State v. Wetzel, Unpublished Decision (8-23-1999)
State v. Wetzel, Unpublished Decision (8-23-1999)
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
Defendant-appellant Heath Wetzel appeals the November 10, 1997 Judgment Entry of the Morrow County Court of Common Pleas which sentenced appellant on two counts of abduction, one count of aggravated robbery, and two counts of felonious assault. Plaintiff-appellee is the State of Ohio.THE TRIAL COURT COMMITTED PREJUDICIAL ERROR BY ENTERING JUDGMENTS OF CONVICTION FOR BOTH ABDUCTION AND AGGRAVATED ROBBERY, WHICH UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE ARE ALLIED OFFENSES OF SIMILAR IMPORT.
(A) Where the same conduct by defendant can be construed to constitute two or more allied offenses of similar import, the indictment or information may contain counts for all such offenses, but the defendant may be convicted of only one.
(B) Where the defendant's conduct constitutes two or more offenses of dissimilar import, or where his conduct results in two or more offenses of the same or similar kind committed separately or with a separate animus as to each, the indictment or information may contain counts for all such offenses, and the defendant may be convicted of all of them.
Until recently, we used the two-part test announced in Newark v. Vazirani (1990),
Accordingly, we must compare the elements of abduction and aggravated robbery in the abstract. R.C.
(1) By force or threat, remove another from the place where the other person is found;
(2) By force or threat, restrain the liberty of another person, under circumstances which create a risk of physical harm to the victim, or place the other person in fear;
(3) Hold another in a condition of involuntary servitude.
R.C.
(A) No person, in attempting or committing a theft offense, as defined in section
(1) Have a deadly weapon on or about the offender's person or under the offender's control and either display the weapon, brandish it, indicate that the offender possesses it, or use it;
(2) Have a dangerous ordnance on or about the offender's person or under the offender's control;
(3) Inflict, or attempt to inflict, serious physical harm on another.
The relevant inquiry is whether aggravated robbery can be committed without the commission of abduction. When analyzing the offenses in the abstract, we find the crimes are not allied offenses of similar import. Consider the following scenario. A thief stops a victim on the street and demands money. The victim gives the thief the money. The thief flees the scene. The victim decides to give chase. When the thief realizes the victim is in pursuit, the thief turns, pulls out a gun, and fires at the victim. Under this scenario, the thief would have committed aggravated robbery. The thief, in fleeing immediately after a theft offense, used a deadly weapon. However, under this scenario, the thief would not have committed abduction. There was no force or threat to remove the victim from the location; there was no force or threat to restrain the victim's liberty, or to hold the victim in a condition of involuntary servitude. We find it possible to commit aggravated robbery without committing abduction. Further, we find one can commit abduction without committing aggravated robbery. Accordingly, we find that aggravated robbery and abduction, when compared in the abstract, are not allied offenses of similar import. For this reason, appellant's sole assignment of error is overruled.
The judgment of the Morrow County Court of Common Pleas is affirmed.
By: Hoffman, J. Wise, J. and Edwards, J. concur
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