State v. Mohler

2011 Ohio 6121
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 28, 2011
Docket2011-CA-48
StatusPublished

This text of 2011 Ohio 6121 (State v. Mohler) 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. Mohler, 2011 Ohio 6121 (Ohio Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Mohler, 2011-Ohio-6121.]

COURT OF APPEALS LICKING COUNTY, OHIO FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

JUDGES: THE STATE OF OHIO : Hon. W. Scott Gwin, P.J. : Hon. John W. Wise, J. Plaintiff-Appellee : Hon. Patricia A. Delaney, J. : v. : : Case No. 2011-CA-0048 ERIC MOHLER : : Defendant-Appellant : OPINION

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Criminal appeal from the Licking County Court of Common Pleas, Case No. 09CR550

JUDGMENT: Affirmed

DATE OF JUDGMENT ENTRY: November 28, 2011

APPEARANCES:

For Plaintiff-Appellee For Defendant-Appellant

BRIAN WALTZ J. MATTHEW DAWSON 20 South Second Street 35 S. Park Pl., Ste. 10 Newark, OH 43055 Newark, OH 43055 [Cite as State v. Mohler, 2011-Ohio-6121.]

Gwin, P.J.

{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant Eric S. Mohler appeals the February 10, 2010

Judgment Entry of the Licking County Court of Common Pleas Court overruling his

motion to suppress evidence. Plaintiff-appellee is the State of Ohio.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND CASE

{¶ 2} Appellee did not file a brief in this matter. Pursuant to App.R. 18(C) in

determining the appeal we may accept appellant’s statement of the facts and issues as

correct, and reverse the judgment if appellant’s brief reasonably appears to sustain

such action. See State v. Rohrig (Apr. 2, 2001), Fairfield App. No. 00 CA 39, and

Chowdhury v. Fitzgerald (Mar. 27, 1997), Guernsey App. No. 96 CA 43. Therefore, we

presume the validity of appellant’s statement of facts and issues.

{¶ 3} At the evidentiary hearing on appellant’s motion to suppress held February

8, 2010, the following facts were established as noted by the trial court’s February 10,

2010 Judgment Entry.

{¶ 4} On October 20, 2009, Detective Alan Thomas responded to the Budget

Inn. A traffic stop was being conducted on a white Cavalier driven by Erica Smith. As

Detective Thomas arrived, a canine sweep of the car was being conducted. Detective

Thomas testified he saw appellant emerge from room 127 at the Budget Inn. Appellant

was coming outside to see what was going on with Ms. Smith, his fiancée. Detective

Thomas testified that he spoke briefly with the appellant. Detective Thomas then

proceeded to the manager's office of the hotel to find out who had rented the room.

Detective Thomas further contacted the Sheriff’s office and the probation department

because he knew that appellant was out on bond and on probation for failure to register 3

as a sex offender. Appellant was under Indictment for felony trafficking in heroin and for

failing to register as a sex offender in an unrelated case. Appellant had been released

on bond thirteen days earlier.

{¶ 5} Detective Thomas testified that when he came back to the scene after having

talked to the manager, he advised appellant of his Miranda rights. The detective testified that

Officer Barnes of Adult Court Services (probation department) came to the scene together

with Detective Collins, the officer in charge of sexual registration for the Licking County

Sherriff’s Office. Detective Thomas further testified that appellant was not arrested when

given the Miranda warnings, however he was aware of the issues concerning his

registration requirements and bond terms. Detective Thomas testified he did not ask the

appellant for permission to search the hotel room. Appellant was subsequently arrested

for violating the terms of his bond.

{¶ 6} Detective Doug Bline testified that on October 20, 2009 he, Detective

Thomas, Detective Cortwright of the Newark Police Department and Sergeant Romano

from the Newark Police Department were all members of the Central Ohio Drug

Enforcement taskforce. Detective Bline testified he had dealt with Erica Smith before on

possession and trafficking of heroin charges. Detective Bline said he saw the white

Cavalier at the Circle K and knew there was a female inside of it. A patrol officer

observed a traffic violation and made a traffic stop on the vehicle. Ms. Smith was

identified as the driver. Detective Bline requested consent to search her car, which Ms.

Smith denied. Because of that denial, a canine was brought to the scene to conduct a

drug sweep around the outside of the vehicle. The canine produced a positive hit on the

vehicle. The vehicle was then searched revealing drug paraphernalia and both used 4

and unused balloons inside the car. Detective Bline testified the balloons were used to

package heroin.

{¶ 7} Detective Bline testified that he Mirandized Ms. Smith before speaking

with her and she agreed to speak with him. Ms. Smith confirmed that she was staying at

the hotel in room 127 with appellant. Detective Bline told Ms. Smith they had found

paraphernalia in the car and asked her if there was anything going on in the room. Ms.

Smith initially denied there was anything going on in the room. He asked her consent to

search the room, which she denied. Detective Bline testified that the drug canine had an

abnormal reaction at the closed door to the room although not what he would

characterize as a positive response. Detective Bline told Ms. Smith that he would

attempt to get a search warrant for the room and that she could not return there

although she was free to go. Ms. Smith became upset, was annoyed and wanted to go

into the room. Detective Bline reiterated she could not. Subsequently, Ms. Smith was

arrested on a possession of heroin charge. That offense had occurred in August;

however, the detectives had only recently obtained the lab reports from BCI. Those

results had been forwarded to the prosecutor for indictment but had not yet been

presented to the grand jury.

{¶ 8} After Ms. Smith was arrested, she asked to speak to Detective Bline. Ms.

Smith indicated to him that there were things in the room but they were not hers. She

further indicated that there might be a little dope in the room but that it did not belong to

her. She told Detective Bline that the drugs belonged to a Robert Berger whose truck

had been repossessed and that she and appellant were holding the drugs for him. He

asked for consent to search the room. Ms. Smith indicated she needed to speak to 5

appellant before agreeing to allow the officers to search the hotel room. Detective Bline

testified that he accompanied Ms. Smith to where appellant was being detained and that

he stood approximately three feet away from them while they spoke. Detective Bline

testified appellant told Ms. Smith that he was being arrested anyway, so in essence,

whatever. Ms. Smith signed the consent to search form.

{¶ 9} However, Detective Bline also asked for appellant’s consent because

appellant stayed in the room. Detective Bline testified appellant said several times it was

not his room and therefore the police did not need his consent to search the room.

Detective Bline, however, asked appellant to consent and said he would not search the

room without appellant’s consent. Detective Bline told appellant he would attempt to

obtain a search warrant in the event appellant decline to give his written consent.

Detective Bline testified appellant had the opportunity to read the consent form but

chose not to read the form.

{¶ 10} Appellant testified that he told Ms. Smith to allow the police to search the

room. However, he further testified that he changed his mind after Ms. Smith told him

there was something inside the room. He then testified that he told Ms. Smith to tell the

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