State v. Parker

594 N.E.2d 1033, 72 Ohio App. 3d 456, 1991 Ohio App. LEXIS 601
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 8, 1991
DocketNo. 9-89-14.
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 594 N.E.2d 1033 (State v. Parker) 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. Parker, 594 N.E.2d 1033, 72 Ohio App. 3d 456, 1991 Ohio App. LEXIS 601 (Ohio Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

Shaw, Presiding Judge.

Appellant, Charles D. Parker, appeals from a judgment of conviction and sentence entered in the Court of Common Pleas of Marion County.

*459 The record reflects that, in December 1988, the Marion County Grand Jury returned a thirty-five count joint indictment against three individuals, Gary Cecil Dunn, Larry Lynn Dunn and the appellant in the case sub judiee, Charles D. Parker. The indictment charged defendants with multiple counts of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, felonious assault and kidnapping, resulting from a series of events which occurred on December 7, 1988 and December 15, 1988.

As pertinent to the instant appeal, the charges were as follows: Counts 4 and 5 charged appellant and Gary Dunn with the aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery of the residence of Cal and Sylvester Murphy; Counts 6 through 12 charged appellant and Gary Dunn with aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, three counts of kidnapping and two counts of felonious assault as the result of events that transpired at the residence of Harold and Kathy Waterhouse; Count 13 charged appellant and Gary Dunn with the aggravated robbery of the Oakland Bar; Counts 14 through 24 charged appellant and Gary Dunn with aggravated robbery, five counts of kidnapping and five counts of felonious assault as the result of the robbery of Bobbie’s Bar; Counts 25 through 33 charged appellant, Gary Dunn and Larry Lynn Dunn with two counts of aggravated burglary, two counts of aggravated robbery, three counts of kidnapping and two counts of felonious assault resulting from events that transpired at the duplex residence of Chris and Amy Crawford and Eugene Jay Horner; and Count 35 charged appellant with receiving stolen property.

Counts 4 through 33 of the indictment contained firearm specifications pursuant to R.C. 2941.141. In addition, each count of the indictment pertaining to appellant contained a specification, pursuant to R.C. 2941.142, that he had previously been convicted of an aggravated felony.

Prior to trial, Counts 4, 5 and 35 were dismissed as to appellant. The case was tried before a jury in a joint trial of the three defendants. Appellant was found guilty of three counts of aggravated robbery, five counts of aggravated burglary, eight counts of kidnapping, nine counts of felonious assault and the firearm specifications. However, the state subsequently dismissed three of the kidnapping charges.

The trial court sentenced appellant to indeterminate sentences of fifteen to twenty-five years on each count of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and kidnapping. The trial court sentenced appellant to an indeterminate sentence of twelve to fifteen years on each count of felonious assault. In addition, pursuant to R.C. 2929.71, the court sentenced appellant to five consecutive three-year terms of actual incarceration for the firearm specifica *460 tions. Appellant assigns ten errors to the judgment of conviction and sentence.

In his first assignment of error, appellant contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion to sever the defendants for trial.

Crim.R. 14 provides for relief from prejudice which results from joinder of offenses or defendants for trial. However, a defendant claiming error in the trial court’s refusal to sever offenses or defendants has the burden of affirmatively showing that his rights were prejudiced by the joinder. State v. Torres (1981), 66 Ohio St.2d 340, 20 O.O.3d 313, 421 N.E.2d 1288.

Appellant alleges that the joinder of defendants at trial was prejudicial to him for three reasons. First, appellant contends that the verdicts of guilty in his case were the product of the jury’s determination of appellant’s “guilt by association” with codefendant Gary Dunn. However, upon review of the record, we conclude that the evidence relative to each defendant was direct and uncomplicated, so that the jury was capable of segregating the proof as to each defendant. See State v. Brooks (1989), 44 Ohio St.3d 185, 542 N.E.2d 636.

Appellant further contends that he was prejudiced because the presence of his codefendants left him undecided as to whether or not he should testify. However, the Supreme Court of Ohio has held that:

“ * * * The mere possibility that the defendant might have a better choice of trial tactics if the counts are separated, or the mere possibility that he might desire to testify on one count and not on the other, is insubstantial and speculative; it is not sufficient to show prejudice. * * * ” Torres, supra, 66 Ohio St.2d at 344, 20 O.O.3d at 315, 421 N.E.2d at 1291.

Likewise, we find that appellant’s mere allegation that he would possibly have testified, but for the presence of his codefendants, does not meet the burden of affirmatively demonstrating prejudice caused by joinder. “The record does not demonstrate that appellant was foreclosed from any line of defense by the joinder * * State v. Long (1984), 20 Ohio App.3d 377, 378, 20 OBR 483, 484, 486 N.E.2d 835, 836.

Finally, appellant argues that joinder was prejudicial because the statement of codefendant Larry Lynn Dunn was admitted into evidence, thus denying appellant the right to cross-examine a witness against him. The reference here is to the testimony of Douglas Schiefer, Larry Dunn’s parole officer, that Larry Dunn told Schiefer that, during the early morning hours of December 15, 1988, Dunn was at 662 Sugar Street.

*461 Although it is not immediately apparent what the prejudicial effect of this statement was to appellant (in fact, appellant offers no explanation of his allegations of prejudice in his brief before this court), the record nonetheless reflects that defense counsel for appellant was given the full opportunity to cross-examine Schiefer, subject only to the exception that Schiefer’s relationship as a parole officer to Larry Dunn not be disclosed in the presence of the jury.

Furthermore, upon reviewing the record in this matter, we do not find that the statement made by Larry Dunn was inculpatory as to appellant. See State v. Moritz (1980), 63 Ohio St.2d 150, 17 O.O.3d 92, 407 N.E.2d 1268. Moreover, the trial court gave an appropriate limiting instruction to the jury that Schiefer’s testimony was to be considered only in Larry Dunn’s case. Thus, we do not find that appellant was denied the right to confrontation of a witness. Accordingly, the first assignment of error is overruled.

In his second assignment of error, appellant contends that he was denied the right to confront a witness against him. Here again, the reference is to the testimony of Douglas Schiefer regarding statements by Larry Dunn as to his whereabouts on the morning of December 15, 1988. In support of his argument, appellant cites paragraph one of the syllabus of State v. Moritz, supra:

“1.

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594 N.E.2d 1033, 72 Ohio App. 3d 456, 1991 Ohio App. LEXIS 601, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-parker-ohioctapp-1991.