State v. Secrest, Unpublished Decision (3-30-2000)
State v. Secrest, Unpublished Decision (3-30-2000)
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
Defendant-appellant, Dale Secrest, appeals from the judgment of the Auglaize County Court of Common Pleas determining that he is a sexual predator pursuant to R.C.On April 21, 1993, the trial court accepted a negotiated plea of guilty to an amended indictment which charged defendant with attempted rape. He was sentenced to a prison term of an indefinite term of not less than seven years, nor more than fifteen years actual incarceration.
Pursuant to R.C.
The trial court erred, in violation of the Ex Post Facto Clause of the United States Constitution, in finding defendant-appellant to be a sexual predator.
Because the Ohio Supreme Court has held that the provisions of R.C. Chapter 2950 do not violate the Ex Post Facto Clause, we find that defendant's assignment of error lacks merit and is overruled. State v. Cook (1998),
83 Ohio St.3d 404 ,423 .
For his second assignment of error, defendant asserts:
The trial court erred, in violation of the cruel and unusual punishment clauses of the
Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Section9 , ArticleI of the Ohio Constitution, in finding defendant-appellant to be a sexual predator.In his assignment of error, defendant argues that R.C.
2950.09 violates the state and federal constitutional prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment. However, we have rejected this argument in State v. James (Dec. 8, 1999), Hardin App. No. 6-99-5, unreported, 1999 WL 1114497. See, also, State v. Norman (Feb. 1, 2000), Auglaize App. No. 2-99-37, unreported, 2000 WL 116104. Accordingly, defendant's second assignment of error is overruled.
For his third assignment of error, defendant asserts:
The trial court erred, in violation of the Double Jeopardy Clauses of the
Fifth andFourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and Section10 , ArticleI of the Ohio Constitution, in finding defendant-appellant to be a sexual predator.Defendant argues that the registration and notification provisions of R.C. Chapter 2950 subject him to double jeopardy or two punishments for the same offense. We have also rejected this argument in State v. James, supra. See, also, State v. Burlile (Mar. 10, 2000), Seneca App. No. 13-99-53, unreported, 2000 WL 268942; State v. Norman, supra. Accordingly, defendant's third assignment of error lacks merit and is overruled.
For his fourth assignment of error, defendant asserts:
R.C. Chapter 2950, as amended by H.B. 180, provides no guidance as to how the factors in R.C.
2950.09 (B)(2) are to be considered and weighed, rendering the law vague, in violation of the Due Process Clauses of theFourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Section16 , ArticleI of the Ohio Constitution.Defendant challenges the constitutionality of R.C. Chapter 2950 on the basis that the statute provides no guidance as to how the factors specified in R.C.
2950.09 (B)(2) are to be weighed and considered by the trial court. However, we have repeatedly held that the sexual predator statute is not unconstitutionally vague. See State v. Avery (1998),126 Ohio App.3d 36 ; State v. Norman, supra; State v. James, supra. Therefore, we find no merit to defendant's fourth assignment of error.
For his fifth assignment of error, defendant asserts:
The trial court erred, in violation of Section
1 , ArticleI of the Ohio Constitution, in finding defendant-appellant to be a sexual predator, because Ohio's sexual predator law is an invalid exercise of the police power and deprives individuals of their inalienable and natural-law rights.Defendant asks this court to follow the case of State v. Williams (Jan. 29, 1999), Lake App. No. 97-L-191, unreported, 1999 WL 76633, discretionary appeal granted (1999),
86 Ohio St.3d 1406 , to find that the provisions of R.C. Chapter 2950 constitute an invalid exercise of the State's police power. This court, however, in previous decisions has repeatedly held that the statute does not violate ArticleI , Section1 of the Ohio Constitution. See State v. Marker (Sept. 1, 1999), Seneca App. No. 13-99-05, unreported, 1999 WL 692410; State v. Joyce (Sept. 2, 1999), Allen App. No. 1-99-31, unreported, 1999 WL 693160; State v. Bradley (Oct. 13, 1999), Logan App. No. 8-99-07, unreported, 1999 WL 824616. Consequently, the defendant's fifth assignment of error lacks merit and is overruled.
For his last assignment of error, defendant asserts:
The evidence adduced at trial by the State of Ohio failed to prove, by clear and convincing evidence, that the appellant is likely to engage in the future in one or more sexually oriented offenses thus rendering the court's decision against the manifest weight of the evidence.
Defendant argues that the evidence presented at the sexual predator hearing was insufficient to prove by clear and convincing evidence that he is likely to engage in the future in a sexually oriented offense.
R.C.
Defendant's conviction for attempted rape qualifies as a sexually oriented offense. R.C.
Although defendant's recent participation in the program for sex offenders weighs in his favor, the trial court, in reviewing the presentence investigation report, noted that defendant's childhood included his being sexually molested by two males. Further, the trial court noted that the defendant's expressed attitude at the time of the offense, his alcohol use, and the age of his victim all weigh in favor of a sexual predator finding. On these facts and circumstances, we find that the determination that defendant is a sexual predator is not against the weight of the evidence. Defendant's sixth assignment of error is overruled.
Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Judgment affirmed. SHAW, J. BRYANT and WALTERS, JJ., concur.
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