State v. Gardjulis

2025 Ohio 4324
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 15, 2025
Docket2024-L-066
StatusPublished

This text of 2025 Ohio 4324 (State v. Gardjulis) 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. Gardjulis, 2025 Ohio 4324 (Ohio Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Gardjulis, 2025-Ohio-4324.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO ELEVENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT LAKE COUNTY

STATE OF OHIO, CASE NO. 2024-L-066 CITY OF EASTLAKE,

Plaintiff-Appellee, Criminal Appeal from the Willoughby Municipal Court - vs -

TYLER R. GARDJULIS, Trial Court No. 2024 CRB 00907

Defendant-Appellant.

OPINION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY

Decided: September 15, 2025 Judgment: Affirmed

Jacqueline O’Donnell, City of Eastlake Prosecutor, 35150 Lakeshore Boulevard, Eastlake, OH 44095 (For Plaintiff-Appellee).

Vanessa R. Clapp, Lake County Public Defender, and Paul J. Lubonovic, Assistant Public Defender, 100 West Erie Street, Painesville, OH 44077 (For Defendant- Appellant).

ROBERT J. PATTON, P.J.

{¶1} Appellant, Tyler R. Gardjulis (“Gardjulis”), appeals the decision of the

Willoughby Municipal Court denying his motion to dismiss for violation of speedy trial. For

the following reasons, we affirm.

{¶2} The unique facts of this appeal present a case of first impression before this

Court. Gardjulis appeals the trial court’s decision to deny his motion to dismiss for violating

his statutory right to a speedy trial. Central to Gardjulis’s assertion is the timeline the trial

court used when determining if there was a violation of speedy trial. Gardjulis was initially charged with misdemeanor offenses. Those misdemeanor charges were dismissed, and

on the same day of the dismissal, felony charges were filed. The felony charges arose

from the same conduct as the misdemeanors. The grand jury declined to charge felonies

and instead returned an indictment charging misdemeanors on the charges bound over

as felonies. The central issue before this Court is whether the speedy trial period, upon

the indictment reducing the felony charges to misdemeanor charges, should revert to the

90 days beginning from the date of Gardjulis’s initial arrest, or should begin anew upon

the return of the misdemeanor complaint. Our research reveals no other case presenting

this unique fact pattern, where a misdemeanor charge was dismissed, later brought as a

felony, and then reduced back to a misdemeanor.

{¶3} Based on the precedent as it exists in this State and our analysis of the

speedy trial period before us, we conclude that when felony charges were brought against

Gardjulis, the State had 270 days to try Gardjulis, less the time already expended by the

misdemeanor indictment and including any tolling conditions. However, the speedy trial

clock began anew upon the returned indictment reducing the felony charges to

misdemeanors. As Gardjulis had more than 200 days remaining on the felony charge time

period, the State’s time period was reduced to 90 days from when Gardjulis was served

on the misdemeanor indictment, less 7 days tolled by Gardjulis’s voluntary waiver. We

further conclude that the trial court did schedule the trial outside the speedy trial time

period, but that Gardjulis voluntarily acquiesced to the date.

Substantive and Procedural History

{¶4} This case arose from an incident that occurred on December 9, 2023,

between Gardjulis, his wife (“B.W.”), and her friend (“C.M.”). Gardjulis and B.W. lived

PAGE 2 OF 16

Case No. 2024-L-066 together in a home owned by B.W.’s grandmother. On the day of the incident, B.W. and

C.M. were at home drinking together. Gardjulis declined to join them and remained in

another room. The friends went alone into the bathroom. When Gardjulis later entered

the bathroom, he found B.W. and C.M. kissing and engaging in sexual conduct. Enraged,

Gardjulis told his wife and her friend that he was getting his gun and demanded they get

out of the house. B.W. and C.M. ran into a bedroom. Gardjulis banged on the door which

caused injuries to B.W.’s back, which was pressed against it. Gardjulis threatened to

shoot B.W. and C.M. if they did not leave the house. B.W. and C.M. exited the home and

B.W. called 911 from the driveway. Gardjulis was arrested the same day.

{¶5} A complaint was filed on December 11, 2023, in Willoughby Municipal Court

in Case No. 2023 CRB 03065. Gardjulis was charged with domestic violence, a violation

of R.C. 2919.25(C), a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, and aggravated menacing, a

violation of R.C. 2903.21, a misdemeanor of the first degree. Gardjulis entered a plea of

not guilty to those charges.

{¶6} On January 30, 2024, at the first pretrial hearing, the State dismissed the

misdemeanor charges and filed a new complaint. The new complaint, Case No. 2024

CRA 00292, charged Gardjulis with two counts of felonious assault, in violation of R.C.

2903.11(A)(2), a felony of the second degree.

{¶7} On February 6, 2024, Case No. 2024 CRA 00292 was bound over to the

Lake County Grand Jury in Case No. 2024 CR 00156. Defense counsel was present at

this hearing. On April 9, 2024, the Grand Jury returned an indictment against Gardjulis

for four misdemeanors: two counts of aggravated menacing, in violation of R.C.

2903.21(A), misdemeanors of the first degree; one count of domestic violence, in violation

PAGE 3 OF 16

Case No. 2024-L-066 of R.C. 2919.25(C), a misdemeanor of the fourth degree; and one count of criminal

damaging or endangering, in violation of R.C. 2909.06(A)(1), a misdemeanor of the first

degree. The case was returned to Willoughby Municipal Court in Case No. 2024 CRB

00907. On April 23, 2024, Gardjulis was arraigned on those four misdemeanor charges,

and entered a plea of not guilty. A pretrial was set for May 14, 2024. Defense counsel did

not appear, so Gardjulis completed a pro se motion to continue, waiving speedy trial time

until the next hearing, seven days later.

{¶8} The case was set for a bond hearing May 21, 2024. Gardjulis appeared.

Defense counsel did not appear. Instead, another attorney from the defense counsel’s

law firm appeared in his place. The record indicates that the substitute counsel

maintained contact with defense counsel via text. Together with the bailiff, the parties

agreed to a bench trial date. First, a date of July 30, 2024, was proposed by the bailiff.

After the bailiff conferred with the trial court judge, a second proposed date of July 29,

2024, was offered. The parties agreed to the date of July 29, 2024.

{¶9} On July 26, 2024, Gardjulis filed a motion to dismiss Case No. 2024 CRB

00907 for speedy trial violations. On July 29, 2024, a hearing on the motion was held.

The trial court denied Gardjulis’s motion and proceeded with the bench trial. Gardjulis

was convicted on all four counts.

{¶10} A sentencing hearing was held on August 20, 2024. The trial court found

that counts 1 and 3 merged for purposes of sentencing. The State elected to proceed on

count 1. Gardjulis was sentenced to pay a fine of $500, serve 180 days in jail with 90 days

suspended, for a total of 90 days, with credit for 25 days served on count 1. Gardjulis was

sentenced to pay a fine of $500, serve 180 days in jail with 90 days suspended for a total

PAGE 4 OF 16

Case No. 2024-L-066 of 90 days with credit for 25 days served on count 2. On count 4, Gardulis was sentenced

to pay a fine of $250, serve 180 days in jail with 90 days suspended, for a total of 90 days

in jail with credit for 25 days served. The trial court ordered that counts 2 and 4 run

concurrently to each other. Gardjulis was further ordered to 24 months of community

control.

Assignment of Error

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Bluebook (online)
2025 Ohio 4324, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gardjulis-ohioctapp-2025.