State v. McGilton, Ct08-0002 (10-17-2008)

2008 Ohio 5432
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 17, 2008
DocketNo. CT08-0002.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2008 Ohio 5432 (State v. McGilton, Ct08-0002 (10-17-2008)) 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. McGilton, Ct08-0002 (10-17-2008), 2008 Ohio 5432 (Ohio Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

OPINION *Page 2
{¶ 1} Defendant-Appellant Angel McGilton appeals her conviction and sentence in the Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas on one count of trafficking in prescription drugs. Plaintiff-appellee is the State of Ohio.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND CASE
{¶ 2} On March 17, 2007, Appellant visited a Zanesville bar with her mother. Earlier in the day, an acquaintance by the name of Christopher Stamn telephoned Appellant asking her to provide him with some prescription pain medication. Stamn arrived at the bar as a passenger in a vehicle, which parked next to a vehicle occupied by two undercover police officers. The officers recognized Stamn.

{¶ 3} Stamn entered the bar and approached Appellant. Appellant and Stamn then left the bar, and proceeded to Stamn's car. Appellant entered the rear driver's side seat facing toward Stamn, produced a pill bottle from inside her purse, opened it and handed the contents to Stamn. Officer Coury observed the transaction. Appellant then returned to the bar, and the officers apprehended Stamn, who threw the pills onto the floorboard of the vehicle. The officers found four Vicodin pills on the floor of the car.

{¶ 4} Appellant was apprehended inside the bar with the same purse. Inside the purse, the officers found a pill bottle containing Vicodin and Xanax. Appellant admitted to giving Stamn Vicodin, but denied selling the pills for money.

{¶ 5} Appellant was indicted on one count of trafficking in prescription drugs. Following a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty, and sentenced to nine months incarceration.

{¶ 6} Appellant now appeals, assigning as error: *Page 3

{¶ 7} "I. THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT WAS DENIED A FAIR TRIAL BY THE IMPROPER ADMISSION OF TESTIMONIAL EVIDENCE IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT OF CONFRONTATION.

{¶ 8} "II. THE JUDGMENT OF CONVICTION IS NOT SUPPORTED BY SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE AND THE VERDICT WAS OTHERWISE AGAINST THE MANIFEST WEIGHT OF THAT EVIDENCE.

{¶ 9} "III. THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT WAS DENIED DUE PROCESS WHEN THE TRIAL COURT FAILED TO PROPERLY INSTRUCT THE JURY.

{¶ 10} "IV. THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT WAS DENIED THE EFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL.

{¶ 11} "V. THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT WAS DENIED DUE PROCESS BY CUMULATIVE ERROR.

{¶ 12} "VI. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN SENTENCING DEFENDANT-APPELLANT TO A PRISON TERM INSTEAD OF COMMUNITY CONTROL AND TO A TERM IN EXCESS OF THE MINIMUM."

I.
{¶ 13} In the first assignment of error, Appellant argues she was denied her due process right to confront witnesses. Specifically, Appellant cites an alleged hearsay statement made by Christopher Stamn to a police officer while in custody relative to Appellant's knowledge of his (Stamn's) desire for prescription medication. Appellant cites the following exchange at trial during the testimony of Christopher Stamn:

{¶ 14} "Q. All right. Were you interviewed by Detective Coury?

{¶ 15} "A. I'm not sure which cop it was. *Page 4

{¶ 16} "Q. Okay. Do you recall telling Detective Coury that Angel knows that you like pills?

{¶ 17} "A. Excuse me?

{¶ 18} "Q. Do you recall telling Detective Coury, or whoever interviewed you, that Angel knows that you like pills?

{¶ 19} "A. I don't remember saying that.

{¶ 20} "Mr. Welch: Your Honor, may I approach, the witness?

{¶ 21} "The Court: Certainly.

{¶ 22} "Q. Did you have an opportunity to review this statement outside?

{¶ 23} "A. Yeah. I read that part of it.

{¶ 24} "Q. Okay. And are you able to read okay?

{¶ 25} "A. Yeah.

{¶ 26} "Q. Okay. Could you read this right here? You don't have to read it out loud, but can you read this part?

{¶ 27} "A. Yeah. I see it.

{¶ 28} "Q. Okay. Do you remember telling Detective Coury that Angel knows that you like pills?

{¶ 29} "A. I was just meaning that that's what helps me, Vicodins. That's what I meant by that.

{¶ 30} "Q. Okay. But you said that she knows that you like pills. Correct?

{¶ 31} "A. I mean, I don't know if she knew that; but I knew that's what helped was the Vicodins.

{¶ 32} "Q. Okay. But you told the detective she knew that you liked pills? *Page 5

{¶ 33} "A. I didn't know if she knew — if she did or not.

{¶ 34} "Q. But that's what you told the detective. Right?

{¶ 35} "A. I guess. That's what it says.

{¶ 36} "Q. Okay. And she offered to give you some pills in the bar?

{¶ 37} "A. Yeah.

{¶ 38} "Q. And did she tell you what type of pills those were?

{¶ 39} "A. She just said they were some pain pills.

{¶ 40} "Q. Did she tell you they were Vicodin?

{¶ 41} "A. I don't remember. It's been a while.

{¶ 42} "Mr. Welch: Your Honor, may I approach the witness?

{¶ 43} "The Court: Certainly.

{¶ 44} "Q. Go ahead and read from right here.

{¶ 45} "A. (Complies with request).

{¶ 46} "Q. Does that help refresh your memory?

{¶ 47} "A. (Nodded).

{¶ 48} "The Court: Is that a yes?

{¶ 49} "The Witness: Yes.

{¶ 50} "Mr. Welch: You need to say it out loud. Thank you.

{¶ 51} "A. Yes.

¶ 52} "Q. What type of pills were they?

{¶ 53} "A. Vicodin."

{¶ 54} Tr. at 125-128. *Page 6

{¶ 55} Appellant cites Crawford v. Washington (2004), 541 U.S. 36, asserting the testimony is impermissible hearsay admitted in violation to his right of confrontation.

{¶ 56} In Crawford v. Washington (2004), 541 U.S. 36, 124 S.Ct. 1354,158 L.Ed.2d 177, the Supreme Court rejected the practice of allowing the use of an unavailable witness's out-of-court statement if it had sufficient indicia of reliability, reasoning that the practice violated the accused's right to confront the witnesses against him.Crawford

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Bluebook (online)
2008 Ohio 5432, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mcgilton-ct08-0002-10-17-2008-ohioctapp-2008.