State v. Harris

828 N.E.2d 1086, 160 Ohio App. 3d 851, 2005 Ohio 2503
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 23, 2005
DocketNo. 5-04-46.
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 828 N.E.2d 1086 (State v. Harris) 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. Harris, 828 N.E.2d 1086, 160 Ohio App. 3d 851, 2005 Ohio 2503 (Ohio Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

Rogers, Judge.

{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant, Annie M. Harris, appeals a judgment of the Hancock County Court of Common Pleas, sentencing her, upon a plea of guilty to felonious assault, with a gun specification. On appeal, Harris asserts that the trial court failed to substantially comply with Crim.R. 11. While we are satisfied that the trial court did comply with Crim.R. 11, we find that the trial court failed to notify Harris about postrelease control at the time of sentencing, pursuant to State v. Jordan, 104 Ohio St.3d 21, 2004-Ohio-6085, 817 N.E.2d 864. Accordingly, the judgment of the trial court is reversed, and the matter is remanded to the trial court for resentencing.

{¶ 2} On January 30, 2004, Harris, along with John McDonald, Arnethya Denson, and Beth Perry, came to Findlay to visit Harris’s son, Quincy McDonald, and his wife at their apartment complex. After visiting Quincy, Harris, John, Denson, and Perry went to drink at a local bar. In the early morning hours of January 31, 2004, the group returned to Quincy’s apartment. While in Quincy’s apartment, an altercation occurred between John, Quincy, and Denson. At her sentencing hearing, Harris stated that she had been sitting on the couch in one room while the altercation took place in another. The state disputed Harris’s story. At some point during the altercation, John shot Quincy one time in the chest. John then dropped the gun and went to Quincy’s aid. At the plea hearing, as well as at the sentencing hearing, Harris stated that upon realizing that Quincy had been shot, she picked up the gun and shot John in the buttocks. She also stated that she had attempted to fire the gun a second time, but it would not fire. Quincy subsequently died from his injuries.

{¶ 3} In February 2004, Harris was indicted for attempted murder in violation of R.C. 2923.02(A), with a gun specification, a felony of the first degree. Additionally, Harris was indicted for felonious assault in violation of R.C. 2903.11(A)(2), with a gun specification, a felony of the second degree.

*853 {¶ 4} In September 2004, Harris entered a plea of guilty to felonious assault, with a gun specification, and the state moved to dismiss the charge of attempted murder. At a plea hearing, the trial court questioned Harris at length before accepting her plea of guilty.

{¶ 5} Subsequently, a sentencing hearing was held, and Harris was sentenced to five years of imprisonment on the charge of felonious assault and was given an additional one-year sentence of imprisonment for the gun specification. It is from this sentence that Harris appeals, presenting the following assignment of error for our review.

The Appellant contends that she was prejudiced by the trial court’s failure to substantially comply with Rule 11 of the Ohio Rules of Criminal Procedure.

{¶ 6} In her sole assignment of error, Harris asserts that the trial court failed to substantially comply with Crim.R. 11.

{¶ 7} Crim.R. 11(C)(2) outlines the procedures that a trial court must follow for accepting guilty pleas in felony cases. Pursuant to that rule, before accepting a guilty plea to a felony charge, the trial court must first conduct a colloquy with the defendant to determine that she understands the plea she is entering and the rights she is voluntarily waiving by doing so. Crim.R. 11(C)(2); see, also, State v. Tucci, 7th Dist. No. 01 CA 234, 2002-Ohio-6903, 2002 WL 31812895. A trial court must specifically inform a defendant that there are four rights that a guilty plea waives: the rights to try the case before a jury, confront witnesses, and compel witnesses by compulsory process, as well as the privilege against self-incrimination. Boykin v. Alabama (1969), 395 U.S. 238, 243, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274; State v. Ballard (1981), 66 Ohio St.2d 473, 20 O.O.3d 397, 423 N.E.2d 115, paragraph one of the syllabus. The court must advise the defendant that a plea of guilty waives each of these rights. Id. at 479-481, 20 O.O.3d 397, 423 N.E.2d 115.

{¶ 8} The record in this case clearly demonstrates that the trial court engaged in the colloquy required by Crim.R. 11, advising Harris of the rights she was waiving by pleading guilty to felonious assault with a gun specification. At the September 2004 hearing, the trial court questioned Harris extensively to determine whether she understood the consequences of her plea and that she was waiving certain constitutional rights. The following took place on the record:

Court: You have the right to a trial by jury and proceeding that we still have pending motions that have been filed on your behalf by Mr. Galose that have yet to be heard. If you go ahead and plead today, you would be effectively withdrawing those motions, and I wouldn’t be deciding those legal issues, then we would be proceeding directly to issue of sentence. So you understand you’re waiving to challenge the evidence that you’re presenting to the court?
*854 Defendant: Yes.
Court: Do you understand you’re also waiving the right to a trial by jury, and that means you have the right to have twelve persons be seated if [sic] this jury box, and they could decide your guilt or innocence on one or both of these charges?
Defendant: Yes, sir.
Court: Do you understand at a trial it’s the burden that the State of Ohio has. You have no burden. They have the burden to prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt?
Defendant: Yes, sir.
Court: You have no requirement to prove your innocence. To that end, if the State calls witnesses, Mr. Galose can cross examine them. Do you understand you can subpoena witnesses to come into court to testify for you?
Defendant: Yes, sir.
Court: At trial you cannot be made to testify against yourself. If you want to, that’s a decision you and Mr. Galose would make. But the State cannot call you as a witness against yourself, nor comment upon your silence if you don’t take the witness stand. Do you understand that?
Defendant: Yes, sir.
Court: If we went to a jury trial, do you understand that all the jurors would have to agree upon your guilt or your innocence?
Defendant: Yes, sir.
Court: And you could waive that right and have me decide your guilt or innocence, but that would be your decision?
Defendant: Yes, sir
Court: Now those are the rights that you’re giving up, Ms. Harris. There is a second set of rights I want to make sure that you understand you’re not giving up. That’s the right to potentially appeal this Court’s decision. Even if you plead guilty, depending on the Court’s decision making and findings, do you understand you still get to file an appeal?
Defendant: Yes, sir.

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Bluebook (online)
828 N.E.2d 1086, 160 Ohio App. 3d 851, 2005 Ohio 2503, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-harris-ohioctapp-2005.