State v. Holmes

521 N.E.2d 479, 36 Ohio App. 3d 44, 1987 Ohio App. LEXIS 10496
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 24, 1987
Docket85AP-549
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 521 N.E.2d 479 (State v. Holmes) 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. Holmes, 521 N.E.2d 479, 36 Ohio App. 3d 44, 1987 Ohio App. LEXIS 10496 (Ohio Ct. App. 1987).

Opinion

McCormac, J.

Defendant-appellant, Timothy James Holmes, was found guilty by a jury of aggravated robbery with a firearm specification, in violation of R.C. 2911.01, and aggravated murder with a death penalty specification, in violation of R.C. 2903.01(B). After a mitigation hearing, the jury recommended that appellant receive a life sentence, without possibility of parole for thirty full years, for the aggravated murder. The trial judge imposed the recommended sentence, with additional consecutive sentences for the aggravated robbery conviction and the firearm specification.

Upon appeal, appellant filed a motion with this court requesting that the case be remanded to the trial court for the issuance of a separate opinion as to why the mitigating factors outweighed the aggravating circumstances. Appellant argued that the filing of such a separate opinion was required by R.C. 2929.03(F) under the particular circumstances of appellant’s conviction, and that the judgment of the court below was not final until such opinion was filed. This court rejected appellant’s argument in State v. Holmes (1986), 30 Ohio App. 3d 26, 30 OBR 64, 506 N.E. 2d 276.

Appellant then sought a writ of mandamus in the Ohio Supreme Court ordering this court to remand the case to the trial court for the issuance of an R.C. 2929.03(F) separate opinion. The petition was dismissed, and appellant is now appealing his conviction.

Kevin Odoms, a state’s witness, testified that, on June 3, 1984, he was approached by appellant while playing basketball at the Windsor Terrace apartment complex. Appellant, Odoms and two or three other young men then took a friend to work. While driving downtown, they ran out of gas on Town Street. Appellant suggested that they take a taxi home and the group proceeded to the Greyhound Bus Station. They took a taxi from there back to the Windsor Terrace area, where everyone except Odoms and appellant exited the taxi. Appellant then told the driver to go to his girlfriend’s house in another area of the complex. The driver missed the street and appellant instructed him to turn around in an alley. The driver pulled into the alley and stopped. Odoms suggested that they walk the rest of the way to appellant’s girlfriend’s house, as it was nearby. Appellant refused, stating that the cab driver would take them. Odoms then left the cab for a short while and, when he returned, appellant was standing outside the cab. Odoms again told appellant “to pay the man.” Appellant refused and pushed Odoms back into the cab, to the rear passenger’s side, and appellant then *46 entered at the rear driver’s side. Odoms again stated, “Why can’t you just pay him,” and the driver said, “Are you going to pay me or what.” Appellant then stated, “I am going to do it like this,” and shot the driver in the back. Odoms got out of the cab and ran out of the alley and down the street. Appellant caught up with him and they both fled the scene.

Odoms testified that he later contacted an attorney to turn himself in. He was contacted by the police and agreed to cooperate by wearing a “wire” and tape recorder. Odoms met with appellant and their conversation was recorded by the police.

On cross-examination, the following exchange took place between Odoms and defense counsel:

“Q. Did you talk to them about Mr. Haller and the musical instruments and the gun that you stuck in Mr. Haller’s face when you took his van and the music equipment?
“A. No, sir, I didn’t.
“Q. What did you talk to them about?
“A. I didn’t take it.
“Q. You didn’t take it. That means you did not stick a gun in Mr. Haller’s face?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Isn’t it true, Kevin, that you are an armed robber? That is the way you make your living?
“A. No, sir.”

Later, defense counsel pointed to a spectator in the courtroom and asked Odoms if he had ever robbed him. Odoms denied robbing the spectator. The state did not conduct a redirect examination of Odoms.

Richard Haller, called as a witness by the state, testified that he was robbed on May 31, 1984. When handed a picture of Odoms, Haller testified that this was not the person who had robbed him. He stated he was positive of this fact and wrote “this is not the person who robbéd me” on the back of the picture. Appellant’s objection to the admission of this photo was overruled by the trial court.

Columbus Police Detective Michael Elkins testified that Kevin Odoms was wired with both a micro-cassette and a tape cassette recorder for his conversation with appellant. Detective Elkins listened to the conversation as it was taking place. The two recordings produced were accurate reproductions of the conversation he overheard, although some portions were inaudible. A transcript was prepared, State’s Exhibit 14-C, after going over the tape recordings many times and comparing the transcript with both recordings. Detective Elkins stated that State’s Exhibit 14-C was an accurate transcript of the recordings.

During the trial, the jurors listened to the recordings both through individual listening devices and through two speakers located in the courtroom. As an aid to their listening, they were each provided with a copy of State’s Exhibit 14-C. Defense counsel objected to the use of the transcript. The trial court overruled the objection, and the jurors were permitted to read the transcript while listening to the tape.

Lander Woods testified that, on June 3, 1984, he was installing a radio in his car near the alley at the Windsor Terrace apartment complex. He heard a car pull up and saw that it was a cab. The cab driver was in the front seat and two black men were in the back seat. Woods testified that the two men left the cab, but returned later. He heard a “pop” and turned around. He saw that the person on the rear driver’s side had his hand extended over the seat and was armed with a gun. He then witnessed the second shot. He also heard the defendant state, “give it here” or “give it up.”

The jury returned verdicts of guilty on each count. Appellant raises the following assignments of error:

“1. The trial court erred by deny *47 ing appellant’s request for a continuance to secure the appearance of critical defense witnesses and by denying appellant’s motion to reopen [his] case to present these witnesses.
“2. The trial court erred when it denied appellant’s motion to suppress the tape-recorded statements of appellant obtained in violation of his right to the assistance of counsel as guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
“3. The trial court erred by allowing the jury to receive and review what was purported to be a transcript of State’s Exhibit 14-C.
“4. The trial court erred by failing to exclude from evidence a photograph of Kevin Odoms, and Richard Haller’s testimony that Mr. Odoms was not the man who robbed him.
“5.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
521 N.E.2d 479, 36 Ohio App. 3d 44, 1987 Ohio App. LEXIS 10496, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-holmes-ohioctapp-1987.