State v. Spradlin

933 N.E.2d 1131, 187 Ohio App. 3d 767
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 14, 2010
DocketNo. 23634
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 933 N.E.2d 1131 (State v. Spradlin) 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. Spradlin, 933 N.E.2d 1131, 187 Ohio App. 3d 767 (Ohio Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

Donovan, Presiding Judge.

{¶ 1} This matter is before the court on the notice of appeal of Jessica Spradlin, filed September 15, 2009. On April 1, 2008, Spradlin was indicted on one count of possession of crack cocaine in an amount equal to or greater than 100 grams in violation of R.C. 2925.11(A), with a major-drug-offender specification; one count of possession of marijuana in an amount that equaled or exceeded 1,000 grams but was less than 5,000 grams; one count of illegal manufacture of drugs (Schedule I or II) in violation of R.C. 2925.04(A); and one count of possession of cocaine in an amount that equaled or exceeded 25 grams but was less than 100 grams in violation of R.C. 2925.11(A). Indicted with Spradlin were codefendants Dwayne Jones and Raymond McDaniel.

{¶ 2} Spradlin pleaded not guilty, and on May 20, 2008, she filed a motion to suppress. Following a hearing, the trial court denied the motion. Spradlin filed a motion for reconsideration, which the state opposed. The trial court overruled the motion. Spradlin then filed a “Motion of Defendant to Vacate Denial of Motion to Suppress and to forthwith Grant the Motion Instanter.” The state opposed the motion, and Spradlin replied. Spradlin then filed a motion to reconsider the denial of her motion to reconsider the denial of her motion to suppress, and the state opposed the motion. On July 16, 2009, the trial court overruled Spradlin’s motions.

[771]*771{¶ 3} The defendants moved the court to sever their cases for trial, and the court granted the motion. On July 20, 2009, Spradlin waived her right to a trial by jury. Prior to trial, McDaniel was killed. Spradlin’s bench trial was ultimately conducted simultaneously with Jones’s trial by jury with the consent of all parties. On August 7, 2009, the trial court filed individually signed entries finding Spradlin guilty of the offense of illegal manufacture of drugs, a felony of the second degree, and not guilty of the remaining offenses and the major-drug-offender specification.

{¶ 4} On August 7, Spradlin filed a “Motion for Judgment of Acquittal Notwithstanding the Verdict of Guilty on the Twelfth Count of the Indictment; Alternative Motions for New Trial or Guilty of Lesser Included Offense.” On August 13, 2009, the trial court again filed signed forms for each offense.

{¶ 5} On August 17, 2009, Spradlin filed a “Supplemental Memorandum to Rule 29(C) Motion.” The state filed a “Memorandum Contra Defendant’s Motion for Judgment of Acquittal Notwithstanding the Verdict.” Spradlin filed a reply. The trial court did not issue a ruling.

{¶ 6} On September 8, 2009, Spradlin was sentenced to a prison term of three years, and the trial court suspended her driver’s license for two years.

{¶ 7} At the July 29, 2008 hearing on the motion to suppress, Scott Donley, a parole officer with the Adult Parole Authority and a former member of the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (“SOFAST”), and Rodney Barrett, a detective in the narcotics bureau with the Dayton Police Department, testified for the state. Spradlin testified on her own behalf, and Barrett was called on rebuttal.

{¶ 8} According to Donley, he had been deputized as part of SOFAST to apprehend persons with outstanding warrants, including McDaniel. A “wanted” poster of McDaniel was admitted into evidence, and it provided: “Raymond ‘Bird’ McDaniel is wanted by the United States Marshals Service for felonious assault with a deadly weapon. McDaniel is wanted in connection with a shooting that left a man paralyzed. McDaniel should be considered armed and dangerous.” Donley had received a tip that McDaniel might be located at a basement apartment at 2011 Riverside Drive, which is where Spradlin lived with Jones. Donley and four other officers proceeded to that location at approximately 10:30 in the morning on March 24, 2008. According to Donley, he and the other officers observed the building from the outside for about 30 minutes, and upon reaching the apartment, knocked repeatedly on the door for 25 minutes. Donley testified: “And then during that time we were able to make contact with Miss Spradlin * * * through the door, and began having banter back and forth trying to get her to open the door.” Donley stated that they identified themselves to Spradlin. Donley heard “scurrying around and moving around, things moving [772]*772around inside the door,” and “[p]eople within the house, and I believe you could hear conversations, whispering.” Eventually, Donley heard McDaniel say, “I’m in here,” and then, “That’s me; I’m in here,” and the door opened. Donley testified: “McDaniel was arrested inside the doorway and ordered to the ground, placed in handcuffs, and then we went inside the house to clear the house.” Donley stated that he had to step over McDaniel inside the apartment.

(¶ 9} In addition to Spradlin, Jones was also inside the apartment, walking around in the back of the apartment. From the doorway, the officers had a view of the living area, but they could not see the kitchen area, the two bedrooms or the bathroom. According to Donley, given the amount of time it took for Spradlin to open the door, and given the sounds coming from inside the apartment while the door was closed, the officers assumed there were other people inside the apartment. For their safety, the officers handcuffed Spradlin and Jones and placed them on the living room sofa. They were not under arrest, Donley testified, but “they were being investigated for possible obstruction charges because of the length of time that they were taking to answer the door and they were keeping us from arresting Mr. McDaniel.”

(¶ 10} Donley stated that in performing the sweep of the house, the officers were looking for additional people. After lifting a bed skirt to look under the bed in one of the bedrooms, Donley observed a large shopping bag on its side, with the open end facing directly towards him, and it was full of several gallon-size freezer bags of marijuana. He also recognized the smell of marijuana. He did not touch the items and contacted Barrett at home and advised him about the marijuana so that Barrett could secure a search warrant for the apartment. While the officers waited, Spradlin stated that she was pregnant, and she asked to use the bathroom. After being told that the bathroom would first have to be searched for weapons, Spradlin gave her consent to the search of the bathroom. According to Donley, “we went in and searched it and found a firearm inside the tank of the toilet, and there was a bag of suspected cocaine.” Donley Mirandized all three defendants.

{¶ 11} According to Barrett, he secured the subsequent search warrant, after initially responding to the apartment to gain information for the affidavit. Barrett advised Spradlin of her rights, she agreed to speak to him, and he interviewed her for three to five minutes before she terminated the interview. When Barrett returned about two hours later with the search warrant, the apartment was searched. At the time, the three defendants had been transported to the jail.

{¶ 12} Spradlin testified that she is 21 years old and that she was expecting a baby on October 12. Spradlin was leasing the apartment where the above events took place, and Jones was her boyfriend and is the father of her baby. Spradlin [773]*773had lived in the apartment for less than a month when she was arrested.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Byrd
2017 Ohio 6903 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2017)
State v. Montgomery
2014 Ohio 4354 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2014)
State v. Hunter
2011 Ohio 6321 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2011)
State v. Young
2011 Ohio 4875 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2011)
State v. Jones
2011 Ohio 2063 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2011)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
933 N.E.2d 1131, 187 Ohio App. 3d 767, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-spradlin-ohioctapp-2010.