State v. Hollingshead, Unpublished Decision (12-19-2001)
State v. Hollingshead, Unpublished Decision (12-19-2001)
Opinion of the Court
On February 6, 2000, defendant-appellant Maurice Hollingshead pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of burglary, a fourth-degree felony that carried a penalty of six to eighteen months of incarceration. After accepting his plea, the trial court sentenced Hollingshead to twelve months of incarceration. From this judgment, Hollingshead has appealed, arguing in his sole assignment of error that the trial court's imposition of a prison term was not supported by the record, and that the court's imposition of more than the minimum term was contrary to law.
Hollingshead argues that the trial court should have sentenced him to a community-control sanction instead of a prison term. We have no jurisdiction to review this argument. Where a trial court imposes a prison term for a fourth-degree felony and, in doing so, specifies that it has found that one or more of the factors in R.C.
Hollingshead appeals also challenges the trial court's imposition of a greater-than-minimum term of confinement without making the findings mandated by R.C.
The state argues that this court has no jurisdiction to review this alleged error on appeal for the same reason that Hollingshead cannot challenge the rejection of a community-control sanction — the trial court made the requisite finding under R.C.
We disagree with the state's broad interpretation of R.C.
As we have already noted, Hollingshead had not previously been im prisoned. Therefore, the trial court's failure to impose the shortest term of imprisonment without making the requisite finding was contrary to law. The record does not reflect that the trial court first considered imposing the minimum six-month sentence and then decided to depart from that based upon one or both of the permitted reasons listed in R.C.
Further, a certified copy of this Judgment Entry shall constitute the mandate, which shall be sent to the trial court under App.R. 27. Costs shall be taxed under App.R. 24.
Doan, P.J., Gorman and Shannon, JJ.
Raymond E. Shannon, retired, from the First Appellate District, sitting by assignment.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.