State v. Radcliffe

18 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 273, 26 Ohio Dec. 87, 1915 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 22

This text of 18 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 273 (State v. Radcliffe) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Common Pleas of Ohio, Franklin County, Civil Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Radcliffe, 18 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 273, 26 Ohio Dec. 87, 1915 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 22 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1915).

Opinion

Kinkead, J.

This case was tried and determined by verdict of a jury at the April term, 1915. Defendant was found guilty of burglary. In due course a motion for a new trial was made and overruled. Thereupon sentence was pronounced, record of all of which was duly made at that term. Thereafter, at the same term, on request of counsel, the court heard argument on application for suspension of sentence. At this time, after hearing arguments, the court informally expressed the opinion that it was doubtful [274]*274if it possessed power to suspend sentence in such a case. Thereupon, by agreement of counsel, an entry was put on at the April term setting aside the order overruling the motion of new trial. It did not actually refer to that part of the entry touching the sentence of the defendant to the penitentiary. The understanding or agreement was that briefs were to be furnished on the question of power to suspend the sentence.

A formal application is made for an order suspending the sentence. In its support reliance is placed upon the decision in Weber v. State, 58 Ohio State, 616. In that case the defendant, under an indictment for keeping a room for gambling, was sentenced to imprisonment in the -county jail for a period of b days, and to pay a fine of $400, which was suspended. This was a misdemeanor.

In a per curiam report it was stated in the syllabus that:

“In a criminal case the court- has power to suspend the execution of the sentence, in whole or in part, unless otherwise provided by statute; and has power to set aside such suspension at any time during the term of court at which sentence was passed. Whether such suspension can be set aside at a subsequent term is not decided.”

The trial court in that case of its own motion at the same term at which the sentence was pronounced set the order of suspension aside, because the defendant violated its conditions.

In support of the present application, the case of State v. Whiting, an unreported decision, is also cited. In that case the defendant was found guilty of the crime of cutting with intent to wound, a penitentiary offense. The sentence was suspended by the trial court, and was affirmed by the Supreme Court, without report.

Decisions of courts derive their value as controlling authority from the reason and logic of the conclusion. In the per curiam report and the unreported decision there is nothing but the bare conclusion unsupported by any statement of the reason or grounds therefor. It is merely held that the court has inherent power to suspend a sentence unless otherwise provided. The unreported decision was made since the enactment of Section [275]*27513706. The inference is claimed therefrom that sneh power is supposed to exist in spite of the statute which regulates the conditions under which a sentence may now be suspended, and that the court must have so considered it.

My Brother Dillon of this court, in Re Lee, 3 N.P.(N.S.), 544, held that:

“In the absence of a statutory enactment to the contrary, the power of a court to suspend execution of sentence during good behavior, or to revoke such suspension, is not impaired or limited by the passing of the term in which the suspension was made.”

This decision was with reference to a suspension of sentence by a police court, and was entered upon the authority of Weber v. State, 58 O. S., 616.

There is authority in some jurisdictions which sustain the view that a judge or court, in the exercise of inherent power, may suspend a sentence. Conspicuous among the precedents on this side of the question is People v. Court of Sessions, 141 N. Y., 288, which asserts that the power to suspend a sentence finds its support at common law, which has been the uniform practice of the courts and is supported by numerous adjudged cases as well as by writers of acknowledged authority on criminal jurisprudence. The inherent power of the common law courts ivas thus relied upon though there was in that state a statute which authorized a suspension. The case can not well be regarded as an authority because of the existence of the statute, and for the further reason that the common law doctrine, whatever it was, can not have controlling effect in this state for reasons hereafter stated.

The cases of State v. Crook, 115 N. C., 760; State v. Addy, 43 N. J. L., 113, 39 Am. Rep., 547; Gibson v. State, 68 Miss., 241; People v. Patrick, 118 Cal., 332; Ex Parte Williams, 26 Fla., 310, and perhaps some others support the doctrine of inherent power.

The greater number of decisions in the several states do not support the rule of inherent power. One of the best considered opinions is that in Ex parte Clendenning, 22 Okla., 108, 132 Am. St., 628, which involved a question of power to revoke an [276]*276order of suspension, after lapse of time of sentence and after term and the right to issue commitment.

It is stated by the court that:

“Every case wherein the question is squarely presented and passed upon, and the courts have given it the care and attention its importance deserves, holds, practically without dissent, that in passing sentence on a person convicted of an offense the court has no power to provide that the imprisonment of the defendant shall begin at some future indefinite time, depending on the happening of an uncertain contingency; and an arrest under such conviction, made after the expiration of the term of imprisonment named in the sentence, and after the term, is illegal. ’ ’

People v. Barrett, 202 Ill., 287, 95 Am. St., 230, is a recent well considered case. The power, which is universally conferred, to delay pronouncing judgment for a reasonable time, to hear and determine motions for new trial, or to give time for perfecting an appeal or writ of error, is mentioned as the only power which a court has; power'to indefinitely suspend the pronouncing of sentence, or its execution is denied. To allow such a power, it is pertinently observed, would place the criminal at the caprice of the judge. ’ .

It is further said:

‘ ‘ that whatever the common law practice might have been, the Legislature has adopted a different method to give persons convicted of crimes the opportunity to reform, by providing a system of parole and boards to administer the same. In view of the expressed policy of the legislation of this state we are disposed to hold that the trial courts do not have the power to suspend the imposition of the sentence indefinitely after conviction, or to release the prisoner.”

In Tuttle v. Lang, 100 Me., 123, it was remarked:

“In such case (having suspended sentence), having completed its judicial functions, it has voluntarily surrendered all further control over the case and person.”
“After sentence has been pronounced in a criminal ease the court can not, as a matter of leniency to the defendant, suspend [277]*277indefinitely its execution.” In Re Webb, 89 Wis., 354; 46 Am. Rep., 846.

In 22 Okla., 108, 132 Am. St., 643, it is said:

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Related

People Ex Rel. Forsyth v. . Court of Sessions
36 N.E. 386 (New York Court of Appeals, 1894)
State v. . Crook
20 S.E. 513 (Supreme Court of North Carolina, 1894)
Ex Parte Clendenning
1908 OK 184 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1908)
Ex parte Williams
26 Fla. 310 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1890)
People v. Patrich
50 P. 425 (California Supreme Court, 1897)
Neal v. State
42 L.R.A. 190 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1898)
Grundel v. People
33 Colo. 191 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1905)
People ex rel. Boenert v. Barrett
63 L.R.A. 82 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1903)
Miller v. Evans
56 L.R.A. 101 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1901)
State ex rel. Davis v. Hunter
100 N.W. 510 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1904)
People v. Reilly
18 N.W. 849 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1884)
People v. Brown
19 N.W. 571 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1884)
Gibson v. State
68 Miss. 241 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1890)
In re Webb
27 L.R.A. 356 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1895)
People v. Blackburn
6 Utah 347 (Utah Supreme Court, 1890)
United States v. Wilson
46 F. 748 (U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Idaho, 1891)

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Bluebook (online)
18 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 273, 26 Ohio Dec. 87, 1915 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 22, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-radcliffe-ohctcomplfrankl-1915.