Norris v. Konteh, Unpublished Decision (4-16-1999)
Norris v. Konteh, Unpublished Decision (4-16-1999)
Opinion of the Court
This matter is on appeal from the Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas. Appellant, Robert Lee Norris, appeals from the decisions of the trial court denying his motion for summary judgment and denying his petition for a writ of habeas corpus.
Appellant was indicted during the September 1992 term of the Stark County Grand Jury and charged with the following: Count One, kidnapping, a violation of R.C.
"Count One: For an indeterminate term of incarceration of fifteen (15) years to twenty-five (25) years, or until otherwise pardoned, paroled or released according to law, with a minimum actual incarceration of fifteen (15) years and with a $10,000 fine.
"Count Two: For an indeterminate term of incarceration of fifteen (15) years to twenty-five (25) years, or until otherwise pardoned, paroled or released according to law, with a minimum actual incarceration of fifteen (15) years and with a $10,000 fine.
"Count Three: For an indeterminate term of incarceration of fifteen (15) years to twenty-five (25) years, or until otherwise pardoned, paroled or released according to law, with a minimum actual incarceration of fifteen (15) years and with a $10,000 fine."
It was further ordered that the sentences be served consecutively. On January 4, 1994, the trial court entered anunc pro tunc resentencing order that appeared to drop counts two and three and sentenced appellant on the first count. Norris was sentenced for an indeterminate term of incarceration of fifteen years to twenty-five years, or until otherwise pardoned, paroled or released according to law, with a minimum actual incarceration of fifteen years and with a $10,000 fine. Realizing that it failed to sentence Norris for counts two and three, the trial court entered a second nunc pro tunc sentencing order, on October 18, 1995. While the trial court did reinstate counts two and three of appellant's original sentence, it increased the fine imposed, for each count of rape, from $10,000 for each count to $20,000 for each count.
Appellant is now an inmate at the Trumbull Correctional Institution, a state penitentiary, located in Trumbull County, Ohio. Appellee, Chelleh Konteh, is the warden of that prison.1 On December 5, 1997, appellant filed a pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus, pursuant to R.C.
"(1) the trial court violated his Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial by unreasonably delaying his sentence, resulting in a substantial increase in his punishment;
"(2) the trial court violated the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment by improperly increasing his punishment after execution and commencement of the initial punishment; and,
"(3) the trial court violated his Fifth Amendment right to due process by increasing his sentence sua sponte, without strict compliance with Ohio Crim. R. 43, which requires that a defendant must be present when one sentence is vacated and a new sentence imposed."
Appellee responded by filing a motion to dismiss the petition. In judgment entries filed January 26, 1998, the trial court denied appellant's petition for writ of habeas corpus and, as a result thereof, denied appellant's motion for summary judgment as being moot. The trial court denied appellant's petition for failure to attach an affidavit, which contained a description of his civil actions filed in the previous five years, and held that his "motion is not a proper manner in which to test trial or sentencing error." The trial court also noted that appellant did not allege that he had served his sentence and was being unlawfully held. Although the judgment entry denies appellant's petition for a writ of habeas corpus, the trial court gives reasons which support appellee's motion to dismiss. The variance in form does not affect the consistent result.
From this judgment, appellant filed a timely appeal with this court in which he asserts the following assignments of error:
"[1.] Whether the trial court abused its discret[ion] thereby violating the due process rights of petitioner by failing to make a factual determination as to whether [the] petitioner did actually have an "an adequate alternative" state remedy thereby precluding habeas corpus relief."
"[2.] Whether the trial court erred by dismissing the pro se application for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to: Ohio Revised Code Section
2969.25 (A), where [petitioner] had substantially fulfilled the requirement of listing his previous civil actions by listing those "civil actions" within the body of the ["verified complaint"] and there after annexing ("in chronological order"] each of those civil actions to the initiating petition.""[3.] Whether the trial court abused its discretion by violating petitioner's due process rights by failing to grant summary judgment where there was [*no genuine issue] to any material fact, and where respondent raised, nor offered any recognizable dispute to "any" of the material facts in issue."
"[4.] It is error for a "state court of last resort" to close its door to the review and adjudication of a petition for writ of habeas corpus where, "clearly identifiable" and prima facie constitutional grounds' and question(s) are raised."2
Appellant's first and fourth assignments of error raise the same issue and thus will be discussed together. In appellant's first assignment of error, he alleges that the trial court should have made a determination that appellant was entitled to habeas corpus relief because he had no adequate alternative remedy at law. In his fourth assignment of error, appellant alleges that the trial court erred by denying his petition for a writ of habeas corpus and failing to consider the constitutional issues raised therein. Norris claims that he had no adequate remedy at law because he was unable to file a timely direct appeal due to the trial court's denial of his request for appointment of counsel and that the Stark County Court of Common Pleas had not ruled on his application for postconviction relief. It is clear from this argument that appellant misunderstands State ex rel. Pirman v. Money (1994),
In the instant case, appellant does have an adequate remedy at law. "Appeal or postconviction relief are remedies at law to review claimed sentencing errors." State ex rel. Massie v.Rogers (1997),
In his second assignment of error, appellant alleges that the trial court erred by denying his petition for a writ of habeas corpus for failing to comply with the mandatory provisions of R.C.
In his third assignment of error, appellant alleges that the trial court abused its discretion by failing to grant appellant's motion for summary judgment. The trial court properly denied appellant's motion for summary judgment as moot, once it denied appellant's petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Appellant's third assignment of error has no merit.
For the foregoing reasons, appellant's assignments of error are without merit. The judgment of the Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas is affirmed.
--------------------------- JUDGE ROBERT A. NADER
FORD, P.J., O'NEILL, J., concur.
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