State v. Ullman

2024 Ohio 5880
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 16, 2024
Docket24CA000012
StatusPublished

This text of 2024 Ohio 5880 (State v. Ullman) 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. Ullman, 2024 Ohio 5880 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Ullman, 2024-Ohio-5880.]

COURT OF APPEALS GUERNSEY COUNTY, OHIO FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

STATE OF OHIO, : JUDGES: : Hon. John W. Wise, P.J. Plaintiff - Appellee : Hon. Craig R. Baldwin, J. : Hon. Andrew J. King, J. -vs- : : DANIEL ULLMAN, : Case No. 24CA000012 : Defendant - Appellant : OPINION

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Appeal from the Guernsey County Court of Common Pleas, Case No. 23-CR-000208

JUDGMENT: Affirmed

DATE OF JUDGMENT: December 16, 2024

APPEARANCES:

For Plaintiff-Appellee For Defendant-Appellant

NO APPEARANCE CHRIS BRIGDON 8138 Somerset Rd. Thornville, Ohio 43076 Guernsey County, Case No. 24CA000012 2

Baldwin, J.

{¶1} The appellant appeals the proportionality of his sentence following his

change of plea to guilty. Appellee is the State of Ohio.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND THE CASE

{¶2} On or about October 26, 2023, the appellant, a man in his 70s who

possessed a pistol and a long gun, became upset with his wife, victim K.U., due to a prior

sexual relationship she allegedly had when she was 17-years old. When K.U. went to the

bedroom to gather her belongings in order to leave, the appellant grabbed her cell phone,

threw it against a wall, pulled out the pistol, shot a hole through the phone, pointed the

pistol at K.U., and said he would kill her next. He stayed up all night consuming alcohol,

and K.U. was unable to leave the residence.

{¶3} On or about October 28, 2023, sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the

residence. While en route, deputies were advised by Cambridge Police that they had

multiple prior dealings with the appellant in connection with domestic related incidents.

When deputies arrived on the scene, K.U. ran out the front door screaming that the

appellant had a gun and was going to kill her. Deputies observed red marks on K.U.’s

neck, suggesting that the appellant had grabbed K.U. by her neck.

{¶4} The appellant was indicted on November 22, 2023, on the following

charges:

1. Abduction in violation of R.C. 2905.02 (A)(2) and (C), a third degree

felony, with a three-year firearm specification pursuant to R.C.

2941.145(A); Guernsey County, Case No. 24CA000012 3

2. Domestic Violence in violation of R.C. 2919.25(A) and (D)(2), a first

degree misdemeanor;

3. Domestic Violence in violation of R.C. 2919.25(C) and (D)(2), a

fourth degree misdemeanor;

4. Disrupting Public Services in violation of R.C. 2909.04(A)(3) and (C),

a fourth degree felony;

5. Using Weapons While Intoxicated in violation of R.C. 2923.15(A) and

(B), a first degree misdemeanor;

6. Unlawful Possession of a Dangerous Ordinance in violation of R.C.

2923.17(A) and (D), a fifth degree felony;

7. Unlawful Possession of a Dangerous Ordinance in violation of R.C.

8. Unlawful Possession of a Dangerous Ordinance in violation of R.C.

2923.17(A) and (D), a fifth degree felony; and,

9. Unlawful Possession of a Dangerous Ordinance in violation of R.C.

2923.17(A) and (D), a fifth degree felony.

The appellant was appointed counsel and pleaded not guilty to all charges at his

December 7, 2023, arraignment.

{¶5} The appellant thereafter entered into a plea agreement with the appellee. A

Plea of Guilty form was filed on March 12, 2024, in which the appellant pleaded guilty to

the following charges: Amended Count 1, Attempted Abduction in violation of R.C.

