Village of Grafton v. Huffman, Unpublished Decision (11-7-2001)
Village of Grafton v. Huffman, Unpublished Decision (11-7-2001)
Opinion of the Court
This cause was heard upon the record in the trial court. Each error assigned has been reviewed and the following disposition is made:
Appellant, the village of Grafton ("Grafton"), has appealed a judgment of the Elyria Municipal Court which terminated Appellee's administrative license suspension ("ALS"). This Court affirms.
Appellee, Brian G. Huffman, was arrested for driving under the influence ("DUI"), in violation of R.C.
Grafton has timely appealed the trial court's dismissal of Huffman's ALS, and has asserted three assignments of error which challenge the trial court's authority to sua sponte terminate an ALS. Grafton has contended that a trial court can only terminate an ALS if the licensee/defendant appeals the ALS, and successfully proves that one of the four enumerated factors under R.C.
The trial court's judgment entry reads: "DEFENDANT'S APPEAL OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE LICENSE SUSPENSION HAS BEEN GRANTED IN THAT THE APPELLANT PROVED THAT THE REGISTRAR COMMITTED ERROR AS FOLLOWS: THE OFFICER DID NOT HAVE REASONABLE GROUND TO STOP OR DETAIN THE APPELLANT." Grafton has asserted that Huffman did not appeal his ALS despite the trial court's language to the contrary. Huffman has been careful not to concede this fact on appeal. In support of its contention that the trial court suasponte terminated the ALS, Grafton has stated that "the record is void of any appeal, either written or oral, made by [Huffman] or his Attorney, either at his initial appearance or anytime thereafter." However, Grafton has not provided this Court with a transcript of proceedings or a statement of the proceedings pursuant to App.R. 9(C) or (D), from Huffman's initial appearance. This omission is critical to the present appeal because a licensee/defendant may appeal an ALS by oral motion at the person's initial appearance on the charge resulting from the arrest. R.C.
This Court expresses no opinion as to whether the trial court applied the proper standard in determining Huffman's ALS appeal; Grafton has not assigned as error the trial court's application of the "reasonable articulable suspicion" standard to an ALS appeal under R.C.
Each of Grafton's three assignments of error is overruled. The judgment of the municipal court is 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 Elyria Municipal Court, County of Lorain, State of Ohio, 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.
BAIRD, P.J. and CARR, J. concur.
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