State v. Marshall

105 N.E.2d 891, 61 Ohio Law. Abs. 568, 1952 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 386
CourtPiqua Municipal Court
DecidedFebruary 15, 1952
DocketNo. 6411
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 105 N.E.2d 891 (State v. Marshall) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Piqua Municipal Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Marshall, 105 N.E.2d 891, 61 Ohio Law. Abs. 568, 1952 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 386 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1952).

Opinion

OPINION

By CROMER, J.

On February 5, 1952, an affidavit was filed in this court against the defendant, who was charged with the violation of §6367-19 (a) GC. This is one of the sections of The Uniform Traffic Act and charges the defendant with operating a vehicle while “under the influence of intoxicating liquor.”

The affidavit was signed by James Zimpher, a police officer of the City of Piqua. There is nothing on the face of the affidavit which is unusual. The case, in the regular order of court business, was set for arraignment at 3:00 P. M. on Tuesday, Fegruary 5, 1952. At the time of arraignment, Mr. Richard A. Goater, attorney, appeared for the defendant. Mr. Goater objected to a plea being made by the defendant, claiming that he wished to file a motion to quash the arrest or the warrant; that he did not want to waive any rights the defendant might have in the matter. The whole objection was entirely oral and not too definite as to what was desired. The court refused to pass upon an oral motion until the same was made definite. The court indicated that no advantage would be taken of the situation by plea or otherwise. The court suggested that the warrant be served; that the defendant enter a plea of “not guilty” and that the defendant be released on a nominal bond, which the defendant alone might sign. This was done and the case continued until February 19, 1952. It was suggested by the court that, in the meantime, a written motion might be filed and the matter passed upon in the usual manner.

On February 11, 1952, the defendant filed his motion, which is called “Motion to Quash Affidavit and Warrant.” With the motion there is an “Affidavit” of the defendant and there is also filed “Memorandum in Support of Defendant’s Motion.” The motion, affidavit and Memo are all bound together in one manuscript cover. The affidavit, although bearing no file marks, will be considered as filed.

[571]*571Although the motion is one to quash the affidavit, counsel for the defendant agrees that the motion is really a plea in abatement.

An affidavit charging an offense is the first step in bringing a misdemeanor before the court.

Chapter 18: Service of Indictment and Exceptions, is part of the Code of Criminal Procedure in Ohio. The chapter refers to indictments and not to affidavits. However, defects in affidavits are raised in the same manner as defects in indictments. This chapter outlines the procedure. After an indictment is found a reasonable time is allowed the defendant “to examine the indictment and prepare exceptions thereto.” (Sec. 13439-4 GC.)

Under §13439-5 GC: “The accused may except to an indictment by first, a motion to quash; second, a plea in abatement and third, a demurrer.” A plea to quash is “made when there is a defect apparent upon the face of the record.” (Sec. 13439-6 GC.) Since there is no such defect apparent, a motion to quash does not prevail. But “a plea in abatement may be made when there is a defect in the record shown by facts extrinsic thereto. (Sec. 13439-7 GC.) Because the defect, if any, must be shown by evidence outside the record, that is, shown by'affidavits which detail certain facts, we do conclude that the remedy is a plea in abatement, and it will be considered thus.

Defendant’s motion, or plea, consists of three grounds which blend more or less into one contention, namely, that the arresting officer, a member of the police force of the City of Piqua, had no right to arrest the defendant, without a warrant, for a misdemeanor committed within the City of Piqua, which misdemeanor the defendant was “found violating”; the arrest of the defendant having been made within less than five minutes, by the police officer who observed the offense, the arrest having been made outside of the City of Piqua, but in an unincorporated village of Spring-creek Township, one of the townships of the Piqua Municipal Court’s territorial jurisdiction.

Defendant contends that (1) the arrest was illegal and void ab initio; that (2) the arrest was illegal and void or voidable because the defendant “was detained under arrest an unreasonable time after his arrest” without a warrant before being brought before the court and that (3) “the warrant was served on defendant while he was in protective custody

This brings us to a question of facts as to parts (2) and (3) of defendant’s plea. Part (1) is a legal conclusion of the [572]*572defendant or a question of law which will be noticed after parts (2) and (3) are disposed according to the evidence contained in the affidavit of the defendant and counter-affidavits of'the State of Ohio.

Officer Zimpher, the arresting officer, states in his affidavit that on Monday night, February 4, 1952, at about 11:45 P. M. he was on foot patrol on North Main Street, the principal business street of the city — U. S. Route 25, Dixie Highway, is on this street — that he was on the southeast corner of Main Street and Greene Street; that he heard an automobile approaching from the south at a rapid rate of speed estimated to be in excess of 45 miles per hour — by ordinance this is a 25 mile zone — that the approaching automobile was being driven without a muffler, or with a defective one; that the defendant, who was known to the officer, when he reached Greene Street, swerved his automobile out of the line of its course; that the officer saw the above named facts, all of which are violations of the state law and the city ordinances and, that in good faith, believing that the defendant was operating his vehicle while “under the influence of intoxicating liquor” called by phone the police headquarters, at 11:46 P. M., using the telephone at the Patio, distant about 150 feet from Main and Greene streets; that the police cruiser arrived at Main and Greene Streets at 11:47 P. M.; that the cruiser with Patrolman Zimpher and three other officers, arrived at the home of the defendant in Rossville at 11:49 P. M.; that the defendant had gone into his home, but had not removed his coat and hat at the time the officers arrived; that the defendant’s breath smelled of alcohol and he was asked to accompany the officers to headquarters for a drunk-o-meter test. The test showed a blood-alcohol content in excess of the amount considered safe for driving. The times set forth herein appear on the “log” kept in the police department, by Officer Sauers, who was on duty that night.

The affidavit filed by the defendant is substantially the same as that of Officer Zimpher. However, he states that he passed Greene Street on Main Street at about 11:25 P. M. He states that the officers arrived at his home at 11:45. The “log” shows that the officers left defendant’s home “at 11:51 P. M. At most, according to defendant’s evidence, only 20 minutes elapsed between the violation at Main and Greene Streets and the arrest at defendant’s home. According to the police “log” only 3 minutes elapsed.

The elapsed time becomes important when we refer to cases on “continued” pursuit.

Now, the defendant complains that he was detained too [573]*573long without a warrant. He refers to Rule 26 of this court. The cases will show that length of detention must vary with the circumstances of each case. What are the circumstances? What practical rules are necessary to operate this court?

The facts are that Officer Zimpher on February 4, was on duty from 11:00 P. M. to 7:00 A. M. Sven a police officer must sleep.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
105 N.E.2d 891, 61 Ohio Law. Abs. 568, 1952 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 386, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-marshall-ohmunictpiqua-1952.