State v. Nichols, Unpublished Decision (7-31-2002)

CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 31, 2002
DocketCase No. 01 CA 016.
StatusUnpublished

This text of State v. Nichols, Unpublished Decision (7-31-2002) (State v. Nichols, Unpublished Decision (7-31-2002)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law.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State v. Nichols, Unpublished Decision (7-31-2002), (Ohio Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

OPINION
{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant Michael A. Nichols appeals the May 25, 2001, denial of appellant's appeal to terminate an administrative license suspension and his June 29, 2001, conviction for Driving While Under the Influence, pursuant to R.C. 4511.19(A)(3), in the Municipal Court of Coshocton County, Ohio.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND CASE
{¶ 2} A vehicle being driven by defendant-appellant Michael A. Nichols [hereinafter appellant] was stopped by the Coshocton County Sheriff Department on May 12, 2001. Appellant was charged with Driving While Under the Influence [hereinafter DUI], pursuant to R.C. 4511.19(A)(1) and (A)(3), Failure to Control, pursuant to R.C. 4511.202 and Underage Consumption, pursuant to R.C. 4301.69(E). Appellant submitted to a BAC Datamaster breath test. Prior to the test, the BAC Datamaster indicated that it would not zero itself. However, the officer conducting the test continued to use the machine and tested appellant. The test result was a .155 blood alcohol content [hereinafter BAC]. Pursuant to the test result, appellant was placed under an Administrative License Suspension [hereinafter ALS].

{¶ 3} At his initial appearance on the charges, appellant appealed the ALS. After a hearing, the trial court denied appellant's appeal and continued the ALS.

{¶ 4} On June 6, 2001, appellant filed a Motion to Suppress the BAC test result, arguing that the State was unable to provide a proper foundation to admit the evidence. Appellant contended that the Guth 34C Simulator and its thermometers have known temperature variances, tolerances and error factors making it impossible for the State to show that OAC 3701-53-04's mandate that the simulator operate at a temperature of 34 degrees Celsius +/- .2 degrees had been met. The Guth 34C Simulator mimics human breath and is used to test the Datamaster. That same day, June 6, 2001, appellant filed a second motion for discovery. This second, supplementary request for discovery specifically sought information regarding the Guth 34C Simulator and its thermometers.

{¶ 5} On June 15, 2001, the trial court denied appellant's suppression motion without hearing. Appellant filed a motion to reconsider on June 18, 2001. On June 19, 2001, the trial court granted the motion to reconsider, in part. The trial court granted a suppression hearing on the sole issue of whether the BAC Datamaster denoted an error existing immediately prior to appellant's test. However, the trial court denied the motion to suppress without hearing as to all other issues, including the issue regarding the accuracy of the Guth 34C Simulator.

{¶ 6} On June 29, 2001, prior to the suppression hearing, appellant pled no contest to DUI, 4511.19(A)(3), Failure to Control and Underage Consumption. The State dismissed the DUI charge brought under R.C. 4511.19(A)(1). By Judgment Entry filed June 29, 2001, the trial court found appellant guilty and pronounced sentence.

{¶ 7} It is from the conviction and sentence that appellant appeals, raising the following assignments of error:

{¶ 8} I. "THE TRIAL COURT ERRED AS A MATTER OF LAW AND COMMITTED PLAIN ERROR WHEN IT DID NOT ACQUIT THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT OF THE UNDERAGE CONSUMPTION OFFENSE UPON THE CONCLUSION OF THE STATE'S EXPLANATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH FAILED TO INCLUDE THE AGE OF THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT, THE SAME BEING REQUIRED BY O.R.C. 2937.07."

{¶ 9} II. "THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT ADMITTED THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT'S MAY 12, 2001 BAC TEST RESULT AS EVIDENCE AGAINST HIM IN HIS ALS APPEAL."

{¶ 10} III. "THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT DENIED DEFENDANT-APPELLANT'S SUPPRESSION MOTION WITHOUT A HEARING AND BEING BASED UPON REASONING NOT SUPPORTED BY FACTS IN THE RECORD AND UPON INCORRECT LAW."

{¶ 11} IV. "THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT DID NOT ORDER THE STATE TO PROVIDE THE DISCOVERY DEFENDANT/APPELLANT WAS ENTITLED TO AND SO MOVED ON JUNE 6, 2001."

{¶ 12} V. "THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED REVERSIBLE ERROR WHEN IT ADMITTED THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT'S MAY 12, 2001 BAC TEST RESULT AS EVIDENCE AGAINST HIM FOR THE ALLEGED OFFENSE OF R. C. 4511.19(A)(3)."

I
{¶ 13} In the first assignment of error, appellant argues that the trial court could not find appellant guilty following appellant's plea of no contest to the charge of underage consumption because the prosecutor failed to state appellant's age when stating the facts to the trial court. Appellant contends that appellant's age was an essential element of the charge and was required to be stated by the prosecutor.

{¶ 14} In order to obtain a conviction of a defendant who has pled no contest, the state must offer an explanation of the circumstances to support the charge. This explanation is sufficient if it supports all the essential elements of the offense. Chagrin Falls v. Katelanos (1988),54 Ohio App.3d 157, 159, 561 N.E.2d 992, 994; R.C. 2937.071. A defendant who pleads no contest has a substantive right to be acquitted where the state's statement of facts fails to establish all of the elements of the offense. Cuyahoga Falls v. Bowers (1984), 9 Ohio St.3d 148,150, 459 N.E.2d 532, 534-535; State v. Gilbo (1994), 96 Ohio App.3d 332,337, 645 N.E.2d 69, 72. Criminal Rule 11(B)(2), which states that "[t]he plea of no contest is not an admission of defendant's guilt, but is an admission of the truth of the facts alleged in the indictment, information, or complaint . . .", does not supersede the requirement under R.C. 2937.07 that there be an explanation of circumstances. "Therefore, a no contest plea may not be the basis for a finding of guilty without an explanation of circumstances." Cuyahoga Falls v.Bowers, 9 Ohio St.3d at 150.

{¶ 15} The "evil" the Ohio Supreme Court proscribed in CuyahogaFalls v. Bowers

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Related

State v. Adams
598 N.E.2d 176 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1992)
Sheppard v. Mack
427 N.E.2d 522 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1980)
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561 N.E.2d 992 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1988)
Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles v. Williams
647 N.E.2d 562 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1994)
State v. Herman
286 N.E.2d 296 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1971)
State v. Gilbo
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City of Solon v. Mallion
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State v. Starnes
254 N.E.2d 675 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1970)
Hoban v. Rice
267 N.E.2d 311 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1971)
City of Cuyahoga Falls v. Bowers
459 N.E.2d 532 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1984)
State v. Plummer
490 N.E.2d 902 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1986)
City of Xenia v. Wallace
524 N.E.2d 889 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1988)
State v. Shindler
636 N.E.2d 319 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1994)
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1994 Ohio 452 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1994)

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Bluebook (online)
State v. Nichols, Unpublished Decision (7-31-2002), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-nichols-unpublished-decision-7-31-2002-ohioctapp-2002.