State v. Parker, Unpublished Decision (9-12-2005)

2005 Ohio 4888
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 12, 2005
DocketNo. 03-MA-190.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 2005 Ohio 4888 (State v. Parker, Unpublished Decision (9-12-2005)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law.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State v. Parker, Unpublished Decision (9-12-2005), 2005 Ohio 4888 (Ohio Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

OPINION
{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant, Mark Parker, appeals from a Mahoning County Common Pleas Court judgment sentencing him on counts of rape, kidnapping, and aggravated burglary and determining him to be a sexual predator.

{¶ 2} Pursuant to a plea agreement, appellant pled guilty to one count each of kidnapping, aggravated burglary, and rape with a firearm specification, all first degree felonies. In exchange, plaintiff-appellee, the State of Ohio, dismissed three other counts of kidnapping and five firearm specifications. Appellee also agreed to recommend that the court sentence appellant to five years each for kidnapping and aggravated burglary, ten years for rape, and three years for the firearm specification to be served consecutively. The court scheduled appellant's sentencing hearing for July 16, 2003.

{¶ 3} On the day of appellant's sentencing, his counsel withdrew because he had accepted a position with the prosecutor's office. Therefore, the court held part of appellant's sentencing hearing with his newly appointed counsel. The new counsel noted on the record that he thought, because the three crimes all involved the same victim, the court should have made a finding that each crime had a separate animus in order to sentence him on each of the counts. Given this statement by counsel and noting that counsel had just been appointed, the court continued the sentencing hearing to allow counsel to familiarize himself with the case.

{¶ 4} The court continued with appellant's sentencing hearing a month later. It sentenced appellant in accordance with the plea agreement, for a total of 23 years in prison. The court then set the case for a sexual predator classification hearing. At that hearing, the court listened to testimony from Dr. John Fabian, a forensic psychologist who interviewed appellant and submitted his report. Dr. Fabian opined that appellant was at high risk for sexually re-offending. The court determined that appellant was a sexual predator and entered judgment accordingly.

{¶ 5} Appellant filed a timely notice of appeal on October 8, 2003.

{¶ 6} Appellant raises two assignments of error, the first of which states:

{¶ 7} "THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN SENTENCING APPELLANT TO CONSECUTIVE SENTENCES FOR RAPE, KIDNAPPING AND AGGRAVATED BURGLARY WITHOUT FIRST CONDUCTING A HEARING TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE OFFENSES WERE ALLIED OFFENSES OF SIMILAR IMPORT PURSUANT TO R.C. 2941.25, THE FIFTH AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, AND ARTICLE I, SECTION 10 OF THE OHIO CONSTITUTION."

{¶ 8} Appellant argues that the trial court should have merged his sentences because the offenses were allied offenses of similar import. Appellant points our attention to State v. Kent (1980),68 Ohio App.2d 151, 428 N.E.2d 453, which he contends stands for the proposition that when accepting a plea, the trial court must conduct a hearing to determine whether R.C. 2941.25 is applicable before entering a judgment of conviction. Because the trial court did not hold such a hearing in this case, appellant asserts that it committed plain error.

{¶ 9} When appellant changed his plea, the prosecutor stated on the record that as part of the Crim. R. 11 agreement, the state agreed to recommend five years for aggravated burglary, five years for kidnapping, ten years for rape, and three years for the firearm specification, for a total of 23 years. (Change of Plea Tr. 2-3). Appellant's counsel agreed to these terms. (Change of Plea Tr. 3).

{¶ 10} The court held a sentencing hearing on July 16, 2003. At that time, appellant's counsel informed the court that he had just accepted a position with the prosecutor's office, so he had to withdraw as appellant's counsel. The court then appointed appellant new counsel at the sentencing hearing. After hearing from the victim's family, appellant's newly appointed counsel addressed the court. He stated that he was not yet very familiar with the case. However, he stated that he wanted the record to reflect that the three counts to which appellant pled guilty all involved the same victim and that he thought that in order to sentence appellant on all three counts, the court would have to find that appellant had a separate animus for each crime, alluding that the crimes were allied offenses of similar import. (Sentencing Volume 1 Tr. 25-26). The court then decided to continue the sentencing hearing so that appellant's new counsel could be fully informed on his case.

{¶ 11} The sentencing hearing resumed on August 14, 2003. This time appellant's counsel was prepared. (Sentencing Volume 2 Tr. 4). Counsel acknowledged the Crim. R. 11 agreement and stated, "I'm hopeful, confident that you'll adopt it." (Sentencing Volume 2 Tr. 5). The court accepted the Crim. R. 11 agreement and imposed appellant's sentence in accordance with the agreement.

{¶ 12} A sentence imposed upon a defendant is not subject to review "if the sentence is authorized by law, has been recommended jointly by the defendant and the prosecution in the case, and is imposed by a sentencing judge." R.C. 2953.08(D).

{¶ 13} In this case, appellant, the prosecutor, and the trial court all agreed on his sentence. Accordingly, appellant has waived his first assignment of error. But even if appellant had not waived this issue, the result would be the same.

{¶ 14} A defendant may not be punished for multiple offenses if his actions constitute allied offenses of similar import. State v. Rance (1999), 85 Ohio St.3d 632, 636, 710 N.E.2d 699. However, if a defendant commits offenses of similar import separately or with a separate animus, he may be punished for both. Id., citing State v. Jones (1997),78 Ohio St.3d 12, 13-14, 676 N.E.2d 80, 81.

{¶ 15} The applicable test to determine whether two offenses are allied offenses of similar import is as follows: If the elements of the offenses correspond so that the commission of one crime will result in the commission of the other, the crimes are allied offenses of similar import; but if the elements do not so correspond, the offenses are of dissimilar import and the court's inquiry ends. Id. at 636. When determining whether offenses are allied offenses of similar import, the elements of the offenses are to be compared in the statutory abstract. Id. at 637.

{¶ 16} Aggravated burglary and kidnapping are not allied offenses of similar import. State v. Monroe, 105 Ohio St.3d 384, 827 N.E.2d 285,2005-Ohio-2282, at ¶ 69. Likewise, aggravated burglary and rape are not allied offenses of similar import. State v. Grider,

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Bluebook (online)
2005 Ohio 4888, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-parker-unpublished-decision-9-12-2005-ohioctapp-2005.