State v. Kami

2020 Ohio 5110
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided October 29, 2020·No. 19CA120065·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

COURT OF APPEALS

DELAWARE COUNTY, OHIO

FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

STATE OF OHIO : JUDGES:

:

: Hon. William B. Hoffman, P.J.

Plaintiff-Appellee : Hon. Patricia A. Delaney, J.

: Hon. Craig R. Baldwin, J.

-vs- :

: Case No. 19 CAC12 0065 :

DHAN KAMI :

:

:

Defendant-Appellant : OPINION

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Appeal from the Delaware Municipal Court, Case No. 19 TRC 10812

JUDGMENT: AFFIRMED

DATE OF JUDGMENT ENTRY: October 29, 2020

APPEARANCES: For Plaintiff-Appellee: For Defendant-Appellant:

AMELIA BEAN-DEFLUMER MARK J. MILLER 70 North Union St. 555 City Park Ave. Delaware, OH 43015 Columbus, OH 43215

Delaware County, Case No. 19CAC120065 2

Delaney, J.

{¶1} Appellant Dhan Kami appeals from the November 12, 2019 Judgment Entry of the Delaware Municipal Court. Appellee is the state of Ohio.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

{¶2} The following statement of facts is taken from appellee’s statement at the change-of-plea and sentencing hearing on November 12, 2019.

{¶3} This case arose in Delaware County on August 10, 2019, when appellant operated a motor vehicle, traveled off the right side of the roadway, and crossed marked lanes of travel. An officer attempted to stop the vehicle but it failed to respond to lights and sirens and traveled another mile before stopping. Appellant was found to be the operator of the vehicle. Based upon his interactions with appellant, the officer asked appellant to submit to field sobriety testing and appellant complied. As a result of the field sobriety tests, appellant was arrested for O.V.I. Appellant agreed to submit to a breath alcohol test and the result was .198.

{¶4} Appellant was charged by Uniform Traffic Ticket (U.T.T.) with one count of O.V.I. pursuant to R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(a) [Count I], one count of O.V.I. pursuant to R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(h) [Count II], and one count of marked lanes pursuant to R.C. 4511.33 [Count III].

{¶5} On August 14, 2019, appellant appeared for arraignment and entered pleas of not guilty. The “Journal Entry/Magistrate Decision” of that date notes, e.g., “Need Nepali interp.”

{¶6} The matter proceeded to a pretrial hearing on September 4, 2019, at which appellant was represented by counsel. The “Journal Entry Criminal/Traffic Pre-trial

Delaware County, Case No. 19CAC120065 3

Conference Memorandum” of that date notes discovery was incomplete because defense counsel needed to view the video of the traffic stop, and a plea offer was made to O.V.I. A handwritten notation states, “Counsel for Defendant to inspect video b/f accepting offer.”

{¶7} The matter was scheduled for a change-of-plea hearing on November 12, 2019.

{¶8} On November 12, 2019, an “Appointment and Oath of Interpreter” was filed.

This document states the defendant does not speak English and his spoken language is Nepali; identifies the interpreter by name [Devi Sharma]; and provides the interpreter’s address and telephone number. The form includes an “Oath of Interpreter” stating the following:

* * * *.

The undersigned having been duly sworn says:

I will make a true interpretation of the herein proceedings and I will truly, fully, and accurately translate and repeat the statements made during the proceedings to the best of my ability.

I am fluent in the following languages:

Language: English, Native: No; Years spoken if not native: 35 Language: Nepali; Native: Yes I have the following special language training: [blank]

I have no interest in the outcome of these proceedings and I am not related to, or associated with any of the witnesses or parties in the case except as follows: [blank]

I have conversed with the non English (sic) speaking person identified herein. I certify said person speaks the language shown above with which I am fluent. I am able to accurately provide translation to and from English. I will not divulge to any person any information regarding attorney-client communications.

/s/ Devi Sharma

Sworn to an subscribed in my presence on November 12, 2019

/s/ Donna Brown

Bailiff

{¶9} On November 12, 2019, appellant changed his plea to guilty upon Count I, O.V.I. pursuant to R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(a). Appellee dismissed Counts II and III. The trial court sentenced appellant to, e.g., 180 days in jail with 177 suspended on the condition that appellant attend a 3-day Driver Intervention Program.

{¶10} Appellant now appeals from the trial court’s judgment entry of November 12, 2019.

{¶11} Appellant raises three assignments of error:

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

{¶12} “I. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO SWEAR IN THE INTERPRETER, VERIFYING THE INTERPRETER’S CREDENTIALS, AND ESTABLISHING THAT THE INTERPRETER WAS FLUENT IN BOTH THE ENGLISH AND NEPALI LANGUAGES PRIOR TO USING THE INTERPRETER FOR INTERPRETATION DURING THE APPELLANT’S PLEA HEARING.”

Delaware County, Case No. 19CAC120065 5

{¶13} “II. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN ACCEPTING THE APPELLANT’S GUILTY PLEA.”

{¶14} “III. THE APPELLANT WAS DEPRIVED [OF] EFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL.”

ANALYSIS

I., II.

{¶15} Appellant’s first and second assignments of error are related and will be considered together. Appellant argues the trial court did not properly swear in the interpreter, verify the interpreter’s credentials or establish the interpreter’s fluency in English and Nepali. Appellant also argues the trial court erred in accepting his guilty plea. We disagree.

Appellant’s plea of guilty to petty misdemeanor

{¶16} Pursuant to Ohio Crim. R. 11(E), “[i]n misdemeanor cases involving petty offenses the court may refuse to accept a plea of guilty or no contest, and shall not accept such pleas without first informing the defendant of the effect of the plea of guilty, no contest, and not guilty.* * * *.” Pursuant to Crim.R. 2(C) and 2(D), a “serious offense” includes a misdemeanor “for which the penalty prescribed by law includes confinement for more than six months,” and a petty misdemeanor is any other misdemeanor offense. Here, appellant's OVI charge was a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail; therefore, a petty misdemeanor. R.C. 4511.19(G)(1)(a). The trial court was required only to inform appellant of the effect of his guilty plea, “i.e., that his guilty plea was a complete admission of guilt.” State v. Faulkner, 2nd Dist. Champaign No. 2013- CA-43, 2015-Ohio-2059, ¶ 14.

Delaware County, Case No. 19CAC120065 6

{¶17} Appellant argues the trial court “failed to specifically inquire whether the plea was being offered voluntarily,” did not address appellant personally, and failed to advise appellant of the potential penalties involved as a consequence of his guilty plea. As noted supra, the trial court was obligated only to advise appellant of “the effect of the plea being entered,” and the issue posed here is whether the trial court satisfied this requirement.

{¶18} In Newark v. Monk, 5th Dist. Licking No. 07 CA 132, 2008-Ohio-5330, at ¶ 16-24, we looked to the decision of the Ohio Supreme Court in State v. Jones, 116 Ohio St.3d 211, 2007-Ohio-6093, 877 N.E.2d 677, at paragraphs one and two of the syllabus, for guidance as to how a trial court must advise a defendant of “the effect of the plea being entered”:

In accepting a plea to a misdemeanor involving a petty offense, a trial court is required to inform the defendant only of the effect of the specific plea being entered. Crim.R. 11(E) construed.

To satisfy the requirement of informing a defendant of the effect of a plea, a trial court must inform the defendant of the appropriate language under Crim.R. 11(B).

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State v. Kami, 2020 Ohio 5110 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020).

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