reversed in part; remanded.

Victor V. Vigluicci, Portage County Prosecutor, and Pamela J. Holder, Assistant Prosecutor, 241 South Chestnut Street, Ravenna, OH 44266 (For Plaintiff-Appellee).

Shubhra N. Agarwal, 3732 Fishcreek Road, Suite 288, Stow, OH 44224 (For Defendant- Appellant).

TIMOTHY P. CANNON, P.J.

{¶1} Appellant, John L. Figueroa II, appeals from the July 5, 2019 sentencing

entry of the Portage County Municipal Court, Ravenna Division. For the reasons that

follow, the entry of conviction is affirmed in part and reversed in part. The sentence

imposed is upheld, but the matter is remanded for the state of Ohio to elect which allied

offense survives merger. {¶2} On March 27, 2018, a complaint was filed against appellant accusing him

of obstructing official business and making a false police report incriminating a Deputy

Sheriff of theft. Three misdemeanors were listed in the complaint—Falsification (M1) in

violation of R.C. 2921.13(A)(2); Falsification (M1) in violation of R.C. 2921.13(B); and

Obstructing Official Business (M2) in violation of R.C. 2921.31(A).

{¶3} A bench trial was held June 17-18, 2019. The charge of Obstructing Official

Business was dismissed upon the state of Ohio’s motion. In a June 19, 2019 judgment

entry, the trial court found appellant “guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of falsification

pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 2921.13(A)(2) and a second count of falsification

pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 2921.13(B).”

{¶4} Sentencing was held July 5, 2019. After hearing from counsel and

addressing appellant, the court stated: “And we are just going to pure and simple go on

to sentencing. And my sentence is a $1,000 fine and court costs, 180 days in jail, credit

for 30 days served. I’m going to suspend $800 of the fine. You are to commit no violation

of law for two years and your sentence starts today.” The prosecutor inquired, “Judge, I

assume for purposes of the sentencing entry, the two charges merge for purposes of

sentencing?” The court affirmed, “I did merge those.”

{¶5} The trial court issued a form judgment entry of sentence, from which

appellant now appeals. Appellant raises five assignments of error for our review:

[1.] Mr. Figueroa’s entry of conviction is not a final, appealable order.

[2.] The trial court committed reversible error when it overruled Mr. Figueroa’s Crim.R. 29(A) motion for acquittal because the evidence was insufficient to support a conviction.

2 [3.] Mr. Figueroa’s conviction of falsification was against the manifest weight of the evidence.

[4.] The trial court committed reversible and plain error when it sentenced Mr. Figueroa without having the State elect which count of falsification will be merged into the other for the purpose of sentencing.

[5.] Mr. Figueroa was denied his constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel at trial when his trial counsel failed to argue that the prosecutor did not elect what count of falsification will be merged for purposes of sentencing.

{¶6} Appellee, the state of Ohio, responded to only the first assignment of error.

Final, Appealable Order

{¶7} As his first assignment of error, appellant asserts the trial court’s entry of

conviction is not a final, appealable order because it fails to comply with Crim.R. 32(C).

The state agrees. We disagree, however, with both parties. The trial court’s entry of

conviction complies with Crim.R. 32(C) and is a final, appealable order.

{¶8} Pursuant to Crim.R. 32(C), “A judgment of conviction shall set forth the fact

of conviction and the sentence. * * * The judge shall sign the judgment and the clerk

shall enter it on the journal.”

{¶9} “Crim.R. 32(C) clearly specifies the substantive requirements that must be

included within a judgment entry of conviction to make it final for purposes of appeal[.]”

State v. Lester, 130 Ohio St.3d 303, 2011-Ohio-5204, ¶11. These substantive

requirements are “(1) the fact of the conviction, (2) the sentence, (3) the judge’s signature,

and (4) the time stamp indicating the entry upon the journal by the clerk.” Id. at ¶14,

modifying State v. Baker, 119 Ohio St.3d 197, 2008-Ohio-3330.

3 {¶10} “In contrast, when the substantive provisions of Crim.R. 32(C) are contained

in the judgment of conviction, the trial court’s omission of how the defendant’s conviction

was effected, i.e., the ‘manner of conviction,’ does not prevent the judgment of conviction

from being an order that is final and subject to appeal.” Id. at ¶12 (emphasis added).

{¶11} Here, the sentencing entry correctly sets forth the fact of conviction but

incorrectly designates the manner of conviction. Rather than indicating that the trial court

made a finding of guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, it indicates appellant pled guilty.

Appellant admits this mistake does not affect the finality of the order. See id. at ¶12.

{¶12} Rather, appellant argues the finality of the order is affected by (1) the

omission of the particular section of the Revised Code and level of offense of which he

was convicted and (2) the failure to note which count of Falsification survived merger for

purposes of sentencing. Neither of these, however, are substantive requirements of a

final and appealable entry of conviction under Crim.R. 32(C).

{¶13} First, this court has previously held that “there is no requirement that the

trial court indicate on a sentencing entry the exact section numbers of the revised code

the defendant has been found guilty of violating.” Mentor v. Molk, 11th Dist. Lake No.

2010-L-112, 2011-Ohio-3120, ¶18. Thus, as omitting this information is not error, the

failure to include it certainly does not affect the finality of the order. There is no argument

or any indication from the record that appellant was unaware of the charges against him,

the revised code sections and level of those offenses, and the charges of which he was

found guilty. This information was included, among other places, in the complaint filed

against appellant, as well as the judgment entered with the trial court’s finding of guilt.

4 {¶14} Second, the sentencing entry states the fact of conviction and sentence for

only one offense. The form entry indicates two counts of Falsification were merged:

“falsification x 2, merge.” And only one sentence was imposed, according to the form

entry: “$1,000 Fine, X Costs”; “180 days in jail. Credit for 30 days served”; “$800 of the

fine suspended upon conditions below”; “Defendant commits no violation of law for 2

years.” Accordingly, any error regarding merger in this case does not affect the finality of

the sentencing entry.

{¶15} “[T]he purpose of Crim.R. 32(C) is to ensure that a defendant is on notice

concerning when a final judgment has been entered and the time for filing an appeal has

begun to run.” Lester, supra, at ¶10, citing State v. Tripodo, 50 Ohio St.2d 124, 127

(1977). There is no concern here that appellant did not receive notice of when the time

for filing his appeal began to run.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2020 Ohio 1328, 153 N.E.3d 522, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-figueroa-ohioctapp-2020.