State v. Wilcox

2022 Ohio 3293
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 16, 2022
Docket21 MO 0004
StatusPublished

This text of 2022 Ohio 3293 (State v. Wilcox) 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. Wilcox, 2022 Ohio 3293 (Ohio Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Wilcox, 2022-Ohio-3293.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO SEVENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT MONROE COUNTY

STATE OF OHIO,

Plaintiff-Appellee,

v.

DENNIS J. WILCOX,

Defendant-Appellant.

OPINION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY Case No. 21 MO 0004

Criminal Appeal from the Court of Common Pleas of Monroe County, Ohio Case No. 2021-030

BEFORE: David A. D’Apolito, Gene Donofrio, Carol Ann Robb, Judges.

JUDGMENT: Affirmed.

Atty. James L. Peters, Monroe County Prosecutor, 101 North Main Street, Room 15, Woodsfield, Ohio 43793, for Plaintiff-Appellee (No Brief Filed) and Atty. John M. Jurco, P.O. Box 783, St. Clairsville, Ohio 43950, for Defendant-Appellant.

Dated: September 16, 2022 -2-

D’APOLITO, J.

Appellant, Dennis J. Wilcox, appeals from the July 26, 2021 judgment of the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas convicting him for aggravated possession of drugs, possessing drug abuse instruments, and use/possession of drug paraphernalia following a trial by jury and sentencing him to a total of 12 months. On appeal, Appellant stresses that Appellee, the State of Ohio, presented insufficient evidence and that his convictions are against the manifest weight of the evidence. Appellant further contends the trial court erred in sentencing him to the maximum. Finding no reversible error, we affirm.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On January 21, 2021, Appellant was indicted by the Monroe County Grand Jury on three counts: count one, aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree, in violation of R.C. 2925.11; count two, possessing drug abuse instruments, a misdemeanor of the second degree, in violation of R.C. 2925.12; and count three, use/possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, in violation of R.C. 2925.14(C)(1). Appellant was appointed counsel and entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment. A trial by jury was held on July 19, 2021. The State presented four witnesses: Misty Tolzda (“Tolzda”), the mother of Katrina Kahrig (“Kahrig”); Chief Cory Jones (“Chief Jones”), Chief of Police with the Woodsfield Police Department (“WPD”); Lisa Swisher (“Swisher”), a supervisor with the Monroe County Department of Job and Family Services, Children Services; and Kahrig. Tolzda testified that her daughter, Kahrig, resided at a home Tolzda owns located at 410 Eastern Avenue, Woodsfield, Ohio. In 2020, Tolzda had concerns about Kahrig’s drug use and noticed unusual behavior. Tolzda first contacted WPD in the beginning of December 2020. Tolzda spoke with Chief Jones about Kahrig’s issues. Around the first or second week of December 2020, Tolzda became aware that Appellant was residing with Kahrig. Tolzda did not want anyone living in the home besides her daughter and grandchildren.

Case No. 21 MO 0004 -3-

On one occasion in December 2020, Tolzda went to the home and her 13- year-old granddaughter answered the door. Tolzda observed Kahrig and Appellant “very scantily dressed” and “under the influence of something.” (7/19/2021 Jury Trial Tr., p. 186). Tolzda also smelled marijuana in the vicinity of Appellant. Tolzda contacted WPD a second time after learning from her granddaughter that Kahrig and Appellant were involved with drugs. Tolzda’s granddaughter sent her photos from the couple’s bedroom of “a variety of drug paraphernalia, and hypodermic needles.” (Id. at p. 188; State’s Exhibits 1, 2, and 3). Specifically, the items included a razor blade, needles, syringes, some kind of a sticky residue, a spoon, a credit card, some kind of a pipe and a grinder, glass tubing devices, and some sort of a pop bottle lid. Tolzda sent the photos to Chief Jones. Chief Jones testified that he first became involved in this matter at the beginning of December 2020. Tolzda and Chief Jones had known each other professionally. Tolzda first contacted Chief Jones out of concern for her daughter, who had a previous history with narcotic abuse. Tolzda believed Kahrig was in the process of relapsing. Initially, Tolzda was unaware of the man’s name that was residing with her daughter. At that time, Chief Jones “just logged the information in [his] mind and kept note of it.” (7/19/2021 Jury Trial Tr., p. 210). On December 30, 2020, Tolzda made a formal report to Chief Jones identifying the man as Appellant. Chief Jones reviewed the photographs provided by Tolzda and obtained a search warrant. During the search, Chief Jones observed Kahrig and Appellant standing outside of their second floor bedroom. As some indication that Appellant was living there, Chief Jones observed men’s clothes and Appellant’s dog, “Hurricane.” (Id. at p. 217). In the bedroom, Chief Jones “located several items that were exactly consistent with the photos that [he] was provided with from [Tolzda]” including “drug abuse instruments, drug paraphernalia, and [he] also located a substance that was a white crystalline substance that was suspected to be methamphetamine at the time.” (Id. at p. 218). Numerous photographs were taken at the scene. (State’s Exhibits 4-13). The items removed from the home included: 24 hypodermic syringes; an aluminum pop can bottom; a black digital scale; two blue tie-offs; a clear vial; multiple baggies; seven

Case No. 21 MO 0004 -4-

syringes in a white sock; miscellaneous hypodermic needles; a hypodermic syringe pipe in a blue plastic box; a can containing a white crystalline substance; miscellaneous marijuana paraphernalia; a small plastic bag containing a dark substance; a spoon with a dark, wet substance; a spoon with a white substance; a small plastic baggie containing a crystalline substance; a small white cup containing residue; a small blue glass dish containing cotton; a glass pipe; and a pill bottle containing 25 Suboxone pills. Items were sent for testing and BCI prepared a report, revealing the presence of Methamphetamine. (State’s Exhibit 15). Kahrig and Appellant were advised of their Miranda rights and arrested. Swisher testified that she received information that Kahrig was allegedly “abusing drugs again, and she was residing with a known drug user [Appellant] at the time.” (7/19/2021 Jury Trial Tr., p. 257). Swisher spoke with both Kahrig and Appellant at the scene. Swisher’s primary responsibility in responding to the call was for the safety of the children living in the home, although they were not present at the time of the search. Kahrig and Appellant admitted to Swisher that they had been using drugs. Kahrig tested positive that day for methamphetamine, heroin, amphetamines, opiates, THC, and Suboxone. Swisher did not ask Appellant for a test because he is not the father of the children involved in this case. Appellant conceded to using drugs with Kahrig. Kahrig testified that she is currently incarcerated in a lock down facility. Kahrig explained that Appellant had moved in with her in October 2020 and they used drugs together, including methamphetamine, Suboxone, and Subutex. Kahrig and Appellant were intimate and shared a bedroom. Kahrig indicated that most of the drug paraphernalia found in the bedroom were shared items. The methamphetamine was shared but obtained by Appellant. At the conclusion of the State’s case, Appellant moved for an acquittal pursuant to Crim.R. 29, which was overruled by the trial court. The defense did not present any witnesses. The jury found Appellant guilty on all counts as charged in the indictment. On July 26, 2021, following a sentencing hearing, the trial court sentenced Appellant to 12 months on count one, 90 days on count two (concurrent to count one), and 30 days on count three (concurrent to count one), for a total term of 12 months.

Case No. 21 MO 0004 -5-

Appellant filed a timely appeal and raises two assignments of error.1

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1

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2022 Ohio 3293, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-wilcox-ohioctapp-2022.