State v. Frangella

2012 Ohio 1863
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided April 25, 2012·No. 11 CA 43·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

COURT OF APPEALS

RICHLAND COUNTY, OHIO

FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

STATE OF OHIO JUDGES:

Hon. W. Scott Gwin, P. J.

Plaintiff-Appellee Hon. Sheila G. Farmer, J.

Hon. John W. Wise, J.

-vs-

Case No. 11 CA 43

JAMES FRANGELLA

Defendant-Appellant OPINION

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Criminal Appeal from the Court of Common Pleas, Case No. 2010 CR 526D

JUDGMENT: Affirmed

DATE OF JUDGMENT ENTRY: April 25, 2012

APPEARANCES: For Plaintiff-Appellee For Defendant-Appellant

JAMES J. MAYER, JR. PAUL L. WALLACE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY PAUL L. WALLACE CO., LPA DANIEL J. BENOIT 171 East Livingston Avenue ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR Columbus, Ohio 43215 38 South Park Street Mansfield, Ohio 44902

Wise, J.

{¶1} Appellant James Frangella appeals his conviction, in the Court of Common Pleas, Richland County, for OMVI, aggravated vehicular assault, and other offenses. Appellee is the State of Ohio. The relevant facts leading to this appeal are as follows.

{¶2} On January 25, 2010, at about 8:30 PM, Appellant Frangella was driving his Nissan pickup truck eastbound on Route 330 in Richland County. The roads in the area at that time were snow-covered and slippery. As appellant’s truck rounded a slight curve near the intersection of Snodgrass Road, it went left of the center line and struck an oncoming Chevrolet Cavalier with four occupants: Troy Gilliland, Robert Rahm, Brian Hauck and Stanley Rupinski. These four men, as well as appellant, were injured in the collision. They were thereafter transported by paramedics to MedCentral Health Center in Mansfield.

{¶3} Trooper James Baker of the Ohio State Highway Patrol arrived at the scene shortly after the collision took place. He began his investigation at the scene, noting among other things that the debris field from the vehicles and a gouge mark in the pavement were in the westbound lane of travel. Trooper Baker subsequently went to the hospital and interviewed the parties involved in the collision, including appellant. In talking with appellant about two hours after the crash, the trooper noticed an odor of alcoholic beverage, slurred speech, and glassy eyes. Trooper Baker also noticed that appellant seemed to be “holding his breath when he was talking.” Tr. at 191. The trooper then went to his cruiser and obtained the forms for requesting a BAC test. When he returned, appellant had vomited on the floor. The trooper proceeded to request the test, but appellant refused to do so. The trooper told appellant that since he was facing a felony, the blood draw would take place anyway. The trooper then had the blood drawn by a phlebotomist and sent to the state crime lab for testing.

{¶4} Those test results were suppressed by the trial court. The hospital laboratory records show blood test results, but the patient chart does not show that blood was taken. Appellant was released after several hours. Appellant appeared several weeks later at the Highway Patrol Office, where he was arrested. At that time, Trooper Baker read to him and asked him to sign the form regarding the refusal, with which he complied.

{¶5} In March 2010, appellant was indicted by the Richland County Grand Jury (case number 2010-CR-120D) on four felony counts of aggravated vehicular assault, two misdemeanor counts of OMVI, and one count of driving left of center. On March 25, 2010, appellant entered pleas of not guilty to all of these charges. On April 27, 2010, appellant, through counsel, filed a motion in limine and/or to suppress seeking to suppress the blood draw test results conducted by OSHP and MedCentral Mansfield and to suppress all statements made by appellant on the basis they were involuntary.

{¶6} On August 10, 2010, in case number 2010-CR-120D, the trial court issued an order suppressing the use of OSHP's blood test results. However, the blood test results from the hospital’s self-initiated draw were not suppressed.

