State v. Mason, Unpublished Decision (4-19-1999)
State v. Mason, Unpublished Decision (4-19-1999)
Opinion of the Court
OPINION Appellant Donald Mason is appealing the decision of the Licking County Court of Common Pleas that denied his motion to suppress and motion to withdraw his guilty plea. The following facts give rise to this appeal. On March 19, 1998, the Licking County Grand Jury indicted appellant on one count of felonious sexual penetration, one count of gross sexual imposition and one count of rape. All three counts related to appellant's conduct with his stepdaughter. Prior to the indictment, on March 6, 1998, Detective Wheeler of the Licking County Sheriff's Department contacted appellant and asked him to come to his office. Appellant appeared at Detective Wheeler's office and gave a statement which implicated him in the above offenses. Detective Wheeler did not give appellant his Miranda warnings at this interview. Two days after this interview, appellant was arrested. On May 19, 1998, appellant filed a motion to suppress his statement to Detective Wheeler. The trial court conducted a hearing on appellant's motion on May 27, 1998. By judgment entry dated May 28, 1998, the trial court denied appellant's motion to suppress on the basis that appellant was not in custody at the time of the interview with Detective Wheeler. Thereafter, on May 28, 1998, appellant entered a guilty plea to the charges contained in the indictment. On June 11, 1998, appellant sent a letter to the trial court requesting that he be permitted to withdraw his guilty plea and obtain new counsel. The trial court conducted a hearing on June 23, 1998, and refused to permit appellant to withdraw his guilty plea until appellant obtained new counsel. The trial court conducted a second sentencing hearing on June 30, 1998. Appellant appeared at this hearing without counsel. The trial court informed appellant that if he could not retain counsel, the court would appoint counsel on his behalf. The trial court continued the matter of sentencing. On July 2, 1998, the trial court appointed Attorney Bruce Ennen to represent appellant. On July 17, 1998, the trial court conducted a hearing on sentencing, appellant's motion to withdraw his guilty plea, and appellant's second motion for new counsel. The trial court denied appellant's motion for new trial and refused to permit appellant to withdraw his guilty plea. The trial court proceeded to sentencing. The trial court sentenced appellant to seven years on the count of felonious sexual penetration, three years on the count of gross sexual imposition and seven years on the count of rape. The trial court ordered the sentences to be served concurrently. Appellant timely filed a notice of appeal and sets forth the following assignments of error for our consideration:
I. THE COURT ERRED TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE APPELLANT BY NOT SUPPRESSING APPELLANT'S STATEMENTS TO DETECTIVE WHEELER WITHOUT BENEFIT OF MIRANDA WARNING.
II. THE COURT ERRED TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE APPELLANT AND ABUSED ITS DISCRETION BY NOT ALLOWING HIM TO WITHDRAW HIS PREVIOUSLY ENTERED NO CONTEST PLEA PRIOR TO SENTENCING.
"A motion made pursuant to Crim.R. 32.1 is addressed to the sound discretion of the trial court, and the good faith, credibility and weight of the movant's assertions in support of the motion are matters to be resolved by that court." State v. Smith (1977),
49 Ohio St.2d 261 , paragraph two of the syllabus. We find the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it denied appellant's request to withdraw his guilty plea. The record in this matter indicates that at the time appellant entered his guilty plea, the trial court thoroughly reviewed appellant's rights with him. Tr. Change of Plea Hrng. at 4-12, 15-22. Further, appellant specifically stated, at the change of plea hearing, that he was in good mental health. Id. at 20. Appellant also indicated that the only physical problems he suffered from were heart problems and high blood pressure. Id. Finally, appellant admitted that he understood and appreciated the nature of the proceedings.
Id. at 21. Based on this evidence, we find the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it denied appellant's motion to withdraw his guilty plea. Appellant's Second Assignment of Error is overruled.
For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the Court of Common Pleas, Licking County, Ohio, is hereby affirmed.
By: Wise, P. J. Hoffman, J., and Farmer, J., concur.
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