State v. Hatfield

572 N.E.2d 842, 61 Ohio App. 3d 427, 1990 Ohio App. LEXIS 6015
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 26, 1990
DocketNo. 11897.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 572 N.E.2d 842 (State v. Hatfield) 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. Hatfield, 572 N.E.2d 842, 61 Ohio App. 3d 427, 1990 Ohio App. LEXIS 6015 (Ohio Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

*429 Brogan, Judge.

Darrel Stephen Hatfield appeals from the denial of his motion for shock probation under R.C. 2947.061. Hatfield asserts that a defendant who has been sentenced to consecutive terms of imprisonment may move for shock probation between thirty to sixty days after the commencement of each of his sentences. We disagree, and affirm the decision of the trial court.

Hatfield plead guilty to passing bad checks in excess of $5,000, R.C. 2913.11, and securing writings by deception in excess of $5,000, R.C. 2913.43. These convictions carried specifications for a prior offense of violence. Hatfield was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment on the bad checks, consecutive to two to ten years for securing writings by deception.

Hatfield was delivered into the custody of the State Penal Authority on June 30, 1988. On August 29, 1988, he moved for shock probation, and was denied. On March 16, 1989, Hatfield moved for super shock probation. The trial court held that super shock was not available since he was not convicted of an aggravated felony.

On October 3, 1989, Hatfield again moved for shock probation, claiming that he had “served his entire initial first sentence of two (2) years,” 1 and therefore was entitled to request relief from the commencement of his second consecutive sentence. The trial court overruled the motion, and Hatfield now appeals.

A threshold question presented to us by the state is whether the denial of Hatfield’s motion was a final appealable order. We find that it was.

A number of courts have held that neither the granting nor denial of shock probation is reviewable. See, e.g., State v. Poffenbaugh (1968), 14 Ohio App.2d 59, 43 O.O.2d 191, 237 N.E.2d 147; but, see, as to granting only, State v. Fisher (1988), 35 Ohio St.3d 22, 517 N.E.2d 911. The rationale most often expressed for these holdings is reflected in the Court of Appeals for Hamilton *430 County’s reasoning in State v. Jones (1987), 40 Ohio App.3d 123, 532 N.E.2d 153, syllabus, that:

“Although it results from a special proceeding, an order denying shock probation under R.C. 2947.061 does not affect a substantial right, and is, therefore, not generally considered to be-a final appealable order.”

The court also stated that:

“ * * * [W]e note that the disposition of a motion for shock probation made while the convicted person is serving a sentence pursuant to a judgment is a ‘special proceeding,’ and that whatever standards may control the granting of shock probation in R.C. 2951.02 to 2951.09, the denial of shock probation is not subject to any statutory or constitutional standards or requirements. The decision to deny is reposed exclusively in the discretion of the trial court. The movant for shock probation has no ‘substantial right’ entitling him to shock probation and, therefore, the denial of his motion is not ‘an order that affects a substantial right made in a special proceeding * * *.’ R.C. 2505.02. It is not a final appealable order.” (Emphasis sic.) Jones, supra, 40 Ohio App.3d at 124, 532 N.E.2d at 154.

We do not reach the issue of whether denials of shock probation motions are generally reviewable, however, because we find that the instant case falls into a well recognized exception. When the denial of shock probation is accompanied by a constitutional or statutory violation, it is a final appealable order because the petitioning inmate has a “substantial right” to procedural due process. State v. Delaney (1983), 9 Ohio App.3d 47, 9 OBR 50, 458 N.E.2d 462. In construing its holding in Delaney, supra, the court of appeals held that a defendant’s claim that the trial court improperly construed when the thirty to sixty day time period for filing a motion for- shock probation commenced was reviewable, because it involved an alleged statutory violation as to proper procedure. State v. Harris (Dec. 24, 1987), Cuyahoga App. No. 53919, unreported, 1987 WL 30381. Since Hatfield asserts this same statutory violation, the decision in question is a final appealable order.

Hatfield asserts two assignments of error, which he argues together. Hatfield’s sole contention is that R.C. 2947.061 provides a defendant with the opportunity to move for shock probation after the commencement of each of his consecutive sentences. We are not in accord.

R.C. 2947.061(A), the statute governing shock probation, reads:

“Subject to sections 2951.02 to 2951.09 of the Revised Code, the trial court may, upon motion of the defendant made not earlier than thirty days nor later than sixty days after the defendant, having been sentenced, is delivered into the custody of the keeper of the institution in which he is to begin *431 serving his sentence, or upon the court’s own motion during the same thirty-day period, suspend the further execution of the sentence and place the defendant on probation upon such terms as the court determines, notwithstanding the expiration of the term of court during which such defendant was sentenced.
“The court shall hear any such motion within sixty days after the filing date thereof and shall enter its ruling thereon within ten days thereafter.
“This division does not apply to a defendant who is sentenced for the commission of an aggravated felony of the first, second, or third degree.” (Emphasis added.)

The thirty-day period within which to file the shock probation motion is triggered by the “delivery” of the defendant to the penal institution. The plain meaning of the word “delivery” is the “transfer of the body or substance of a thing.” Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (1986) 597. A prisoner is physically transferred to prison only once. The process is not repeated with the commencement of each new consecutive sentence. Therefore, for purposes of R.C. 2947.061(A), a defendant is “delivered” to the penal institution when he physically arrives there for the first time. His opportunity to request shock probation is thus not less than thirty days nor more than sixty days after his initial date of arrival.

This construction comports with the Court of Appeals for Cuyahoga County’s holding that a defendant who was convicted of aggravated assault cannot wait until after he has first served his mandatory three-year gun specification sentence to request shock probation. State v. Harris (Dec. 24, 1987), Cuyahoga App. No. 53919, unreported, 1987 WL 30381, limited on other grounds in State v. Smith (1989), 42 Ohio St.3d 60, 537 N.E.2d 198.

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572 N.E.2d 842, 61 Ohio App. 3d 427, 1990 Ohio App. LEXIS 6015, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-hatfield-ohioctapp-1990.