State v. Moreno

2024 Ohio 2055
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 29, 2024
DocketCT2023-0052
StatusPublished

This text of 2024 Ohio 2055 (State v. Moreno) 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. Moreno, 2024 Ohio 2055 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Moreno, 2024-Ohio-2055.]

COURT OF APPEALS MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

STATE OF OHIO JUDGES: Hon. W. Scott Gwin, P.J. Plaintiff-Appellee Hon. John W. Wise, J. Hon. Andrew J. King, J. -vs- Case No. CT2023-0052 SHARON MORENO

Defendant-Appellant OPINION

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Criminal Appeal from the County Court, Case No. CRB2200487

JUDGMENT: Affirmed

DATE OF JUDGMENT ENTRY: May 29, 2024

APPEARANCES:

For Plaintiff-Appellee For Defendant-Appellant

RONALD L. WELCH APRIL F. CAMPBELL PROSECUTING ATTORNEY CAMPBELL LAW, LLC JOHN CONNOR DEVER 545 Metro Place ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR Suite 100 27 North Fifth Street, P. O. Box 189 Dublin, Ohio 43017 Zanesville, Ohio 43702 Muskingum County, Case No. CT2023-0052 2

Wise, J.

{¶1} Defendant-Appellant Sharon Moreno appeals her conviction and sentence

entered in the Muskingum County Court following a no-contest plea on two counts of child

endangering.

{¶2} Plaintiff-Appellee is the State of Ohio.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND CASE

{¶3} The limited facts and procedural history are as follows:

{¶4} Appellant Sharon Moreno was charged in Muskingum County Court with

three counts of Child Endangering, in violation of R.C. §2919.22, all first-degree

misdemeanors.

{¶5} On June 26, 2023, pursuant to a plea agreement, Appellant entered a plea

of no contest to two counts of child endangering, Counts 1 and 3. The State of Ohio nolled

the remaining count. Appellant’s counsel stipulated to the facts to support this plea. (T. at

6). Appellant agreed to that stipulation. Id. Due to said stipulation to the facts, there are

no facts on the record as to what constituted the child endangering offenses.

{¶6} Prior to Appellant entering her plea on the record, the prosecution informed

the trial court that the parties had reached a plea agreement and that the parties joint

recommendation was a thirty-day jail sentence with work release. Id. (T. at 4). The trial

court informed Appellant it would not be following this joint recommendation. (T. at 4).

{¶7} At sentencing, the victim's Aunt spoke as their representative. She had

previously submitted a letter to the trial court advocating for the maximum sentence. She

informed the judge that she objected to the recommendation and asked for the trial court Muskingum County, Case No. CT2023-0052 3

to impose maximum sentences. (T. at 9-10). Appellant contested much of the allegations

made by the Aunt. (T. at 14.)

{¶8} Counsel for Appellant then offered mitigation as to Appellant's rehabilitation,

stating that she had been actively working her case plan with Child Protective Services

for the year the case was pending, that she was in therapy, and that she was seeing a

psychiatrist weekly. (T. at 10-11). Counsel also stated that Appellant was taking

medication to address the underlying concerns. (T. at 19).

{¶9} The trial court then proceeded to sentencing, imposing a ninety-day jail

sentence on each count, to be served consecutively for an aggregate sentence of 180

days in jail.

{¶10} Appellant now appeals, raising the following assignments of error for review:

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

{¶11} “I. MORENO'S PLEA AND SENTENCED [SIC] SHOULD BE REVERSED

BECAUSE MORENO WAS PROMISED WORK RELEASE, BUT SHE DID NOT GET IT.

{¶12} “II. MORENO'S SENTENCES SHOULD BE REVERSED BECAUSE THE

TRIAL COURT'S DECISION TO IMPOSE CONSECUTIVE SENTENCES SHOULD BE

VACATED.

{¶13} “III. MORENO'S SENTENCES SHOULD BE REVERSED: THE TRIAL

COURT'S DECISION TO IMPOSE A JAIL TERM FAILED TO COMPLY WITH

MISDEMEANOR SENTENCING STATUTES. THE TRIAL COURT FAILED TO

CONSIDER MORENO'S REHABILITATION.” Muskingum County, Case No. CT2023-0052 4

I.

