State v. Lee

2016 Ohio 122
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided January 14, 2016·No. 14AP-1009·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO

TENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

State of Ohio, :

Plaintiff-Appellee, :

No. 14AP-1009

v. : (C.P.C. No. 13CR-4183)

Steven Lee, : (REGULAR CALENDAR)

Defendant-Appellant. :

D E C I S I O N

Rendered on January 14, 2016

Ron O'Brien, Prosecuting Attorney, and Valerie B. Swanson, for appellee.

Timothy Young, Ohio Public Defender, and Stephen A. Goldmeier, for appellant.

APPEAL from the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas

HORTON, J.

{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant, Steven Lee, appeals from a judgment of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas finding him guilty pursuant to jury verdict of one count of aggravated robbery, in violation of R.C. 2911.01, one count of murder, in violation of R.C. 2903.02, and the firearm specifications attached to each count, in violation of R.C. 2941.145. Because (1) the trial court did not abuse its discretion by failing to merge the charges, and (2) Ohio's mandatory transfer statutes do not violate the Due Process Clause, the Equal Protection Clause, or the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment, we affirm. I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

{¶ 2} On August 6, 2013, the Juvenile Division of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations, filed an entry sustaining the state of

No. 14AP-1009 2

Ohio's motion to relinquish jurisdiction over defendant. The court noted that defendant was 16-years-old at the time the murder in question occurred, and that the court had found probable cause to believe that defendant committed the murder. As such, the court granted the state's motion, and ordered that the case be transferred to the General Division of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. On August 20, 2013, the state filed an indictment charging defendant with aggravated robbery, a felony of the first degree, aggravated murder, an unclassified felony, and murder, an unclassified felony, all with firearm specifications. Prior to trial, the court entered a nolle prosequi on the aggravated murder charge.

{¶ 3} The events giving rise to the indictment occurred on April 26, 2013. That morning, the victim, Celestin Ganga, went to his friend Darrelle Howell's house. The victim told Howell that he was going to go to the store and would be right back. A short time later, Howell heard a noise that "[s]ounded like a firecracker," and the victim came "limping towards" him. (Tr., 183-84.) The victim said that "somebody tried to rob him," and that he "was shot." (Tr., 185.) A police officer arrived on the scene, and the victim told the officer that "three kids came up and shot him, one shot him." (Tr., 200.) The victim died from the gunshot wound to his abdomen. (Tr., 437.)

{¶ 4} On the morning of April 26, 2013, defendant, E.T. and D.J., all juveniles, skipped school and were walking around their neighborhood together. According to E.T., the boys started talking about robbing somebody, because they had "nothing to do." (Tr., 452.) E.T. stated that they "all agreed to rob somebody." (Tr., 457.) D.J. confirmed that all three agreed to rob someone. (See Tr., 323-24.) The boys acquired a gun; it was black and approximately four to five inches long. (Tr., 455-56.) E.T. testified that defendant had provided the firearm to the group, but D.J. testified that they got the "gun from [a] dude." (Tr., 323, 455.) The boys first tried to rob a man pushing a lawn mower, but the man "didn't pay [the boys] no attention," he "just kept walking and ignored" them. (Tr., 458- 59.)

{¶ 5} The boys continued walking around looking for another individual to rob.

The boys then spotted the victim sitting on a bench in Monroe Park. They walked up to him, and were standing approximately 12 to 15 feet away from him. (See Tr., 331.) According to E.T., D.J. initially had the gun, and he "walked up to the man and was trying

No. 14AP-1009 3

to rob the man, but the man wasn't giving him nothing." (Tr., 464.) Defendant and E.T. then walked up, and D.J. handed the gun to defendant in "a little exchange," but the man "had seen the gun." (Tr., 465-66.) D.J. explained that defendant said "I need that shit," to the victim, referring to the victim's money and marijuana. (Tr., 332.) The man on the bench said, " '[s]top playing with that gun,' " and then defendant "shot him." (Tr., 335.) Defendant, E.T., and D.J. all ran away immediately after the gun was fired.

{¶ 6} E.T. and D.J. both testified that defendant shot the victim. The jury was informed during trial that both D.J. and E.T. had entered into agreements with the prosecutor's office, whereby the state agreed not to seek to transfer D.J.'s or E.T.'s criminal cases, which also resulted out of this incident, to adult court.

{¶ 7} Defendant testified in his own defense. Defendant stated that he had no idea that E.T. and D.J. were planning on robbing someone, and that they never discussed anything about a robbery. Defendant explained that, as they walked into the park, D.J. walked up to the man on the bench and E.T. turned to defendant and said, "I'm about to rob that guy." (Tr., 844.) Defendant "tried to tell him not to do it, basically, like, chill out." (Tr., 852.) According to defendant, E.T. then approached the victim, asked for his stuff, pulled a gun out, and "that's when the shots were fired." (Tr., 853.) Defendant confirmed that E.T. "pulled the gun out at the bench." (Tr., 854.)

{¶ 8} After hearing all the evidence, the jury returned verdicts finding defendant guilty of aggravated robbery, murder, and the firearm specifications. At sentencing, defense counsel asked the court to merge all of the charges and specifications. Counsel noted that she "spoke with the jury" after the trial, and reported that the jury informed her that "they convicted based on the complicity argument." (Tr., 1070.) The court concluded that "as a matter of law, the aggravated robbery and murder conviction [did] not merge for purposes of sentencing," and that pursuant to R.C. 2929.14(B)(1)(d), the court had to sentence defendant on both firearm specifications. (Tr., 1078.)

{¶ 9} The court sentenced defendant to 5 years on the aggravated robbery charge, 15 years to life on the murder charge, and 3 years on each firearm specification. The court ordered that the sentences on the aggravated robbery and murder charges be served concurrently with each other, and that the sentences on the firearm specifications be

No. 14AP-1009 4

served consecutively to each other and to the sentences on the murder and aggravated robbery charges, for a total term of imprisonment of 21 years to life. II. ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

{¶ 10} Defendant appeals, assigning the following errors for our review:

[I.] The trial court erred when it failed to merge Mr. Lee's convictions arising from the same conduct, and committed with the same animus. R.C. 2941.25

[II.] Mr. Lee's mandatory transfer to adult court pursuant to R.C. 2152.10(A)(1)(a) and 2152.12(A)(1)(a) violates his right to due process, to equal protection, and to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution; Article I, Sections 2, 9, and 16 of the Ohio Constitution.

III. MERGER

{¶ 11} In his first assignment of error, defendant contends that the trial court erred in not merging the charges for sentencing.

{¶ 12} R.C. 2941.25, Ohio's multiple count 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.

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