State v. Reilly

2020 Ohio 850
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 9, 2020
Docket13-19-28
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

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Bluebook
State v. Reilly, 2020 Ohio 850 (Ohio Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Reilly, 2020-Ohio-850.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT SENECA COUNTY

STATE OF OHIO,

PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE, CASE NO. 13-19-28

v.

LOUIS A. REILLY, OPINION

DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.

Appeal from Seneca County Common Pleas Court Trial Court No. 19 CR 0019

Judgment Affirmed

Date of Decision: March 9, 2020

APPEARANCES:

W. Alex Smith for Appellant

Angela M. Boes for Appellee Case No. 13-29-28

ZIMMERMAN, J.

{¶1} Defendant-appellant, Louis A. Reilly (“Reilly”), appeals the July 31,

2019 judgment entry of sentence the Seneca County Court of Common Pleas. We

affirm.

{¶2} The facts of this case begin with the arrest of Reilly’s roommate, Adam

Barto (“Barto”), on January 24, 2019. Barto—who was the subject of a criminal

investigation by the Seneca County Drug Task Force METRICH Enforcement Unit

(“drug task force”)—was arrested outside of the residence that he shared with

Reilly. Subsequent to Barto’s arrest, law enforcement entered the residence without

a warrant after hearing persons inside the residence “scurrying” about the residence

when they were alerted to law enforcement’s presence. Law enforcement entered

the residence (without a warrant) over the concern that those persons inside the

residence may destroy drug evidence. Once inside the residence, law enforcement

located Reilly exiting a bathroom and saw drugs in plain view on the (bathroom)

floor and in the (bathroom) toilet. Thereafter, law enforcement obtained a search

warrant to search the residence and discovered, in particular, drugs and tools

commonly associated with the drug trade.

{¶3} On February 20, 2019, the Seneca County Grand Jury indicted Reilly

on five criminal charges: Count One of permitting drug abuse in violation of R.C.

2925.13(B), (C)(3)(a), a fifth-degree felony; Counts Two and Three of aggravated

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possession of drugs in violation of R.C. 2925.11(A), (C)(1)(a), third-degree

felonies; Count Four of possession of drugs in violation of R.C. 2925.11(A),

(C)(2)(a), a fifth-degree felony; and Count Five of tampering with evidence in

violation of R.C. 2921.12(A), (B), a third-degree felony. (Doc. No. 2). Reilly

appeared for arraignment on March 6, 2019 and entered pleas of not guilty. (Doc.

No. 12).

{¶4} On March 18, 2019, at Reilly’s request, the trial court ordered Reilly to

be evaluated for his competency to stand trial. (Doc. Nos. 14, 15). On April 24,

2019, after a hearing on April 23, 2019, the trial court concluded that Reilly was

competent to stand trial, which Reilly does not challenge. (Doc. No. 18).

{¶5} On May 20, 2019, Reilly filed a motion to suppress evidence in which

he argued that law enforcement “made entry into [his] house without a search

warrant and then secured the house and occupants before seeking a search warrant”

and that law enforcement “then used evidence observed in the illegal search of the

house to bolster the affidavit.” (Doc. No. 21). After a hearing on June 24, 2019,

the trial court on July 9, 2019 denied Reilly’s motion to suppress evidence. (Doc.

No. 25).

{¶6} On July 30, 2019, Reilly withdrew his pleas of not guilty and entered

pleas of no contest with a “consent finding of guilty,” under a negotiated plea

agreement, to the counts in the indictment. (Doc. Nos. 39, 40, 41). In exchange for

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his change of pleas, the State agreed to a joint-sentencing recommendation. (Doc.

No. 40). The trial court accepted Reilly’s pleas of no contest and found him guilty.

(Doc. No. 41). The trial court held its sentencing hearing that same day and

sentenced Reilly (based on the parties’ joint-sentencing recommendation) to: 10

months in prison as to Counts One, Three, and Four, respectively, and 18 months in

prison as to Count Two and Five, respectively. (Doc. No. 42). The trial court

ordered Reilly to serve consecutively the prison terms imposed as to Counts Three

and Five. (Id.). The trial court further ordered that the prison terms imposed as to

Counts One, Three, and Four to be served concurrently to the consecutive sentences

under Counts Three and Five for a total term of 36 months in prison. (Id.).

{¶7} On August 8, 2019, Reilly filed a notice of appeal, and raises one

assignment of error. (Doc. No. 47).

Assignment of Error

The Trial Court Erred When it Denied the Defendant’s Motion to Suppress

{¶8} In his assignment of error, Reilly argues that the trial court erred by

denying his motion to suppress evidence. Reilly argues that law enforcement’s

entry into his residence (and subsequent search) was conducted without a warrant

and not pursuant to any exception to the warrant requirement of the Fourth

Amendment. Further, he contends that law enforcement improperly used evidence

obtained from its warrantless search to obtain a search warrant. For the reasons

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below, we conclude that law enforcement’s warrantless entry into Reilly’s residence

was lawfully conducted under the exigent-circumstances exception—namely, the

need to prevent the destruction of evidence—to the Fourth Amendment.

Standard of Review

{¶9} A review of the denial of a motion to suppress involves mixed questions

of law and fact. State v. Burnside, 100 Ohio St.3d 152, 2003-Ohio-5372, ¶ 8. At a

suppression hearing, the trial court assumes the role of trier of fact and, as such, is

in the best position to evaluate the evidence and the credibility of witnesses. Id. See

also State v. Carter, 72 Ohio St.3d 545, 552 (1995). When reviewing a ruling on a

motion to suppress, “an appellate court must accept the trial court’s findings of fact

if they are supported by competent, credible evidence.” Burnside at ¶ 8, citing State

v. Fanning, 1 Ohio St.3d 19 (1982). With respect to the trial court’s conclusions of

law, however, our standard of review is de novo, and we must independently

determine whether the facts satisfy the applicable legal standard. Id., citing State v.

McNamara, 124 Ohio App.3d 706 (4th Dist.1997).

Analysis

{¶10} “The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as applied

to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment, and Ohio Constitution, Article I,

Section 14, protects individuals against ‘unreasonable searches and seizures’ by the

government and protects privacy interests where an individual has a reasonable

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expectation of privacy.” State v. Fielding, 10th Dist. Franklin Nos. 13AP-654 and

13AP-655, 2014-Ohio-3105, ¶ 15, quoting Smith v. Maryland, 442 U.S. 735, 740,

99 S.Ct. 2577 (1979). See also State v. Steinbrunner, 3d Dist. Auglaize No. 2-11-

27, 2012-Ohio-2358, ¶ 12. “An expectation of privacy is protected by the Fourth

Amendment where (1) an individual has exhibited a subjective expectation of

privacy, and (2) that expectation of privacy is one that ‘society is prepared to

recognize as “reasonable.”’” Fielding at ¶ 15, quoting Smith at 740, quoting Katz

v. United States, 389 U.S. 347, 361, 88 S.Ct. 507 (1967) (Harlan, J., concurring).

“Generally, any evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, as well

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2020 Ohio 850, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-reilly-ohioctapp-2020.