State v. Mullins

517 N.E.2d 945, 34 Ohio App. 3d 192, 1986 Ohio App. LEXIS 10335
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 14, 1986
Docket48-CA-85
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 517 N.E.2d 945 (State v. Mullins) 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. Mullins, 517 N.E.2d 945, 34 Ohio App. 3d 192, 1986 Ohio App. LEXIS 10335 (Ohio Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

Putman, P.J.

This is an appeal from a sentence in a criminal case. Defendant-appellant, Randy E. Mullins, was indicted and convicted of two counts of aggravated robbery with firearm specifications, in violation of R.C. 2911.01, 2941.141, and 2929.71. On September 19,1985, the trial court sentenced appellant as follows: Ten to twenty-five years’ imprisonment on the two counts of aggravated robbery, to be served concurrently with each other, and two three-year terms of actual incarceration for the firearm specifications, to be served consecutively with each other and with the concurrent terms for aggravated robbery. The trial court’s entry of sentence was filed on September 23, 1985. Trial counsel filed a notice of appeal on October 3, 1985 and filed a brief on appellant’s behalf as appointed counsel. Present counsel entered his appearance in the court of appeals on February 25, 1986 and obtained leave to file his brief on or before March 20, 1986.

The second brief duplicates all assigned errors of the first except for the fourth assigned error relative to equal protection and impermissible discrimination based upon a more severe penalty being imposed upon the aider and abettor than upon the actual perpetrator who turned state’s evidence. Absent discrimination based upon race, religion, national origin, illegitimacy, etc., this assignment of error is without merit and is overruled.

Nine other errors are assigned as follows:

“I. The trial court erred to the prejudice of appellant in allowing the jury to hear evidence of the bad characters of appellant and Hastings.
“II. The trial court erred in allowing the state to present evidence from a police officer that the co-defendant Downs had given a pretrial statement consistent with his trial testimony, where Downs had not been im *193 peached by prior consistent statements and where Downs’ motive to fabricate existed at the time of the pretrial statement.
“HI. The trial court erred in overruling appellant’s motions for acquittal pursuant to Crim. R. 29 where there was no evidence that appellant knew that Hastings would use a gun to commit a theft offense.
“IV. The trial court erred in refusing to grant appellant’s motions for acquittal under Rule 29 of the Ohio Rules of Criminal Procedure where the state failed to present sufficient evidence to corroborate accomplice testimony as required by R.C. 2923.03(D).
“V. The trial court erred in instructing the jury that they had to find another man guilty of the offense and in giving incomprehensible instructions on conspiracy and complicity.
“VI. The trial court erred in imposing sentence for two firearm specifications where there was no proof that the deadly weapon used to commit the aggravated robbery was ‘capable of expelling or propelling one or more projectiles by the action of an explosive or combustible propellant.’ R.C. 2923.11(B).
“VII. The trial court erred in imposing two three-year terms of actual incarceration where the underlying felonies were committed as part of the same transaction.
“VIII. The trial court erred in finding appellant guilty of the firearm specifications in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, and Article I, Section 9 of the Ohio Constitution.
“IX. Appellant was deprived of the effective assistance of counsel by the acts and omissions of trial counsel, in violation of the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 10 of the Ohio Constitution.”

In connection therewith, appellant poses the following issues presented for review.

1. Did the trial court err in admitting evidence of appellant’s bad character?

2. Did the trial court err in allowing the prior consistent statements of a witness into evidence?

3. Was there sufficient evidence that appellant knew that a gun would be used to commit the offenses?

4; Was there sufficient corroboration of accomplice testimony to allow appellant’s conviction?

5. Did the trial court err in instructing the jury with regard to the principal offender and accomplice liability?

6. Did the trial court err in imposing sentence for the firearm specifications where there was no proof of oper-ability?

7. Did the trial court err in sentencing appellant for two firearm specifications arising out of the same transaction?

8. Did the firearm specifications constitute cruel and unusual punishment?

9. Was appellant denied the effective assistance of counsel?

The appellant reviews the prosecution testimony as follows:

At about 9:30 a.m. on May 3,1985, the Clearcreek Valley Bank in Stouts-ville (Fairfield County), Ohio, eight miles from Circleville, was robbed by Alfred 0. Hastings, who was armed with a gun and who obtained $1,000 in one dollar bills. Subsequent to the bank robbery, Alfred Hastings obtained a car at gunpoint from a mail carrier.

The primary controversy at trial was whether the state could prove that appellant, Randy E. Mullins, had any criminal involvement in these aggravated robberies. To establish appellant’s guilt as an aider and abettor of Hastings, the state called Hastings’ ad *194 mitted accomplice, Randy Downs, who, in exchange for his testimony, pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery, and had been promised the state’s recommendation of a sentence of nine to twenty-five years, which the state would also recommend be suspended. Downs expected to be placed on five years of probation after serving only ninety days in the county jail. Downs testified that he had known appellant for six or seven years, and that he met Alfred Hastings in 1985 through appellant. According to Downs, on April 18, 1985, Downs, Hastings, and appellant, in Downs’ house at Circleville, decided to rob the Stoutsville Bank, and Downs went to check out the bank on April 19. Downs’ role also included picking up Hastings in a rural area after the robbery. Hastings was to rob the bank and steal a getaway car from a bank employee. Appellant’s role was to drop Hastings off in Stoutsville.

After Downs left on April 19 to check out the bank, he did not see Hastings and appellant again until two days before the robbery. The night before the robbery, May 2, appellant returned to Columbus and only Hastings spent the night at Downs’ house. Also, according to Downs, appellant did not participate in any planning of the bank robbery on the days immediately prior to May 3. Downs testified that appellant came to Downs’ home in the morning of May 3, and Downs, Hastings, and appellant discussed the robbery for five minutes. Appellant and Hastings left at about 9:00 a.m., and Downs was to leave fifteen minutes later. Downs went to the place where he was to meet Hastings after the robbery. Downs met Hastings there, as prearranged, and they abandoned the stolen car.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
517 N.E.2d 945, 34 Ohio App. 3d 192, 1986 Ohio App. LEXIS 10335, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mullins-ohioctapp-1986.