State v. Barnett, Unpublished Decision (2-8-2000)
State v. Barnett, Unpublished Decision (2-8-2000)
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
This appeal, having been heretofore placed on the accelerated calendar, is being considered pursuant to App.R. 11(E) and Local Rule 12. Pursuant to Local Rule 12(5), we have elected to issue a full opinion in lieu of a judgment entry.The defendant-appellant, Mark Barnett ("appellant"), appeals the decision of the Seneca County Court of Common Pleas adjudicating him to be a sexual predator pursuant to R.C.
The procedural history of this case is as follows. On May 23, 1988, the appellant plead guilty to one count of aggravated burglary, in violation of R.C.
While serving his prison term, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation recommended that the appellant be classified a sexual predator. A hearing was held on October 7, 1999, in the Seneca County Court of Common Pleas. At the conclusion of the hearing, the trial court found that the appellant was a sexual predator pursuant to R.C.
The provisions of Ohio Revised Code §2950.09 (B)(2) encroach on the judicial powers as set forth in the Ohio Constitution and therefore are unconstitutional.
The appellant contends that the factors prescribed in R.C.
Revised Code §
The appellant argues that, in prescribing these factors, the legislature impermissibly encroached on the powers of judiciary. The appellant's argument is based on the Second District Court of Appeals recent ruling in State v. White (Nov. 5, 1999), Miami App. No. 98-CA-37, unreported. In White, the court held that it was beyond the scope of the General Assembly to prescribe particular factors that a trial judge must consider when finding a fact. The court also held that the underlying purpose of R.C.
The factors listed in R.C.
As the court in White points out, factors courts are required to consider are commonplace in the laws of this state. The sentencing guidelines promulgated by Senate Bill 2 are fraught with factors and guidelines a trial court must consider in imposing a sentence against a defendant. Revised Code
We agree with the dissent in White and find that the mandated factors of R.C.
Notwithstanding the unconstitutionality of the statute, the lower court erred in applying the statute when it found that the defendant's actions qualify him to be classified as a sexual predator without following the mandates and requirements of the Ohio Revised Code §2950.01 et seq.The appellant contends that the trial court erred in finding him to be a sexual predator. Specifically, the appellant maintains that the court's decision is not supported by clear and convincing evidence. For the following reasons, we disagree.
We must first note that R.C.
A person who has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to committing a sexually oriented offense and is likely to engage in the future in one or more sexually oriented offenses.
Revised Code
[It] is that measure or degree of proof which is more than a mere `preponderance of the evidence,' but not to the extent of such certainty as is required `beyond a reasonable doubt' in criminal cases, and which will produce in the mind of the trier of facts a firm belief or conviction as to the facts sought to be established.
State v. Schiebel (1990),
The appellant first challenges the evidence presented by the State in this matter. The evidence in this matter consisted of a post-sentence report prepared eleven years ago, at the time the appellant was sentenced. Given that this was the only evidence presented by either party, the trial court's determination was based solely on this report.
The Supreme Court of Ohio in State v. Cook (1998),
The appellant also contends that the evidence in this case is inadequate as a matter of law. Specifically, the appellant argues that the information in the post-sentence report does not prove by clear and convincing evidence that the appellant is likely to commit another sexually oriented offense.
In this case, the evidence shows that the appellant broke into the victim's house and for two and a half hours repeatedly beat and raped the victim. The victim was raped vaginally, anally, and orally. He continually threatened to kill the victim if she did not cooperate and punched her several times in the face. The appellant made the victim shower before he left in an attempt to destroy the physical evidence. From this evidence, the trial court concluded that the appellant displayed a pattern of abuse and cruelty. The court also considered that the appellant had an extensive criminal record and had failed to meet the goals of probation when placed on probation in the past. The appellant presented no evidence in his favor.
The trial court carefully weighed all the relevant factors, including those set forth in R.C.
Having found no error prejudicial to the appellant herein, in the particulars assigned and argued, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Judgment affirmed. SHAW and BRYANT, JJ., concur.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.