State v. Rowbotham

879 N.E.2d 856, 173 Ohio App. 3d 642, 2007 Ohio 6227
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 16, 2007
DocketNo. 06 MA 59.
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 879 N.E.2d 856 (State v. Rowbotham) 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. Rowbotham, 879 N.E.2d 856, 173 Ohio App. 3d 642, 2007 Ohio 6227 (Ohio Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

Waite, Judge.

{¶ 1} Appellant, David Rowbotham, entered a guilty plea to attempted kidnapping and attempted extortion. He now appeals his conviction on the grounds that his plea was not made knowingly and intelligently because the trial judge did not specifically mention one or more constitutional rights that were affected by his agreement. Appellant is correct, and the judgment is reversed.

{¶ 2} Appellant was indicted in Mahoning County on October 21, 2004. The indictment included three counts: attempted burglary, R.C. 2911.12(A)(2), a third-degree felony; attempted kidnapping, R.C. 2905.01(A)(2), a second-degree felony; and attempted extortion, R.C. 2905.11(A)(1), a fourth-degree felony. The case was set for jury trial and postponed a number of times. On July 7, 2005, appellant entered into a Crim.R. 11 plea agreement. Appellant agreed to plead guilty to counts two and three. The state agreed to dismiss count one. A plea *644 hearing was held the same day, and the trial court accepted the guilty plea. The sentencing hearing took place on September 5, 2005. In a judgment entry dated September 8, 2005, the court sentenced appellant to six years in prison on the attempted-kidnapping charge and 15 months on the attempted-extortion charge. On April 17, 2006, appellant filed a pro se delayed appeal. On August 14, 2006, we accepted the delayed appeal and appointed the Ohio Public Defender’s office to represent appellant.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR

{¶ 3} “The trial court denied David Rowbotham his right to due process under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and Section 10, Article I of the Ohio Constitution, when it accepted an unknowing, unintelligent, and involuntary guilty plea.”

{¶ 4} Appellant argues that a trial court may not accept a plea of guilty unless the court informs the defendant of the constitutional rights defendant is waiving by entering the plea. Appellant asserts that his plea was not made voluntarily and knowingly, because the trial judge did not discuss certain constitutional rights that were waived. Appellant also argues that Crim.R. 11(C) dictates the procedure the trial court must use when accepting a guilty plea in a felony case. Appellant asserts that the trial court must strictly comply with the requirements of Crim.R. 11(C) with respect to certain constitutional rights, which include the right against self-incrimination, the right to trial by jury, the right to confront one’s accusers, the right to compulsory process to obtain witnesses in one’s favor, and the right to require the state to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Appellant submits that the trial judge did not strictly follow Crim.R. 11(C), because she failed to tell appellant that he was giving up his right to compulsory process of witnesses and the right to have each element of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Appellant concludes that these omissions indicate that his plea was not made voluntarily, knowingly, or intelligently.

{¶ 5} Appellee responds in rebuttal that the state is required only to substantially comply with Crim.R. 11(C). Appellee also contends that a postsentence motion to withdraw a plea, pursuant to Crim.R. 32.1, should be granted only upon a showing of manifest injustice, and that there is no such showing here. Based on these two reasons, appellee concludes that appellant’s assignment of error should be overruled. Appellee’s arguments are incorrect.

{¶ 6} The Ohio Supreme Court has held that the trial court must inform the defendant of four constitutional rights before accepting a guilty plea:

{¶ 7} “1. Prior to accepting a guilty plea from a criminal defendant, the trial court must inform the defendant that he is waiving his privilege against *645 compulsory self-incrimination, his right to jury trial, his right to confront his accusers, and his right of compulsory process of witnesses. (Boykin v. Alabama [(1969)], 395 U.S. 238, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274, followed.)” State v. Ballard (1981), 66 Ohio St.2d 473, 20 O.O.3d 397, 423 N.E.2d 115, at paragraph one of the syllabus. The trial court is not required to use the exact language of the constitution, but must explain the rights in a manner that is reasonably intelligible. Id. at 480, 20 O.O.3d 397, 423 N.E.2d 115.

{¶ 8} Whether the court has explained these constitutional rights to the defendant is reviewed under a strict-compliance standard, and no showing of prejudice is required in order to establish reversible error: “failure to adequately inform a defendant of his constitutional rights would invalidate a guilty plea under a presumption that it was entered involuntarily and unknowingly * * State v. Griggs, 103 Ohio St.3d 85, 2004-Ohio-4415, 814 N.E.2d 51, ¶ 12; see, also, State v. Singh (2000), 141 Ohio App.3d 137, 140, 750 N.E.2d 598; State v. Martinez, 7th Dist. No. 03 MA 196, 2004-Ohio-6806, 2004 WL 2913257, ¶ 12; State v. Green, 7th Dist. No. 02 CA 217, 2004-Ohio-6371, 2004 WL 2726128, ¶ 10.

{¶ 9} Some courts, including this court, have further concluded that the trial judge has a constitutional duty to inform the defendant of his right to require the state to prove the elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Singh, 141 Ohio App.3d at 140, 750 N.E.2d 598; Green, 2004-Ohio-6371, 2004 WL 2726128, at ¶ 11; State v. Roman, 7th Dist. No. 06-MA-32, 2007-Ohio-5243, 2007 WL 2851940, ¶ 38. The Ohio Supreme Court has not yet specifically concluded that the right to proof beyond a reasonable doubt is one of the constitutional rights reviewed for strict compliance as part of a guilty plea. State v. Sturm (1981), 66 Ohio St.2d 483, 485, 20 O.O.3d 403, 422 N.E.2d 853, fn. 2.

{¶ 10} Crim.R. 11(C) contains certain requirements, that, if followed by the trial court, would ensure that a defendant is informed of his or her constitutional rights prior to the acceptance of a guilty plea:

{¶ 11} “(C) Pleas of guilty and no contest in felony cases.
{¶ 12} “ * * *
{¶ 13} “(2) In felony cases the court may refuse to accept a plea of guilty or a plea of no contest, and shall not accept a plea of guilty or no contest without first addressing the defendant personally and doing all of the following:
{¶ 14} “(a) Determining that the defendant is making the plea voluntarily, with understanding of the nature of the charges and of the maximum penalty involved, and, if applicable, that the defendant is not eligible for probation or for the imposition of community control sanctions at the sentencing hearing.
*646

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Bluebook (online)
879 N.E.2d 856, 173 Ohio App. 3d 642, 2007 Ohio 6227, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-rowbotham-ohioctapp-2007.