State v. Trivett, Unpublished Decision (11-25-2002)

CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 25, 2002
DocketCA2001-12-095.
StatusUnpublished

This text of State v. Trivett, Unpublished Decision (11-25-2002) (State v. Trivett, Unpublished Decision (11-25-2002)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law.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State v. Trivett, Unpublished Decision (11-25-2002), (Ohio Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

OPINION
¶ 1 Defendant-appellant, Donald Trivett, appeals the decision of the Clermont County Court of Common Pleas crediting him for time served. We affirm the decision of the trial court.

¶ 2 On March 15, 1991, appellant was convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide under R.C. 2903.06(A) with two specifications: first, that he was under the influence of alcohol; and second, that he had previously been convicted of driving while under the influence of alcohol. On January 31, 1991, appellant executed a written plea of guilty to the charge. Appellant was sentenced to a four-to-ten year term. On September 29, 1997, after serving approximately six years and seven months of his sentence, appellant was permitted to withdraw his plea and plead anew. A new five-to-ten year sentence was imposed and immediately suspended under former R.C. 2951.02. Appellant was then placed on probation for five years.

¶ 3 While on probation, appellant fled the jurisdiction. On August 7, 1998, an affidavit alleging a probation violation was filed. Appellant was later discovered serving a 33-month prison sentence in South Carolina.

¶ 4 On November 30, 2001, a probation revocation hearing was held wherein it was revealed that appellant had been convicted in South Carolina of "being drunk behind the wheel and attempting to hit a police officer." Appellant's Ohio probation was revoked and the previously suspended five-to-ten-year prison sentence was imposed. Judgment was entered December 7, 2001, and the trial court separately entered a statement crediting appellant with 70 days on December 19, 2001. Appellant appeals the decision raising three assignments of error:

Assignment of Error No. 1

"THE TRIAL COURT ERRED TO THE PREJUDICE OF DEFENDANT-APPELLANT IN FAILING TO SET FORTH THE CREDIT FOR TIME SERVED IN ITS SENTENCING ENTRY."

¶ 5 Appellant argues that the mandatory language of R.C. 2967.191 and R.C. 2949.12 requires the trial court to calculate credit in the sentencing entry for any time of incarceration that arises out of the offense for which he was convicted and sentenced.

¶ 6 For offenses committed prior to July 1, 1996, R.C. 2967.191 is directed to the adult parole authority ("APA"), not the trial court. SeeState v. Flynn (Mar. 28, 1997), Meigs App. No. 96CA10, at fn. 3. It is the duty of the APA to implement a sentence reduction based upon credit determinations performed by the sentencing court. See id. The sentencing court makes the determination as to the amount of time served by the prisoner prior to being sentenced and committed to imprisonment in a facility under the supervision of the adult parole authority. State exrel. Corder v. Wilson (1991), 68 Ohio App.3d 567, 572.

¶ 7 The trial court's duties in this regard are set out in Ohio Adm. Code 5120-2-04(B), which provides:

¶ 8 "The sentencing court determines the amount of time the prisoner served before being sentenced. The court must make a factual determination of the number of days credit to which the prisoner is entitled by law and, if the prisoner is committed to a penal or reformatory institution, forward a statement of the number of days confinement which he is entitled by law to have credited. This information is required to be included within the journal entry imposing the sentence." See, also, former Crim.R. 32.2(D).

¶ 9 R.C. 2967.191 and R.C. 2949.12 provide for the mandatory crediting of jail-time credit. See State v. Thorpe (June 30, 2000), Franklin App. No. 99-AP-1180, at 2; State v. Persons (Mar. 22, 2000), Meigs App. No. 99CA10, at fn. 1. R.C. 2967.191 provides that, "[t]he adult parole authority shall reduce the minimum and maximum sentence or the definite sentence of a prisoner by the total number of days that the prisoner was confined for any reason arising out of the offense for which he was convicted and sentenced, including confinement in lieu of bail while awaiting trial, confinement for examination to determine his competence to stand trial or sanity, * * *, and confinement while awaiting transportation to the place where he is to serve his sentence."

¶ 10 R.C. 2949.12 states that the prisoner's sentencing order should also reflect, "* * * pursuant to section 2967.191 of the Revised Code * * * the total number of days, if any, that the felon was confined for any reason prior to conviction and sentence." R.C. 2949.12. See, also, State v. Stafford, Noble App. No. 265, 2002-Ohio-5243 at ¶ 52. When R.C. 2967.191 is read in light of the broad language highlighted in R.C. 2949.12, appellant is entitled to credit for all of his pretrial confinement. See id.

¶ 11 While the sentencing court did not set forth the credit for time served in its sentencing entry, it did file a separate entry crediting appellant with time served. The statement of time served, filed on December 19, 2001, indicates that "[t]he court hereby determines that the defendant has served Seventy (70) days including travel time, under this case number." A separate entry, filed by the court, is an appropriate method to notify the APA of credit for time served. See Statev. Crane (Apr. 1, 1986), Franklin App. No. 85AP-780, at 5. Therefore, the court performed its duty to notify the APA of appellant's credit for time served prior to being sentenced.

¶ 12 Appellant argues he was denied the right to be heard as to the computation or accuracy of the credit. However, appellant addressed the court on the subject. At appellant's probation violation hearing he stated, "my previous six years seven month [sic] I believe should be credited toward the new sentence." The trial court answered by stating that it is "up to the Parole Board."

¶ 13 Pursuant to R.C. 2967.191, it is the sole duty of the APA to credit a defendant who has already been convicted and sentenced with time spent in confinement. Cf. State v. Longworth, Clark App. No. 2001-CA-39, 2002-Ohio-4115, at ¶ 8; State ex rel. Jones v. O'Connor,84 Ohio St.3d 426, 427, 1999-Ohio-470. Because the duty to grant time spent in confinement rests solely with APA, appellant's remedy is with the APA rather than trial court. See State v. Reynolds (Nov. 24, 1987), Franklin App. No. 87-AP-323, at 1.

¶ 14 Appellant was permitted to address the trial court as to the computation or accuracy of the credit and the trial court answered appellant. Therefore, appellant was not denied the right to be heard as to the computation or accuracy of the credit.

¶ 15 Appellant also argues he is entitled to credit for time served while being held in the state of South Carolina awaiting delivery to Ohio. Appellant argues that when he had completed his South Carolina sentence he was not free to leave.

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Related

State, Ex Rel. Corder v. Wilson
589 N.E.2d 113 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1991)
State v. Bay
763 N.E.2d 218 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2001)
State v. Draper
573 N.E.2d 602 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1991)
State ex rel. Jones v. O'Connor
704 N.E.2d 1223 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1999)

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Bluebook (online)
State v. Trivett, Unpublished Decision (11-25-2002), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-trivett-unpublished-decision-11-25-2002-ohioctapp-2002.