State v. Weaver, 06ca0001 (6-27-2007)

2007 Ohio 3357
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 27, 2007
DocketNo. 06CA0001.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2007 Ohio 3357 (State v. Weaver, 06ca0001 (6-27-2007)) 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. Weaver, 06ca0001 (6-27-2007), 2007 Ohio 3357 (Ohio Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

OPINION *Page 2
{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant Marion D. Weaver appeals his conviction and sentence entered by the Holmes County Court of Common Pleas on one count of retaliation, in violation of R.C. 2921.05(A); and one count of extortion, in violation of R.C. 2905.11(A)(3), following a jury trial. Plaintiff-appellee is the State of Ohio.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE AND FACTS
{¶ 2} On August 16, 2005, the Holmes County Grand Jury indicted Appellant on the aforementioned charges as well as one count of aggravated menacing, in violation of R.C. 2903.21. Appellant appeared before the trial court for arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty to the Indictment. On November 14, 2005, the State provided Appellant with a Bill of Particulars, which included the following language: "* * * said statements and actions and personal knowledge of the [Appellant's] personal character and history, caused complainant to believe that [Appellant] would cause him and his family serious physical harm and/or harm to his personal property (including his business) * * *." Approximately one and one-half years prior to the events giving rise to the instant Indictment, in March, 2004, Appellant stood trial for murder in the Holmes County Court of Common Pleas for a shooting which occurred in September, 2003, and resulted in the death of a twenty-three year old Amish man. The jury ultimately convicted Appellant of negligent homicide, a misdemeanor offense.

{¶ 3} Prior to trial in the instant action, Appellant filed a Motion for Change of Venue, asserting any potential jury pool in Holmes County would be unfairly biased against him due to the negative pretrial publicity in light of the prior criminal action. Appellant also filed a Motion in Limine, requesting the trial court prohibit the State from, *Page 3 in any way, commenting or referencing the prior criminal conviction. The trial court denied both motions.

{¶ 4} The jury trial commenced on November 21, 2005. The trial court, recognizing most of the fifty plus potential jurors summonsed probably knew of Appellant, gave each party twenty minutes to ask the jury general questions. Thereafter, the trial court conducted an individual voir dire. The trial court overruled Appellant's challenges for cause of Juror #11 and Juror #18. After Appellant exercised all of his peremptory challenges, Juror #11 and Juror #18 remained on the panel.

{¶ 5} After the jury was empanelled, the parties began the presentation of their respective cases. The following facts were adduced at trial.

{¶ 6} Louis Ritchie is the principal owner and president of Millersburg Ice, located in Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio. For over fifteen years, Appellant had a business relationship with Ritchie and Millersburg Ice. Millersburg Ice sells blocks of ice at wholesale to "jobbers", who in turn deliver the ice from house to house among the Amish. Appellant was a "jobber". Millersburg Ice invoiced the jobbers every Monday for the previous week. Over the length of his relationship with the company, Appellant incurred a substantial debt for unpaid invoices. In 1998, Ritchie prepared, and Appellant executed, a cognovit note, which reflected a debt of approximately $35,000. Millersburg Ice allowed Appellant to continue purchasing ice on credit. Appellant made some payments on the debt.

{¶ 7} On December 18, 2003, Millersburg Ice filed a Complaint to collect on the cognovit note. The trial court granted default judgment against Appellant, and ordered Appellant to appear for a debtor's examination. Appellant failed to appear. The trial *Page 4 court conducted a Show Cause Hearing on May 5, 2004. After Appellant again failed to appear, the trial court issued a warrant. Appellant was arrested, which provided counsel for Millersburg Ice an opportunity to conduct the debtor's exam. On June 24, 2004, Millersburg Ice filed a Complaint for Foreclosure of Judgment Lien. Appellant appeared for a case management conference on September 24, 2004, but did not file an answer to the complaint. The trial court issued a judgment entry of foreclosure and ordered the sale of Appellant's residence and real estate. Appellant filed bankruptcy, which stayed the sale of the property. The Bankruptcy Court ultimately denied Appellant's petition because of his failure to have a qualified plan for repayment. The sale was rescheduled and the property was sold on June 9, 2005.

{¶ 8} On the evening of June 2, 2005, prior to the court ordered sale, Ritchie, who is seventy-one years old, was grocery shopping at the Millersburg Wal-Mart. Appellant was also at the Wal-Mart store that evening, and noticed Ritchie. Appellant approached Ritchie, and began to curse and threaten him in an angry and belligerent manner. Appellant blasted Ritchie, yelling, "You lied in court, you son of a bitch." Appellant warned, "I will get you if it is the last thing I ever do, you cocksucker."

{¶ 9} Scott and Pam Akins were likewise in the Wal-Mart store that evening and heard appellant's tirade. Scott Akins is a captain with the Millersburg Police Department, and Pam Akins, his wife, is a captain with the Holmes County Sheriff's Department. Both Akins were off duty at the time of the incidence. Scott Akins recalled hearing someone yelling at someone else. He walked down the aisle and observed Appellant and Ritchie, who were approximately 37 feet away. Akins testified he could see Appellant was very upset, which concerned the officer an assault might take place. *Page 5 Akins recounted the tone and volume of Appellant's voice revealed the depth of Appellant's anger. Pam Akins testified similarly. Neither Akins nor his wife intervened during the incident. They did not make contact with Ritchie immediately following the incident. Pam Akins contacted the police department the following day to determine if Ritchie filed a complaint. Appellant did not deny the incident, but stated his whole intention was to let Ritchie know he [Appellant] intended to institute legal proceedings against him [Ritchie].

{¶ 10} After hearing all the evidence and deliberations, the jury found Appellant guilty of extortion and retaliation, but not guilty of aggravated menacing. Following a presentence investigation and a psychological evaluation of Appellant, the trial court sentenced Appellant to a term of four years imprisonment on each charge. The trial court ordered the terms be served concurrently. The trial court memorialized Appellant's conviction and sentence via Judgment Entry filed January 12, 2006.

{¶ 11} It is from this judgment entry Appellant appeals, raising the following assignments of error:

{¶ 12} "I. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION AND DENIED APPELLANT HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL PURSUANT TO THE UNITED STATES AND OHIO CONSTITUTIONS BY NOT GRANTING A CHANGE OF VENUE.

{¶ 13} "II. THE TRIAL COURT DENIED APPELLANT HIS RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL BY NOT REMOVING JURORS WHO EXPRESSED UNFAVORABLE OPINIONS ABOUT THE APPELLANT. *Page 6

{¶ 14} "III. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN SENTENCING APPELLANT IN EXCESS OF THE STATUTORY MINIMUM AND BY RELYING ON SENTENCING FACTORS DETERMINED TO BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL BY THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO.

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Bluebook (online)
2007 Ohio 3357, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-weaver-06ca0001-6-27-2007-ohioctapp-2007.