2905.02 and 2923.02, a fourth degree felony; Count 2, Domestic Violence in violation of

R.C. 2919.25, a first degree misdemeanor; Count 5, Weapons While Intoxicated in Guernsey County, Case No. 24CA000012 4

violation of R.C. 2923.15, a first degree misdemeanor; and, Counts 6 – 9, Unlawful

Possession of Dangerous Ordinances in violation of R.C. 2923.17, felonies of the fifth

degree.

{¶6} The Plea of Guilty form specified the possible maximum prison terms as

follows: 18 months on Amended Count 1; 180 days in jail on Count 2; 180 days in jail

Count 5; and, 12 months per count on Counts 6 – 9 (for a possible 48 months on said

counts.) Further, the form stated that “prison terms for multiple charges, even if

consecutive sentences are not mandatory, may be imposed consecutively by the Court.”

The appellee agreed to dismiss the firearm specification in connection with Count One,

as well as Counts 3 and 4. The Plea of Guilty form was signed by both the appellant and

his appointed trial counsel. A Change of Plea hearing was conducted on March 12, 2024,

at which the trial court engaged in the requisite Crim.R. 11 colloquy.

{¶7} A Sentencing hearing was conducted on May 9, 2024, following preparation

of a pre-sentence investigation (PSI.) The trial court considered the PSI as well as all

statutory factors in imposing sentence, including the fact that the appellant: caused

physical harm to a person; attempted to cause or made an actual of threat of physical

harm with a deadly weapon; committed the offenses while in the possession of a firearm;

had a history of criminal convictions; the victim suffered serious psychological harm as a

result of the offense; and, the appellant’s relationship with the victim facilitated the

offense. The court also considered the fact that recidivism was unlikely, that the appellant

had no juvenile convictions, and that the appellant showed genuine remorse. However,

the court balanced those factors against the more serious factors relating to the offenses,

including the fact that the victim suffered serious psychological harm as a result of the Guernsey County, Case No. 24CA000012 5

appellant’s actions. Indeed, the record indicates that K.U. requested that she be able to

retain one of the household firearms in case the appellant was released because she was

fearful that he would “get out and kill her.”

{¶8} After considering the above factors, as well as the overriding purposes of

felony sentences - that is, to protect the public from future crime by the appellant and

others, and to punish the appellant - the trial court sentenced the appellant as follows: 15

months imprisonment on Count 1, Attempted Abduction; 180 days in jail on Count 2,

Domestic Violence; 180 days in jail on Count 5, Using a Weapon While Intoxicated; and,

9 months each on Counts 6, 7, 8, and 9. The court noted that the 180 day jail sentences

on Counts 2 and 5 were to be served concurrently with each other, and concurrently with

the appellant’s prison sentences. The court noted further that the sentences as to Counts

1, 6, and 7 were to be served consecutive to one another, and Counts 8 and 9 were to be

served concurrent to one another and concurrent to the sentences imposed on Counts 1,

6, and 7. The appellant was thus sentenced to a total aggregate term of 33 months

imprisonment.

{¶9} The appellant filed a timely notice of appeal, and sets forth the following

sole assignment of error:

{¶10} “I. SHOULD THIS COURT REVERSE THE TRIAL COURT'S DECISION

TO IMPOSE A THIRTY-THREE (33) MONTH AGGREGATE SENTENCE FOR THE

APPELLANT'S CONVICTIONS, INCLUDING CONSECUTIVE SENTENCES OF 15

MONTHS ON COUNT 1, 9 MONTHS ON COUNT 6, AND 9 MONTHS ON COUNT 7;

BECAUSE, THE SENTENCE WAS IMPOSED IN CONTRAVENTION OF THE

SENTENCING STATUTES R.C. §2929.11 AND R.C. §2929.12, WHERE THE Guernsey County, Case No. 24CA000012 6

SENTENCE DID NOT CONFORM TO THE PRINCIPLES OF R.C. §2929.11 AND

FACTORS WITHIN R.C. §2929.12 DEMONSTRATED SUBSTANTIAL MITIGATION.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2024 Ohio 5880, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-ullman-ohioctapp-2024.