State v. Johnson

453 N.E.2d 595, 6 Ohio St. 3d 420, 6 Ohio B. 466, 1983 Ohio LEXIS 847
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 31, 1983
DocketNo. 82-657
StatusPublished
Cited by42 cases

This text of 453 N.E.2d 595 (State v. Johnson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Johnson, 453 N.E.2d 595, 6 Ohio St. 3d 420, 6 Ohio B. 466, 1983 Ohio LEXIS 847 (Ohio 1983).

Opinions

J. P. Celebrezze, J.

The Double Jeopardy Clause is contained in the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution which provides, in part, “* * * nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.” This prohibition has been held to be applicable to the states by operation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Benton v. Maryland (1969), 395 U.S. 784, 794. Moreover, the Ohio Constitution contains a similar protection in Section 10, Article I which states, “* * * [n]o person shall be twice put in jeopardy for the same offense.”

It is established that there are three protections offered by the Double Jeopardy Clause to the criminal defendant: (1) protection against a second prosecution for the same offense after acquittal, (2) protection against a second prosecution for the same offense after conviction, and (3) protection against multiple punishments for the same offense. North Carolina v. Pearce (1969), 395 U.S. 711, 717.

It is the state’s position that the second of those protections was improperly invoked and applied in this case. In support of this position, the state advances a two-pronged argument. First, it maintains that the offenses of murder and involuntary manslaughter and the offenses of aggravated robbery and theft are not the same for double jeopardy purposes. Second, citing the cases of Jeffers v. United States (1977), 432 U.S. 137, and United States v. Goldman (C.A. 3, 1965), 352 F. 2d 263, it asserts that the appellee was not subjected to multiple prosecutions in that he was properly charged with all four offenses in a single indictment and that he chose to artificially bifurcate the proceedings by pleading guilty to some of the offenses and not guilty to the others. In summary, the state asserts that a criminal defendant charged with multiple crimes should not be permitted to manipulate the timing of the proceedings in such a manner as to avoid prosecution for the more serious charges by pleading guilty to the lesser offenses and then claiming a double jeopardy bar as to the others.

The state’s position rests upon the argument that the essential issue in this case is one of timing. Accordingly, it maintains that were it not for the trial court’s erroneous acceptance of a partial guilty plea over prosecutorial objections, the case would have proceeded to trial and the appellee could have been convicted of all four counts of the indictment.

Upon careful consideration of the record below as well as the applicable statutory and case law, we find this position to be untenable. We agree with the appellant that this case does not involve successive prosecutions such as to warrant the application of the collateral estoppel principles set forth in Ashe v. Swenson (1970), 397.U.S. 436, and its progeny. Rather, this case concerns the third double jeopardy protection prohibiting multiple punishments for the same offense. In reviewing and applying this protection, it is our conclusion that the appellee could not have been convicted of all the charges against him regardless of the timing of the trial court’s acceptance of his pleas.

Where an accused is charged with more than-one statutory violation and [422]*422the double jeopardy prohibition against multiple punishments for the same offense is invoked, the standard test to be applied in determining whether the offenses are sufficiently distinguishable is the one enunciated in Blockburger v. United States (1932), 284 U.S. 299, 304:

“* * * The applicable rule is that where the same act or transaction constitutes a violation of two distinct statutory provisions, the test to be applied to determine whether there are two offenses or only one, is whether each provision requires proof of a fact which the other does not. * * *”

This test stresses the commonality of the elements of the offenses charged and generally forbids cumulative punishments for both a greater and a lesser included offense. Brown v. Ohio (1977), 432 U.S. 161, 164-166. It is noteworthy, however, that the two offenses need not be identical in constituent elements or in actual proof in order to be the same for double jeopardy purposes. Id. at 164.

The General Assembly has further effectuated the principles contained in the Double Jeopardy Clause by means of R.C. 2941.25, the multiple count statute. State v. Thomas (1980), 61 Ohio St. 2d 254, 259-260 [15 O.O.3d 262]. This statute provides:

“(A) Where the same conduct by defendant can be construed to constitute two or more allied offenses of similar import, the indictment or information may contain counts for all such offenses, but the defendant may be convicted of only one.

“(B) Where the defendant’s conduct constitutes two or more offenses of dissimilar import, or where his conduct results in two or more offenses of the same or- similar kind committed separately or with a separate animus as to each, the indictment or information may contain counts for all such offenses, and the defendant may be convicted of all of them.”

As in Blockburger, this statute involves comparing the elements of the various statutory offenses with which the defendant is charged. Allied offenses of similar import are those offenses which have elements corresponding to such a degree that the commission of one offense will result in the commission of the other. State v. Logan (1979), 60 Ohio St. 2d 126,128 [14 O.O.3d 373]. Where the offenses are allied, the defendant may not be convicted of them all unless they were committed separately or with a separate animus as to each. R.C. 2941.25 (B).

In this case, the appellee was charged with both aggravated robbery and theft. “Aggravated robbery” was defined in R.C. 2911.01 as follows1:

“(A) No person, in attempting or committing a theft offense as defined in section 2913.01 of the Revised Code, or in fleeing immediately after such attempt or offense, shall do either of the following:

“(1) Have a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance as defined in section 2923.11 of the Revised Code on or about his person or under his control;

[423]*423“(2) Inflict, or attempt to inflict serious physical harm on another.

“(B) Whoever violates this section is guilty of aggravated robbery, a felony of the first degree.”

“Theft” was defined in R.C. 2913.02:

“(A) No person, with purpose to deprive the owner of property or services, shall knowingly obtain or exert control over either:

“(1) Without the consent of the owner or person authorized to give consent;

“(2) Beyond the scope of the express or implied consent of the owner or person authorized to give consent;

“(3) By deception;

“(4) By threat.

“(B) Whoever violates this section is guilty of theft. * * *”

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Hardy
2017 Ohio 7635 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2017)
State v. Smith
2016 Ohio 8420 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2016)
State v. Cook
2011 Ohio 5156 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2011)
State v. Reives-Bey
2011 Ohio 1778 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2011)
State v. Evans
2009 Ohio 2974 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2009)
State v. Jeffries
913 N.E.2d 493 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2009)
State v. Wilhite, Unpublished Decision (1-16-2007)
2007 Ohio 116 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2007)
State v. Elmore
857 N.E.2d 547 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2006)
State v. Gooden, Unpublished Decision (10-16-2006)
2006 Ohio 5387 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2006)
Madrigal v. Bagley
276 F. Supp. 2d 744 (N.D. Ohio, 2003)
State v. Philpot
762 N.E.2d 443 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2001)
State v. Patton
667 N.E.2d 57 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1995)
State v. Lang
656 N.E.2d 1358 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1995)
State v. Tanner
630 N.E.2d 751 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1993)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
453 N.E.2d 595, 6 Ohio St. 3d 420, 6 Ohio B. 466, 1983 Ohio LEXIS 847, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-johnson-ohio-1983.