State v. Young, Unpublished Decision (3-8-2000)
State v. Young, Unpublished Decision (3-8-2000)
Opinion of the Court
On June 8, 1998, Officers Sander and Shields of the Akron Police Department responded to the report of an altercation at the Status Nightclub located at 1027 East Waterloo Road in Akron. The Officers arrived on the scene at approximately 2:45 a.m. The security personnel of the Status Nightclub reported to the Officers that two men had been threatening each other in the parking lot, one man brandishing a baseball bat and the other threatening to use a gun. The man with the gun, however, never drew the weapon but only stated that he intended to and acted as though he was going to draw the weapon.
The Officers investigated and determined that Mr. Young was the person whom the security personnel had indicated had been threatening to draw a gun. They approached Mr. Young and his companion, Mr. Kancler, who were in their van, which was parked adjacent to the Status Nightclub. As Officer Shields approached, he observed Mr. Young reaching into the waistband of his pants, under cover of his untucked shirt. Officer Shields suspected that Mr. Young was concealing a gun in the waistband of his pants due to Mr. Young's movements. By the time Officer Shields had reached the van, Mr. Young had entered the vehicle and could be seen reaching about in the inside of the van. Mr. Young was then patted down by the Officers, who discovered marijuana on his person. More marijuana and a gun were discovered in the van. Mr. Kancler, the owner of the van, and Mr. Young were both arrested. On June 15, 1998, Mr. Young was indicted by the Summit County Grand Jury on three counts: (1) carrying a concealed weapon, in violation of R.C.
Mr. Young asserts two assignments of error. We will address each in turn, discussing the subparts of the second assignment of error separately to facilitate review.
First Assignment of Error
APPELLANT WAS DENIED EFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL IN VIOLATION OF HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS OF LAW.
A. Trial Counsel's Failure To Move To Suppress Evidence Constituted Ineffective Assistance Of Counsel.
B. Trial Counsel's Failure To Raise Exculpatory Evidence Or Present A Defense Constituted Ineffective Assistance Of Counsel.
Mr. Young argues that his trial counsel was ineffective because he failed to move to suppress the gun, which the Officers found in the van, as evidence. Furthermore, Mr. Young argues that his attorney was ineffective because he failed to present a defense or exculpatory evidence. We disagree.
A two-step process is employed in determining whether the right to effective counsel has been violated.
First, the defendant must show that counsel's performance was deficient. This requires showing that counsel made errors so serious that counsel was not functioning as the "counsel" guaranteed the defendant by the
Sixth Amendment. Second, the defendant must show that the deficient performance prejudiced the defense. This requires showing that counsel's errors were so serious as to deprive the defendant of a fair trial, a trial whose result is reliable.
Strickland v. Washington (1984),
Mr. Young first asserts that his defense counsel at trial was ineffective because he failed to move to suppress evidence discovered in a search of Mr. Kancler's vehicle.
One has the identical protection from unreasonable searches and seizures under the
In the instant case, Mr. Young did not assert that he owned the vehicle or the weapon that was found inside, which was consistent with his claim of innocence. Mr. Kancler testified that he owned the vehicle. Hence, we conclude that Mr. Young had no standing to object to the admission of the evidence found in the search of the van unless the search resulted from an arrest that lacked probable cause. However, we deduce that the evidence was discovered incident to the arrest of Mr. Kancler or due to Mr. Kancler's consent to the search. In any event, the evidence would have been inevitably discovered due to Mr. Kancler's arrest. SeeNix v. Williams (1984),
Second, Mr. Young asserts that his trial counsel was ineffective because he failed to present Mr. Kancler's statement that he, rather than Mr. Young, owned the weapon. Moreover, Mr. Young avers that his trial counsel was ineffective because he failed to present any defense witnesses.
As a preliminary matter, Mr. Kancler could have asserted his
Finally, other than Mr. Kancler's statement, Mr. Young does not assert what evidence or witnesses his trial counsel failed to present or "whether such witnesses were available or what pertinent facts might have been garnered by such action." In reWise (1994),
Second Assignment of Error
"The test for `insufficient evidence' requires the court to view the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, and ask whether any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt." Statev. Leggett (Oct. 29, 1997), Summit App. No. 18303, unreported, at 3-4. We must determine, as a matter of law, whether the evidence was legally sufficient to support a conviction. Id. at 4. "In essence, sufficiency is a test of adequacy." State v. Thompkins
(1997),
To support a conviction of carrying a concealed weapon pursuant to R.C.
In the instant case, there was sufficient evidence to sustain Mr. Young's conviction. Mr. Young asserts that the evidence presented in this case is substantially similar to that which was found to be insufficient by our brethren of the Eight Appellant District in State v. Duganitz (1991),
When a defendant asserts that his conviction is against the manifest weight of the evidence,
an appellate court must review the entire record, weigh the evidence and all reasonable inferences, consider the credibility of witnesses and determine whether, in resolving conflicts in the evidence, the trier of fact clearly lost its way and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the conviction must be reversed and a new trial ordered.
State v. Otten (1986),
Mr. Young's conviction was not against the manifest weight of the evidence. As noted above, there was legally sufficient evidence on each element of the crime. Moreover, after thoroughly reviewing the record we conclude that the jury did not carry out a manifest miscarriage of justice by convicting Mr. Young. The evidence showed that Mr. Young was apparently engaged in an altercation in which he stated that he was carrying a gun, and when the police arrived, they viewed him making furtive movements in the van, apparently reaching for something. After searching the vehicle, the Officers found a gun concealed beneath one of the seats of the van. We cannot conclude that a conviction based on such evidence is against the manifest weight of the evidence or that the jury lost its way and carried out a miscarriage of justice. The second subpart of Mr. Young's second assignment of error is overruled.
Mr. Young's assignments of error are overruled. The verdict of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas is affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
We order that a special mandate issue out of this Court, directing the Court of Common Pleas, County of Summit, 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.
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