State v. Owens

366 N.E.2d 1367, 51 Ohio App. 2d 132, 5 Ohio Op. 3d 290, 1975 WL 180583, 1975 Ohio App. LEXIS 5926
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 4, 1975
Docket7491
StatusPublished
Cited by93 cases

This text of 366 N.E.2d 1367 (State v. Owens) 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. Owens, 366 N.E.2d 1367, 51 Ohio App. 2d 132, 5 Ohio Op. 3d 290, 1975 WL 180583, 1975 Ohio App. LEXIS 5926 (Ohio Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

Victok, P. J.

On December 14, 1973, defendant Gus George Owens, the appellant herein, was indicted for murder in the first degree (two counts), pursuant to R. C. 2901.-01; breaking and entering an inhabited dwelling in the night season (five counts), pursuant to R. C. 2907.09; breaking and entering an inhabited dwelling in the daytime (one count), pursuant to R. C. 2907.15; armed robbery (five counts), pursuant to R. C. 2901.13; rape (two counts), pursuant to R. C. 2905.01; assault with intent to rob (one count), pursuant to R. C. 2901.24; assault with intent to rape (three counts), pursuant to E. C. 2901.24; felon possessing a firearm (three counts), pursuant to R. C. 2923.56(A); possessing a firearm while committing certain offenses (ten counts), pursuant to R. C. 2947.30, and shooting with intent to kill (two counts), pursuant to R. C. 2901.23. (The three counts charging a felon in the possession of a firearm were subsequently dismissed following a motion by the prosecutor.)

This indictment stemmed from seven separate incidents which occurred between October 12, 1973, and December 9, 1973. A series of pre-trial preliminary hearings were held concerning defense motions for suppression of *134 various evidence, severing- of counts for purposes of .trial, and discovery.

At trial, the court dismissed the count of possessing a firearm while committing, a cértáin offense (count 18), amended one charge (count 16) of assault with intent to rape to read assault with a deadly weapon (R. C. 2901.241), and amended one count (count 27) of armed .robbery by changing the name of the victim. At the close of the trial, the jury returned a verdict of guilty as to all charges (30 counts) submitted. Following an unsuccessful attempt to secure a new trial and a judgment of acquittal, defendant was sentenced to two consecutive life terms and an additional term of 80 to 388 years. From the judgment imposing this sentence, defendant brings this appeal.

Defendant offered the following assignments of error:

“1. In denying defendant’s motion challenging the array, in that identifiable groups of citizens had been excluded from the jury pool, thereby denying defendant an opportunity for a jury composed of a cross-section of the community.
“2. In refusing severance of the two murder counts of the indictment and allowing trial to proceed on ten charges which in fact constituted sentencing procedures rather, than criminal charges.
' “3. In refusing to identify to the defense an undisclosed witness prior to her testimony.
“4. In permitting the introduction of physical evidence, State Exhibits No. 1 and No. 2, secured by an improper and illegal search warrant.
“5. By failure to allow defendant his right to compulsory process in not permitting defense'to call a subpoenaed witness before overruling a motion to' suppress physical evidence.
“6. By permitting an amendment to one count of the indictment after all testimony regarding such charge had been placed in the record,
“7. By not órdering the police authority to .identify certain fingerprints obtained at the scene of some of the charges alleged. ”

*135 In an addendum to his brief, defendant further claims that the trial court erred by imposing on him two consecutive life terms and an additional term of .not less than 80 years in violation of R. C. 2929.41(E)(1).

A detailed recitation of the facts upon which the 34 count indictment is based is warranted. We note that, in oral argument before this court, the facts as related herein are not challenged by the defendant and he does not contend that the verdict of the jury is against the manifest weight of the evidence.

On October 12, 1973, at approximately 7:30 A. M., an intruder entered the apartment of Burledeane Stein. Mrs. Stein lived with her three children at 161 Baeher Place, in the city of Akron. Mrs. Stein’s eleven year old son, Louis, was the first person in the apartment to be confronted. Louis testified that after he heard a sound like a downstairs window opening, the defendant came into his bedroom and motioned him to be quiet. Mrs. Stein was sleeping downstairs and Louis observed the defendant going through his mother’s bedroom drawers. The defendant, who kept a gun pointed at Louis, took seventeen dollars and a tear gas gun from Mrs. Stein’s bedroom.

The defendant then went downstairs and' confronted Mrs. Stein who had been sleeping on the living room couch. Mrs. Stein tried to call the police but was stopped by the defendant.. At this point, Mrs. Stein went into her bathroom and closed the door. The defendant then forced the bathroom door open and attempted to rape her. During part of the. rape attempt, the defendant was holding a gun to Mrs. Stein’s head.- While the defendant and Mrs. Stein were in the bathroom, Louis attempted to kick the door in to help his mother, and Ms two sisters (9 and: 14 years) called the police and attempted to get help from the neighbors. The defendant then came out of the bathroom, walked out the door and left in Ms car. Mrs. Stein, her son (LoMs), and her daughter (Debora) each identified the defendant. as the intruder. . ,

Akron Detective Harold Craig testified that, in making Ms investigation of ,the break-in at 16Í Baeher Place,, he *136 obtained an automobile description and license number of the suspect. This information was traced to the defendant who was confronted by Detective Craig several hours after the incident. Detective Craig recovered Mrs. Stein’s tear gas gun on a night stand next to where the defendant was sleeping, and further recovered seventeen dollars from the defendant’s person.

On November 23, 1973, an intruder entered the apartment of Deborah Englert, located at 36 South Maple Street, in the city of Akron. Miss Englert stated that sometime between 6 A. M. and 6:30 A. M. she heard a noise and saw someone crouched on the floor beside her bed. Miss Englert was sleeping with her fiance, Robert Newland. Miss Englert said that she had an opportunity to look into the intruder’s face for several seconds until the bed covers were thrown over their faces. The intruder, who was identified as the defendant, told Miss Englert and her fiance that he was from out of town, that he was a junkie, and that he wanted money. The defendant also inquired about valuable items and firearms present in the apartment. The defendant further stated, as he proceeded to go through drawers, that he would shoot if anyone moved or looked at him.

The defendant then came over to the bed, put his hand under the covers, and began “feeling around” for jewelry. The defendant next took the engagement ring which Miss Englert was wearing, and then asked her to do him a “favor.” Miss Englert testified that she became increasingly scared as the defendant continued to feel around. Miss Englert’s jaws were wired shut because of a prior tumor operation, and if she threw up she would be unable to expel the vomit.

The defendant then unfastened his pants, spread one of the victim’s legs over the side of the bed, and raped her.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
366 N.E.2d 1367, 51 Ohio App. 2d 132, 5 Ohio Op. 3d 290, 1975 WL 180583, 1975 Ohio App. LEXIS 5926, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-owens-ohioctapp-1975.