{¶14} In her first assignment of error, Appellant argues that her plea and sentence

should be reversed because the trial court erred in not granting her work release. We

disagree.

{¶15} As conceded by Appellant in her brief, the record in this matter contains no

promises made by the trial court to Appellant promising her that it will grant her work-

release.

{¶16} Our appellate review is limited to the record before us and the record in this

case is devoid of any promises by the trial court concerning work release. Appellate

review is strictly limited to the record. State v. Brown, 5th Dist. Richland No. 2022 CA

0042, 2023-Ohio-3906, ¶ 68, citing The Warder, Bushnell & Glessner Co. v. Jacobs, 58

Ohio St. 77, 50 N.E. 97 (1898). “The duty to insure that the record on appeal is complete

falls upon the appellant.” Heinrichs v. 356 Registry, Inc., 10th Dist. No. 15AP-532, 2016-

Ohio-4646, 70 N.E.3d 91, 2016 WL 3522293, ¶ 68 quoting Greff v. Meeks & Co., 10th

Dist. No. 96APE05–692, 1997 WL 15134 (Jan. 16, 1997). See also App.R. 9(B)(1). “The

duty of submitting the record falls upon an appellant because it is he who bears the burden

of showing error by reference to matters in the record.” Id. quoting Watley v. Dept. of

Rehab. & Corr., 10th Dist. No. 06AP–1128, 2007-Ohio-1841, 2007 WL 1153050, ¶ 16.

Thus, when portions of the record “necessary for resolution of assigned errors are omitted

from the record, the reviewing court has nothing to pass upon and thus, as to those

assigned errors, the court has no choice but to presume the validity of the lower court's

proceedings, and affirm.” Knapp v. Edwards Laboratories, 61 Ohio St.2d 197, 199, 400

N.E.2d 384 (1980). Muskingum County, Case No. CT2023-0052 5

{¶17} An appellate court addressing a direct appeal is not permitted to add matter

to the record which was not part of the trial court proceedings. See, e.g., State v. Hill, 90

Ohio St.3d 571, 573, 740 N.E.2d 282, 2001-Ohio-20, citing State v. Ishmail (1978), 54

Ohio St.2d 402, 377 N.E.2d 500.

{¶18} Based on the foregoing, we find Appellant’s first assignment of error not

well-taken and overrule same.

II., III.

{¶19} In her second and third assignments of error, Appellant argues the trial court

erred in imposing consecutive sentences and further failed to comply with misdemeanor

sentencing statutes. We disagree.

Misdemeanor Sentencing

{¶20} Generally, misdemeanor sentencing is within the sound discretion of the

trial court and will not be disturbed upon review if the sentence is within the limits of the

applicable statute. State v. Thadur, 5th Dist. Ashland No. 15 COA 018, 2016-Ohio-417,

59 N.E.3d 602, ¶ 11, citing State v. Smith, 9th Dist. Wayne No. 05CA0006, 2006-Ohio-

1558, ¶ 21, internal citation omitted. See also State v. Chadwick, 5th Dist. Knox No.

08CA15, 2009-Ohio-2472, ¶ 30; State v. Lewis, 5th Dist. Fairfield No. 2006-CA-00066,

2007 WL 270448 (Sept. 12, 2007), ¶19. To find an abuse of discretion, the reviewing

court must determine that the trial court's decision was unreasonable, arbitrary, or

unconscionable and not merely an error of law or judgment. Blakemore v. Blakemore, 5

Ohio St.3d 217, 219, 450 N.E.2d 1140 (1983). An abuse of discretion can be found where

the reasons given by the court for its action are clearly untenable, legally incorrect, or

amount to a denial of justice, or where the judgment reaches an end or purpose not Muskingum County, Case No. CT2023-0052 6

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Bluebook (online)
2024 Ohio 2055, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-moreno-ohioctapp-2024.