State v. Fritz

896 N.E.2d 778, 178 Ohio App. 3d 65, 2008 Ohio 4389
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 29, 2008
DocketNo. 22377.
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 896 N.E.2d 778 (State v. Fritz) 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. Fritz, 896 N.E.2d 778, 178 Ohio App. 3d 65, 2008 Ohio 4389 (Ohio Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

Donovan, Judge.

{¶ 1} This matter is before the court on the notice of appeal of Dexter Fritz, filed September 6, 2007. On January 26, 2007, Fritz and another defendant, Latonya E. Messenger, were indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury (“A indictment”). Fritz was indicted as follows: count one, trafficking in drugs (crack cocaine), in an amount less than a gram, in violation of R.C. 2925.03(A)(1); count two, trafficking in drugs (crack cocaine), in an amount greater than one gram but less than five grams, in violation of R.C. 2925.03(A)(1); and count four, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, in violation of R.C. 2923.32(A)(3). On July 24, 2007, Fritz was reindicted (“B indictment”) as follows: count one, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, in violation of R.C. 2923.32(A)(1); count two, trafficking in drugs (cocaine), in an amount greater than one gram but less than five grams, in violation of 2925.03(A)(2); count three, trafficking in drugs (crack cocaine) in an amount greater than one gram but less than five grams, in violation of R.C. 2925.03(A)(1); count four, possession of crack cocaine in an amount greater than one gram but less than five grams, in violation of R.C. 2925.03(A)(2); count five, trafficking in drugs (crack cocaine) in an amount less than a gram, in violation of R.C. 2925.03(A)(2); and count six, possession of crack cocaine in an amount less than one gram, in violation of R.C. 2925.11(A).

{¶2} Following a jury trial, Fritz was convicted on count one in the A indictment and on all counts in the B indictment. He was sentenced as follows:

*68 Counts two, three, and four in the B indictment: 18 months concurrent with each other;
Count one in the A indictment and Counts five and six in the B indictment: 12 months concurrent with each other; and
Count one in the B indictment: two years concurrent with the sentence for Count one of the A Indictment.

{¶ 3} The sentence for Count 1 of the A indictment was consecutive to the sentences for Counts 2, 3, and 4 of the B indictment, for a total prison term of 30 months.

{¶ 4} The events giving rise to this matter began when Paul Hutsonpillar, a detective with the Perry Township Police Department assigned to the Montgomery County Sheriffs Department’s organized-crime unit, became involved in an investigation into drug trafficking led by Detective Thomas Engles of the Kettering Police Department. A confidential informant advised Engles that a black female by the street name of T was selling crack cocaine from apartment 17, at 3217 Wilmington Pike. Engles selected Hutsonpillar to conduct a controlled buy since it was unlikely he would be identified by any suspects as an officer, given that he was from another jurisdiction.

{¶ 5} Hutsonpillar testified that he identified himself as Rob and used the “dropped name” of Barry when he called T, explaining to the jury that a dropped name is a name that the confidential informant knew belonged to someone else who had purchased crack cocaine from T recently. T was actually Latonya Messenger, and Hutsonpillar asked her the price to buy an eight ball of crack cocaine. Messenger quoted a price of $80, and Hutsonpillar obtained the money from Engles. Wearing a wire, Hutsonpillar went to Messenger’s apartment at approximately 6:30 p.m. on October 24, 2006. Messenger let Hutsonpillar into the apartment, and once inside he observed a younger white female and an older black male there. Messenger asked Hutsonpillar for $90, and Hutsonpillar replied that he brought the money they had agreed to, $80. Hutsonpillar then sat on a couch while Messenger placed a phone call to “her dude,” informing him that Hutsonpillar only had $80. Approximately 10 minutes later, Fritz and another black male arrived at the apartment, and Messenger allowed them to enter. The man accompanying Fritz was his cousin, Adrian. Fritz gave Messenger a baggie of what Hutsonpillar believed was crack cocaine, and in exchange, Messenger gave Fritz the $80 she had obtained from Hutsonpillar. Messenger put the cocaine on a mirror, took a small piece for herself, and put the larger piece into the baggie for Hutsonpillar. Hutsonpillar then left the apartment with the drugs.

{¶ 6} Hutsonpillar testified that he later placed another call to Messenger to purchase more drugs, and on October 26, 2006, he again entered her apartment *69 with money to purchase crack cocaine. Messenger again placed a phone call, and 20 minutes later, Fritz again appeared at the apartment, this time alone. Fritz removed the crack cocaine from his right jacket pocket, and he gave it to Messenger in exchange for the money. The drugs were not in a baggie. Messenger again took a small “pinch” of the drug for herself and gave the rest to Hutsonpillar, who placed the drugs into the cellophane from his cigarette pack. According to Hutsonpillar, Fritz “got in my face,” asking what kind of car Hutsonpillar drove. When he told Fritz he drove a black truck, Fritz did not believe him until Messenger confirmed that the black truck was Hutsonpillar’s. Hutsonpillar then left with the drugs and again met with Engles. According to Hutsonpillar, there was never any small talk between Fritz and Messenger; the transactions were “strictly business.”

{¶ 7} Fritz asserts four assignments of error. His first assignment of error is as follows:

{¶ 8} “The matter should be remanded for resentencing because the trial court, by castigating appellant for having exercised his right to a jury trial, indicated its bias and therefore denied appellant his constitutional right to a fair trial.

{¶ 9} “It is beyond dispute that ‘a defendant is guaranteed the right to a trial and should never be punished for exercising that right.’ State v. O’Dell (1989), 45 Ohio St.3d 140, 147, 543 N.E.2d 1220. Accordingly, when imposing a sentence, a trial court may not be influenced by the fact that a defendant exercised his right to put the government to its proof rather than pleading guilty. State v. Scalf [ (1998), 126 Ohio App.3d 614, 710 N.E.2d 1206]. Moreover, * * * courts have warned against making statements that suggest an intent to punish a defendant for proceeding to trial.” State v. Blanton (Apr. 12, 2002), Montgomery App. No. 18923, 2002 WL 538869, *2.

{¶ 10} “Any increase in the sentence based upon the defendant’s decision to stand on his right to put the government to its proof rather than plead guilty is improper. * * * If courts could punish defendants for exercising their constitutional right to a jury trial, the right would be impaired by the chilling effect. * * * This prohibition on increased punishment applies ‘no matter how overwhelming the evidence of [defendant’s] guilt.’ ” (Brackets sic.) State v. Morris, 159 Ohio App.3d 775, 2005-Ohio-962, 825 N.E.2d 637, ¶ 12, quoting United States v. Derrick (C.A.6, 1975), 519 F.2d 1, 3. In Morris,

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Bluebook (online)
896 N.E.2d 778, 178 Ohio App. 3d 65, 2008 Ohio 4389, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-fritz-ohioctapp-2008.