State v. Semenchuck, 90854 (2-5-2009)

2009 Ohio 465
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 5, 2009
DocketNo. 90854.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 2009 Ohio 465 (State v. Semenchuck, 90854 (2-5-2009)) 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. Semenchuck, 90854 (2-5-2009), 2009 Ohio 465 (Ohio Ct. App. 2009).

Opinion

JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION
{¶ 1} Appellant George Semenchuck appeals his conviction and sentence, and assigns eleven errors for our review.1

{¶ 2} Having reviewed the record and pertinent law, we affirm Semenchuck's conviction and sentence. The apposite facts follow.

{¶ 3} On December 20, 2006, the Cuyahoga County Grand Jury indicted Semenchuck on one count of assault on a peace officer and two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drug of abuse ("DUI"). Semenchuck pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and a trial was scheduled for October 11, 2007.

{¶ 4} On the day of trial, the trial court overruled both Semenchuck's motion to suppress the stop of his vehicle and motion to dismiss based on speedy trial violation. The State also dismissed one count of DUI.

Jury Trial
{¶ 5} At trial, the evidence established that on August 12, 2006, at approximately 6:00 p.m, Newburgh Heights police officers responded to a Speedway gas station because of a report of an intoxicated male urinating behind the gas station. When the police arrived, several patrons directed the officer's attention to the individual, who was the subject of the reported infraction. The officers observed *Page 4 Semenchuck in a grey minivan, driving slowly in a circle around an adjacent parking lot, and ordered him to stop the vehicle.

{¶ 6} When the officers approached, a strong odor of alcohol and urine emanated from the vehicle. The officers observed an open container of Jagermeister between the two front seats of the vehicle. The officers also noticed that Semenchuck's shorts were unbuttoned, exposing his genitalia and that he appeared to have urinated on himself.

{¶ 7} The officers asked Semenchuck to exit the vehicle, but when he attempted to step out of the vehicle, he could hardly stand, and had to be propped up against the side of the vehicle. Semenchuck's speech was slow and slurred. The officers determined that he was too intoxicated to be safely given a field sobriety test.

{¶ 8} The officers transported Semenchuck to the police station, and after a forty-five minute observation period, the officers asked him to submit to a blood alcohol test. Semenchuck refused to take the test, spewed profanity, became combative and had to be pepper sprayed.

{¶ 9} On October 15, 2007, the jury found Semenchuck not guilty of assault on a peace officer, but guilty of DUI. On November 30, 2007, the trial court sentenced him to a prison term of five years, a $10,000 fine, a lifetime driver's license suspension and three years of postrelease control. *Page 5

Speedy Trial
{¶ 10} In the first assigned error, Semenchuck argues that the trial court violated his right to a speedy trial. We disagree.

{¶ 11} The Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution and Section 10, Article I of the Ohio Constitution guarantee an accused the right to a speedy and a public trial. The standard of review that appellate courts apply to speedy trial issues is to count days as set forth in R.C. 2945.71.2

{¶ 12} Trial must be held within 270 days of an arrest in order to effectuate a speedy trial.3 However, pursuant to R.C. 2945.71(E) each day spent in jail "on a pending charge" acts as three days toward speedy trial time, thus 90 days time in jail would equate to 270 days using the triple-count provision.

{¶ 13} In the instant case, the record indicates that the Newburgh Heights police officers arrested Semenchuck on August 12, 2006, and transported him to the Bedford Heights jail to undergo detoxification. The following day, Semenchuck was released from jail without the Bedford Court setting a bond.

{¶ 14} After Semenchuck was indicted on December 20, 2006, he was summoned by certified mail to the address he provided when he was arrested. On *Page 6 January 5, 2007, Semenchuck failed to appear for his arraignment and the court issued a capias for his arrest.

{¶ 15} On July 20, 2007, Semenchuck was arrested. He was arraigned on July 24, 2007, and the trial court set Semenchuck's bond at $10,000. Semenchuck did not post bond and remained in jail until trial began on October 11, 2007.

{¶ 16} Semenchuck now argues that his speedy trial time began on August 12, 2006, when he was originally arrested, and more than 270 days elapsed before he was brought to trial, thus his motion to dismiss should have been granted. We are not persuaded.

{¶ 17} The constitutional right to a speedy trial arises when a person becomes an "accused."4 A person becomes accused when prosecution is initiated against him, either through "formal indictment or information or [by] the actual restraints imposed by arrest and holding to answer a criminal charge * * *."5

{¶ 18} The Speedy Trial Clause's core concern is impairment of liberty.6 Thus, when defendants are not incarcerated or subjected to other substantial restrictions *Page 7 on their liberty, a court should not weigh that time towards a claim under the Speedy Trial Clause.7

{¶ 19} We have previously held that the speedy trial provisions of R.C. 2945.71 do not apply until a defendant is arrested for the particular offense from which he seeks discharge.8 Therefore, it is the arrest on a pending charge that commences the running of the speedy trial statute.

{¶ 20} Upon review, the calculation relating to Semenchuck's right to a speedy trial did not begin to run until well after the charges were filed against him; until he was arrested on July 20, 2007. Although Semenchuck was initially detained on August 12, 2006, he was released the following day, after undergoing detoxification, without any condition of bond. Since Semenchuck was not being held pending the filing of charges, the alleged delay between his original detainment without charges being filed and the subsequent filing of the charges is without consequence to his statutory right to a speedy trial.

{¶ 21} As previously noted, after Semenchuck's arrest on July 20, 2007, he remained in jail without posting bond. Pursuant to R.C. 2945.71(E), each day Semenchuck remained in jail counted as three days toward speedy trial time, thus, *Page 8 he had to be brought to trial within 90 days of his arrest. In calculating this time, we commence counting the day after Semenchuck's arrest.9

{¶ 22}

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Related

Cleveland v. Gross
2022 Ohio 193 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2022)
State v. Adams (Slip Opinion)
2015 Ohio 3954 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2015)
State v. Semenchuk
2014 Ohio 1521 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2014)

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Bluebook (online)
2009 Ohio 465, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-semenchuck-90854-2-5-2009-ohioctapp-2009.