State v. Jeter, Unpublished Decision (9-13-2000)
State v. Jeter, Unpublished Decision (9-13-2000)
Opinion of the Court
Jeter was released from prison under post-release control. He failed to report to his parole officer and was indicted, convicted, and sentenced under the Ohio escape statute, R.C.
Jeter timely appeals, asserting three assignments of error.
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED AS A MATTER OF LAW IN HOLDING THAT THE APPELLANT WAS GUILTY OF ESCAPE, PURSUANT TO OHIO [R.C.]2921.34 (a)(1), AS POST-RELEASE CONTROL, [R.C.]2967.28 IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
In his first assignment of error, Jeter argues that Ohio's post-release control statute, R.C.
On August 3, 2000, the Ohio Supreme Court found that "R.C.
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN HOLDING APPELLANT WAS GUILTY OF "ESCAPE" AS IT VIOLATED THE DOUBLE JEOPARDY [sic] OF THEFIFTH AMENDMENT OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, AS MADE APPLICABLE TO THEFOURTEENTH AMENDMENT TO THE UNTED [sic] STATES CONSTITUTION, AS WELL AS THE DOUBLE JEOPARDY CLAUSE OF SECTION10 , ARTICLEI OF THE OHIO CONSTITUTION.
Jeter analogizes post-release control to "bad time," and argues that the imposition of a prison sentence for a violation of his post-release control constitutes a criminal punishment. Jeter therefore concludes that the double jeopardy provisions of the United States and Ohio Constitutions prohibit his subsequent criminal prosecution for escape, arising from the same conduct. This Court finds Jeter's second assignment of error not well taken.
The Ohio Supreme Court recently distinguished post-release control from bad time, and explained that post-release control sanctions are part of the original judicially-imposed sentence:
Woods supra, at ___. Therefore, Jeter's post-release control sanction is not a criminal punishment which operates to bar his later criminal prosecution for the same conduct, and "[t]he Double Jeopardy Clause does not prohibit subsequent criminal prosecutions based on the same conduct in these circumstances." State v. Holder (June 12, 2000), Warren App. No. CA99-09-117, unreported, citing State v.Boone (Mar. 10, 1994), Cuyahoga App. No. 64924, unreported. Accord State v. Dawson (Apr. 5, 2000), Tuscarawas App. No. 1999AP080051, unreported, appeal not allowed by (2000), 89 Ohio St.3d __.Under the current system of post-release control, the judge sentences the offender from the options available under the new sentencing scheme and informs the offender that he or she may be subject to a definite period of post-release control, which may last for up to three years in the case of discretionary post-release control, and that a violation of those conditions would result in additional time up to fifty percent of the original sentence. Those terms are part of the actual sentence, unlike bad time, where a crime committed while incarcerated resulted in an additional sentence not imposed by the court. In other words, the court imposes the full sentence and the APA determines whether violations merited its imposition. The defendant is fully informed at sentencing that violations of post-release control will result in, essentially, "time and a half." * * * [I]n contrast to the bad-time statute, post-release control is part of the original judicially-imposed sentence. * * * The post-release control sanctions are sanctions aimed at behavior modification in the attempt to reintegrate the offender safely into the community, not mere punishment for an additional crime, as in bad time.
Accordingly, Jeter's second assignment of error is overruled.
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED AS A MATTER OF LAW IN FINDING THE DEFENDANT GUILTY AS HE DID NOT "ABSCOND" FROM SUPERVISION AS SET FORTH IN [R.C.]2967.15 (c)(2).
Jeter asserts that his conviction for escape should be reversed because he did not "abscond" as required by
Jeter was not charged or found guilty under R.C.
Furthermore, Jeter plead no contest to the indictment. This Court has previously explained the effect of a no contest plea:
State v. Grant (Nov. 10, 1999), Lorain App. No. 98CA007038, unreported.Once a defendant pleads no contest to a felony indictment, the state is relieved of the duty to prove all of the elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. "The defendant who pleads no contest waives the right to present additional affirmative factual allegations to prove that he is not guilty of the charged offense." Once a plea of no contest has been entered, the trial court then need only determine whether "the indictment * * * contains sufficient allegations to state a felony offense[.]" Bird, 81 Ohio St.3d at syllabus. If the indictment sufficiently states the felony offense, "the court must find the defendant guilty of the charged offense." Id.
Accordingly, Jeter's third assignment of error is overruled.
Judgment affirmed.
The Court finds that there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
We order that a special mandate issue out of this Court, directing the Court of Common Pleas, County of Lorain, to carry this judgment into execution. A certified copy of this journal entry shall constitute the mandate, pursuant to App.R. 27.
Immediately upon the filing hereof, this document shall constitute the journal entry of judgment, and it shall be file stamped by the Clerk of the Court of Appeals at which time the period for review shall begin to run. App.R. 22(E).
Costs taxed to Appellant.
Exceptions.
___________________________ DONNA J. CARR
FOR THE COURT, BATCHELDER, P. J., SLABY, J., CONCUR
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