State v. Santiago

8 Ohio App. Unrep. 314
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 6, 1990
DocketCase No. 90 CA 63
StatusPublished

This text of 8 Ohio App. Unrep. 314 (State v. Santiago) 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. Santiago, 8 Ohio App. Unrep. 314 (Ohio Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

O'NEILL, P.J.

The appellant had entered a plea of guilty to a charge of felonious assault an aggravated felony of the second degree Pursuant to R.C. 2903.11(A)(2)(b). After acceptance of the plea, the trial court ordered a presentence investigation and continued the matter for the purpose of sentencing.

The victim of the felonious assault appeared before the trial judge at the hearing which was conducted for the purpose of sentencing. She was permitted to address the court and stated as follows:

"My name is Nellie Hernandez. Your Honor, Mary Ann Santiago has continued to harass my family and me. She has followed me, parked at my house and has done everything to make her threats known to me. The most recent occurrence of this was Monday, April 16, 1990. She has previously been convicted of assaulting me. My family and I cannot continue to live in fear. I urge the Court to impose the maximum sentence because of this. Thank you." (Tr. 3).

The prosecutor then stated to the court:

"Your Honor, at the time the plea was made, Your Honor, I believe the Prosecutor, pursuant to Criminal Rule 11, agreed to recommend a sentence of six to fifteen years and would not object to probation if the P.S.I. was, in fact, favorable; however, if the P.S.I. is unfavorable, we agreed to remain silent." (Tr. 3-4).

The trial judge then proceeded to read a portion of the P.S. I. to the parties:

[315]*315is respectfully recommended that the Defendant be sentenced as prescribed by law, said sentence suspended, and the Defendant placed on probation for a period of time deemed appropriate by the Court. You had a lady right up here that said as late as this week this wouldn't work.

"Should the Court adopt the recommendation of probation, it is further recommended that the Court order the Defendant to have no direct, or indirect contact with the victims. I guess there is supposed to be in there paying the victim restitution and continued participation in mental health treatment. The sentence of the Court is the maximum of eight --" (Tr. 5).

The court then went on to state minimum of eight, maximum of fifteen years." (Tr. 6). Counsel for the appellant then stated to the court that he wondered if he might have a chance to address the court. To this the court responded that he guessed he was getting ahead of himself. Counsel then went on to explain to the court that the appellant's version of her relationship with the victim was "*** quite frankly, is very much different from Nellie Hernandez" (Tr. 7). To that the court responded "I bet it is" (Tr. 7). Counsel for the appellant then stated to the court that Nellie Hernandez was married to the father of the appellant's child and that a lot of the altercations between the appellant and Nellie Hernandez had taken place over visitation disputes between the father of the child and the appellant. Appellant's counsel went on to state to the trial judge that there were witnesses present in the courtroom to speak against the statement which had been made by Nellie Hernandez. The trial judge concluded the hearing by stating:

"*** I, not being Solomon, have decided that there is only one thing to do with this, and that is to sentence this woman; and you're sentenced, Miss Santiago, to a minimum of eight to a maximum of fifteen years at Marysville, and we will see at the appropriate time whether you ought to be brought back on shock probation. That is all." (Tr. 10).

At no point in the proceedings did the trial judge personally address the defendant-appellant and asked her if she wished to make a statement in her own behalf or if she wished to present any evidence in mitigation of punishment or furnish the court with any reason why judgment should not be pronounced against her. A timely notice of appeal was filed.

The first assignment of error contends that the trial court abused its discretion by not taking into consideration the statutory mitigating factors under R.C. 2929.12.

Subdivision (A) of the statute Provides several factors that the court should take into consideration and reads as follows:

"(A) In determining the minimum term of imprisonment to be imposed for a felony for which an indefinite term of imprisonment is imposed, the court shall consider the risk that the offender will commit another crime and the need for protecting the public from the risk; the nature and circumstances of the offense; the victim impact statement prepared pursuant to section 2947.051 of the Revised Code, if a victim impact statement is required by that victim; and the history, character, and condition of the offender and his need for correctional or rehabilitative treatment."

This appellant had pleaded guilty to a charge of felonious assault. Certainly, an offense, which by nature and circumstance, is not to be considered lightly.

Subdivision (B) of R.C. 2929.12 contains the three factors that the court is to consider in favor of imposing a longer term of imprisonment:

"(1) The offender is a repeat or dangerous offender;

"(2) Regardless of whether the offender knew the age of the victim, the victim of the offense was sixty-five years of age or older or permanently and totally disabled at the time of the commission of the offense;

• "(3) The victim of the offense has suffered severe social, psychological, physical, or economic injury as a result of the offense."

It should be easily concluded that a person pleading guilty to felonious assault can be classified as a dangerous offender. The appellant goes on to point out that there are seven (7) factors in subdivision (C) of R.C. 2929.12 that are to be considered by the court in favor of imposing a shorter term of imprisonment, which state:

"(1) The offense neither caused nor threatened serious physical harm to persons or property, or the offender did not contemplate that it would do so;

"(2) The offense was the result of circumstances unlikely to recur;

[316]*316"(3) The victim of the offense induced or facilitated it;

"(4) There are substantial grounds tending to excuse or justify the offense, though failing to establish a defense;

"(5) The offender acted under strong provocation;

"(6) The offender has no history of prior delinquency or criminal activity, or has led a law-abiding life for a substantial time before commission of the present offense;

"(7) The offender is likely to respond quickly to correctional or rehabilitative treatment."

The appellant had pleaded guilty and, thus, admitted that she knowingly caused or attempted to cause physical harm to another by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance. Certainly, the charge itself would flow against some of the elements which the trial judge was to consider in favor of a minimum term of imprisonment. A trial judge is called upon to exercise discretion in sentencing an offender. This involves a conscientious effort on his part to evaluate all aggravated and mitigating factors before selecting from legislatively authorized choices. If he fails to exercise that discretion, his decision becomes arbitrary and subject to reversal. Upon our review of what was before the trial judge in this case, we cannot conclude that the sentence imposed by him was an abuse of discretion amounting to unconscionability, bias, or prejudice.

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Related

Gardner v. Florida
430 U.S. 349 (Supreme Court, 1977)
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247 N.E.2d 770 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1969)

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Bluebook (online)
8 Ohio App. Unrep. 314, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-santiago-ohioctapp-1990.