State v. Newkirk

255 N.E.2d 851, 21 Ohio App. 2d 160, 50 Ohio Op. 2d 253, 1968 Ohio App. LEXIS 284
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 25, 1968
Docket530
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 255 N.E.2d 851 (State v. Newkirk) 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. Newkirk, 255 N.E.2d 851, 21 Ohio App. 2d 160, 50 Ohio Op. 2d 253, 1968 Ohio App. LEXIS 284 (Ohio Ct. App. 1968).

Opinion

Rutherford, J.

In the Municipal Court of the city of Ashland, the defendant, Charles D. Newkirk, was charged by affidavit with driving on a public highway, 1-71, in Ashland County, at a “speed unreasonable for conditions,” to wit: “90 MPH in a 70 MPH zone, in violation of Section 4511.21 of the Ohio Revised Code.”

No violation of Section 4511.20, Revised Code, was charged in the affidavit-

*161 The bill of exceptions shows the following proceedings upon arraignment and sentence:

“The Court: Charles Newkirk, they say yon came in late. Mr. Newkirk, yon are charged with the violation of state law 4511.21. How do yon plead?
“Mr. Newkirk: Guilty.
“The Conrt: What is the officer’s report, please?
“Unknown: If it please the conrt, yonr Honor, this is Patrolman Johnson’s statement. It states the violation occurred on the third of May at approximately 9:45 a. m.; that the defendant was observed sonthbonnd on Interstate 71 at State Route 539 in Wayne County driving at which appeared to be a high rate of speed. Pursuit was given and the defendant was clocked at 90 and above from County Rd. 138 to the Richland County line. During this time he passed nine other vehicles and was alone in the car. Signed by Patrolman Johnson.
“The Court: That will be the usual fifty and costs and the license will be suspended for ninety days.
“We will take a short recess and we will take up (unintelligible) case and we will finish up with (unintelligible) case.”

Upon appeal to the Common Pleas Court, the defendant contended that the affidavit contained no charge that defendant’s driving or his violation of Section 4511.21, Revised Code, related to reckless operation, and that upon defendant’s plea of guilty to the charge against him in violation of Section 4511.21, Revised Code, the court’s suspension of his driver’s license for a period of ninety days was erroneous and exceeded the court’s authority, being a penalty beyond the power of the court to impose under the circumstances.

The defendant further claimed that he was denied due process of law in the proceedings in the Municipal Court by not being informed before the plea of the nature and cause of the charge against him involving such penalty; that he was not represented by counsel in Municipal Court, was not informed prior to his plea that his driver’s license was in danger, and was not given an opportunity before *162 sentence to make any statement in mitigation, namely, that driving was his livelihood and that his suspension seriously affected his employment.

The Common Pleas Court entered judgment, as shown by journal entry, which reads as follows:

“This cause came on for hearing upon the appeal on questions of law, assignments of error, hill of exceptions, the transcript and the original papers and pleadings from the Municipal Court of Ashland, Ohio, and was argued by counsel. On consideration whereof the court finds there is error apparent upon the record in said proceedings and judgment prejudicial to the appellant, and that the Municipal Court of Ashland, Ohio, was without power in said cause to suspend the driver’s license of the applicant as a part of its sentence.
“It is therefore considered and adjudged that the judgment of the Municipal Court of Ashland, Ohio, suspending the driver’s license of the appellant is hereby reversed and vacated.
(t# * # }}

An opinion written by the Common Pleas Court has been published in 12 Ohio Mise. 151. Paragraph three of the syllabus reads:

“Where the only evidence produced on trial showed that a motorist was traveling 90 m.p.h. in a 70 m.p.h. zone on a divided super highway, and that nine automobiles were passed over a distance of 4% miles, the Municipal Court was without power to impose, as a part of the sentence for a violation of Section 4511.21, Eevised Code, a suspension of the motorist’s driver’s license.”

The first issue presented in the instant case is whether a violation of Section 4511.21, Eevised Code, regulating the speed of motor vehicles, is an offense “relating to reckless operation” of motor vehicles warranting a court to suspend the offender’s driver’s license, under the authority of Section 4507.34, Eevised Code, which provides:

“Whenever a person is found guilty under the laws of this state or any ordinance of any political subdivision thereof, of operating a motor yehicle in violation of such *163 laws or ordinances, relating to reckless operation, the trial court of any court of record may, in addition to or independent of all other penalties provided by law, suspend for any period of time or revoke the license to drive of any person so convicted or pleading guilty to such offenses for such period as it determines, not to exceed one year.”

This issue is identical to the issue presented in the case of Akron v. Willingham, 166 Ohio St. 337, wherein the Supreme Court of Ohio, at page 338 in the per curiam opinion, held:

“Since Section 4507.34, Revised Code, * * * refers to the ‘laws,’ ‘ordinances,’ and ‘offenses’ in the plural, it was clearly not the intention of the General Assembly to relate ‘reckless operation’ to Section 4511.20 only. A law or ordinance prohibiting speeding is a prohibition ‘relating to reckless operation’ of a motor vehicle within the meaning of Section 4507.34, * * * and authorizes suspension of a driver’s license.”

In Akron v. Willingham, the Court of Appeals took the same position which the Common Pleas Court has taken in the instant case. The Court of Appeals then certified its judgment as being in conflict with the judgment of the Court of Appeals of another district as rendered in the ease of State v. Joiner, 77 Ohio App. 298.

In the opinion reversing the Court of Appeals in Akron v. Willingham, 166 Ohio St. 337, on page 338, the Supreme Court stated:

“By Section 6296-30, General Code (now Section 4507.-34, Revised Code), all courts of record are empowered to suspend drivers’ licenses for not exceeding one year upon conviction of the violation of laws and ordinances relating to reckless driving. See State v. Joiner, supra.”

In the last paragraph of State v. Joiner, 77 Ohio App. 298, the Court of Appeals stated:

“Certainly the power to suspend for speeding has relation to reckless operation and, if so, the power to enforce the suspension has equal relevancy.”

The reference of the Common Pleas Court in its opinion to a situation where a person is driving 71 miles per *164

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
255 N.E.2d 851, 21 Ohio App. 2d 160, 50 Ohio Op. 2d 253, 1968 Ohio App. LEXIS 284, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-newkirk-ohioctapp-1968.