{¶7} The predecessor case, case number 2010-CR-120D, was dismissed on August 12, 2010, and appellant was re-indicted under case number 2010-CR-526D as follows: eight counts of aggravated vehicular assault (R.C. 2903.08(A)(1)(a) and 2903.08(A)(2)(b)), felonies of the third degree and the fourth degree; two counts of

Richland County, Case No. 11 CA 43 4

operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs (R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(a) and 4511.19(A)(1)(b)), misdemeanors of the first degree; and one count of driving left of center (R.C. 4511.25(A)), a minor misdemeanor. Appellant pled not guilty to all charges.

{¶8} On April 13, 2011, in response to a motion to reconsider filed by the State, the trial court issued an order affirming its earlier decision to exclude the OSHP-initiated blood draw on appellant.

{¶9} A jury trial commenced on April 14, 2011, following which appellant was found guilty of all counts in the indictment except count six (based on an alleged violation of R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(b)), which was dismissed.

{¶10} A sentencing hearing was held on April 25, 2011, following which appellant was sentenced to a total of four years in prison.

{¶11} On May 3, 2011, appellant filed a notice of appeal. He herein raises the following seven Assignments of Error:

{¶12} “I. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN ADMITTING THE TESTIMONY OF DR. ROBERT FORNEY, THE STATE'S FORENSIC TOXICOLOGY EXPERT.

{¶13} “II. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN ADMITTING THE TESTIMONY OF DR. STEVEN GREGORY ESCUE, THE DEFENDANT'S TREATING PHYSICIAN AT THE HOSPITAL ON THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT.

{¶14} “III. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN ADMITTING EVIDENCE OF THE REFUSAL BY DEFENDANT TO TAKE AN ALCOHOL TEST.

{¶15} “IV. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN ADMITTING EVIDENCE OF ALLEGED CELLULAR PHONE CONVERSATIONS OF DEFENDANT [AND] CALIBRATION LOGS OF THE HOSPITAL TESTING EQUIPMENT.

{¶16} “V. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO GRANT DEFENDANT'S MOTION FOR ACQUITTAL PURSUANT TO RULE 29 OF THE OHIO RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE AT THE CLOSE OF THE STATE'S CASE.

{¶17} “VI. THE APPELLANT WAS DEPRIVED OF A FAIR TRIAL AS A RESULT OF THE CUMULATIVE ERRORS WHICH OCCURRED AT TRIAL.

{¶18} “VII. THE COURT FAILED TO CONSIDER SENTENCING GUIDELINES IS (SIC) REQUIRED UNDER THE REVISED CODE IN SENTENCING DEFENDANT TO CONSECUTIVE TERMS.”

I.

{¶19} In his First Assignment of Error, appellant contends the trial court erred in admitting the testimony of the State’s forensic toxicology expert. We disagree.

{¶20} The admission or exclusion of relevant evidence rests in the sound discretion of the trial court. State v. Sage (1987), 31 Ohio St.3d 173, 180, 510 N.E.2d 343. As a general rule, all relevant evidence is admissible. Evid.R. 402; cf. Evid.R. 802. Our task is to look at the totality of the circumstances in the case sub judice, and determine whether the trial court acted unreasonably, arbitrarily or unconscionably in allowing or excluding the disputed evidence. State v. Oman (Feb. 14, 2000), Stark App.No. 1999CA00027.

{¶21} In Crawford v. Washington (2004), 541 U.S. 36, 124 S.Ct. 1354, 158 L.Ed.2d 177, the United States Supreme Court held that under the Confrontation

Clause, “testimonial” statements of a witness who does not appear at trial may not be admitted or used against a criminal defendant unless the declarant is unavailable to testify and the defendant has had a prior opportunity for cross-examination. In Melendez–Diaz v. Massachusetts (2009), –– U.S. ––, 129 S.Ct. 2527, 174 L.Ed.2d 314, the United States Supreme Court, applying Crawford, concluded it was a violation of a defendant's right to confrontation in a drug trafficking case where a lab analyst's notarized certificates regarding the identity and weight of the substance at issue were admitted without affording the defendant an opportunity to cross-examine the lab analyst. See State v. Monroe, Cuyahoga App. No. 94768, 2011–Ohio–3045, ¶ 54.

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