State v. Schillo

2014 Ohio 2262
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 29, 2014
Docket100080
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2014 Ohio 2262 (State v. Schillo) 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. Schillo, 2014 Ohio 2262 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Schillo, 2014-Ohio-2262.]

Court of Appeals of Ohio EIGHTH APPELLATE DISTRICT COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA

JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION No. 100080

STATE OF OHIO PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE

vs.

GREGORY SCHILLO DEFENDANT-APPELLANT

JUDGMENT: REVERSED, CONVICTION VACATED, AND REMANDED

Criminal Appeal from the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Case No. 12-CR-568852

BEFORE: Blackmon, J., Boyle, A.J., and Keough, J.

RELEASED AND JOURNALIZED: May 29, 2014 -i-

ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANT

Ian N. Friedman Kristina W. Supler McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal, Liffman, L.L.C. 101 Prospect Avenue, W. Suite 1800 Cleveland, Ohio 44115

Ronald L. Frey Eric C. Nemecek Friedman & Frey, L.L.C. 1304 West 6th Street Cleveland, Ohio 44113

ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE

Timothy J. McGinty Cuyahoga County Prosecutor

By: Andrew Rogalski Joseph J. Ricotta Assistant County Prosecutors Justice Center, 9th Floor 1200 Ontario Street Cleveland, Ohio 44113 PATRICIA ANN BLACKMON, J.:

{¶1} Appellant Gregory Schillo appeals his convictions and sentence following a

bench trial. Schillo assigns the following errors for our review:

I. The trial court violated Mr. Schillo’s constitutional rights by admitting a prejudicial anonymous letter at trial.

II. The state of Ohio failed to introduce sufficient evidence to sustain the conviction in this case.

III. Mr. Schillo’s convictions are against the manifest weight of the evidence.

IV. The trial court erred and imposed a sentence contrary to law by failing to consider all statutory sentencing factors.

{¶2} After reviewing the record and pertinent law, we reverse Schillo’s

convictions, vacate his sentence, and remand for a new trial. The apposite facts follow.

{¶3} On November 20, 2012, the Cuyahoga County Grand Jury indicted Schillo

on two counts of aggravated vehicular assault, third and fourth degree felonies

respectively, and one count of driving under the influence, a first degree misdemeanor.

On December 11, 2012, Schillo pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. On May 28,

2013, a bench trial commenced after Schillo executed a waiver of his right to a jury trial.

Bench Trial

{¶4} Through the testimony of 15 witnesses, the evidence established that on

November 9, 2012, at approximately 11:30 p.m., during a light drizzle, David Gamble

was traveling eastbound on his bicycle across the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge. At the time,

Gamble was headed to work wearing black jeans, a jacket with red sleeves, and carrying a black backpack with a diagonal reflector. Gamble’s bicycle was only equipped with

reflectors on the pedals, but had no night-light. Schillo, along his wife, had been out to

dinner with members of the Brecksville Pre-School Mother’s Club and their husbands,

and was traveling eastbound in his Jeep across the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge.

{¶5} The Lorain-Carnegie Bridge has four lanes; two lanes going east and two

lanes going west, and equipped with street lamps, as well as bridge-lamps. Both Gamble

and Schillo were properly traveling in the right curb lane that has chevron markings

indicating its shared use by bicycle and motorized vehicles. Shortly after Schillo had

passed the crest of the bridge, his Jeep struck Gamble’s bicycle. Gamble flew through

the air and landed on the ground unconscious. Three weeks later, Gamble awoke in the

intensive care unit of MetroHealth Hospital, a quadriplegic, paralyzed from his neck

down.

{¶6} At the scene of the collision, Schillo indicated that he did not see Gamble.

He initially denied he had been drinking, but then admitted that he had consumed one

beer, six hours earlier. When asked to perform a field sobriety test, Schillo refused,

indicating that he wanted to speak with his lawyer, and was consequently arrested.

During post-arrest proceedings, the police asked Schillo to submit to a breathalyzer, but

Schillo again indicated that he wanted to speak with his attorney. Schillo did not submit

to the breathalyzer test.

{¶7} Subsequent investigation revealed that approximately 14-16 members of the

Brecksville Pre-School Mother’s Club and their husbands had a 7:30 dinner reservation at the Market Garden Brewery (“Market Garden”) located in Ohio City. Around 6:30 that

evening, the dinner guests, including Schillo and his wife, began filtering into the area.

Schillo and his wife were among a number of guests who arrived early and went next

door to the adjoining Great Lakes Brewing Company (“Great Lakes”) to have drinks

before dinner.

{¶8} At 7:30 p.m., the dinner guests sat down for their meals and drinks. After

about three hours, a number of dinner guests returned to the Great Lakes for after-dinner

drinks. Around 11:15 p.m., Schillo, his wife, and another couple departed Great Lakes,

headed for their respective homes. Subsequent investigations revealed that credit card

receipts from Great Lakes and Market Garden indicated that Schillo purchased a total of

nine high-alcohol-content beers that night.

{¶9} The victim, Gamble, testified that at the time of the collision, he was

working as a security guard for Spread Networks, located in downtown Cleveland.

Gamble testified that he rode his bicycle across the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge every night,

Monday through Friday, headed to work. Gamble had chosen that route because the

bridge was well lit and had traveled back and forth more than a thousand times without

incident. He specifically rode in the middle of the lanes so that motorized vehicles

would not attempt to pass him without moving to the left lane.

{¶10} Dan Bernier witnessed the collision. He was in the left lane, traveling

eastbound across the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge, and Schillo’s Jeep was about 50-75 feet

ahead of him. Bernier testified that he noticed the bicyclist in the right lane ahead of the Jeep. Bernier began decelerating to allow space for Schillo to move into the left lane,

but Schillo never switched lanes. Instead, Schillo slammed directly into Gamble.

{¶11} Bernier stated that the bicyclist was clearly visible, despite it being

night-time, and despite the light rain drizzle. Bernier travels back and forth across the

Lorain-Carnegie Bridge numerous times each week and has never had a problem with

visibility. Bernier expressed surprise that Schillo did not see the bicyclist.

{¶12} Officer Charles Moten of the Cleveland Police Department’s Accident

Investigation Unit responded to the scene shortly after the collision. Officer Moten

testified that he arrived after Gamble had been transported to the hospital. Officer Moten

arrived on the scene after Schillo and his wife were placed in the back of the first

responding patrol car.

{¶13} Officer Moten testified that he asked Schillo to exit the car and the two

stood in front of his patrol car, so that all interactions could be recorded by the

dash-camera. He immediately noticed that Schillo’s speech was slurred and that he had

a heavy odor of alcohol. Officer Moten stated that when he asked whether he had been

drinking, Schillo said he had not been drinking, but then acknowledged that he drank one

beer six hours earlier. Officer Moten testified that because of Schillo’s slurred speech,

odor of alcohol, and severity of the accident, he asked Schillo to perform the Standard

Field Sobriety Test. Officer Moten stated Schillo refused to perform the requested test

and was arrested.

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Related

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2014 Ohio 2262, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-schillo-ohioctapp-2014.