State v. Carpenter, Unpublished Decision (9-6-2002)
State v. Carpenter, Unpublished Decision (9-6-2002)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} Appellee, the state of Ohio, filed a response contesting the reopening of this appeal. Appellee contends, among other things, that because appellant filed a notice of appeal from our decision inCarpenter, this court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain appellant's application.
{¶ 3} As a preliminary matter, we find that, pursuant to S.Ct.Prac.R. II(D)(1), this court is not divested of jurisdiction to consider appellant's application for reopening. Accord, State v. Ayala
(1996),
{¶ 4} App.R. 26(B)(5) provides for the reopening of an appeal based on a claim of ineffective appellate assistance if the applicant can show "a genuine issue as to whether the applicant was deprived of the effective assistance of counsel on appeal." Strickland v. Washington
(1984),
{¶ 5} Appellant first argues that appellate counsel's performance was deficient because he failed to file a transcript of the hearing on his motion to suppress. On appeal, appellant's Assignment of Error No. VII asserted that the trial court erred in denying appellant's motion to suppress evidence seized from his residence. The sole argument in support of this assertion was the fact that the search warrant was executed on November 7, 1999 but was purportedly signed by the issuing judge on November 8, 1999. We determined that appellant's failure to file a transcript of the suppression hearing prevented our review of this issue.
{¶ 6} The Ohio Rules of Appellate Procedure place the burden upon an appellant to produce and file those parts of the record necessary for the determination of an appeal. App.R. 9(B); Rose Chevrolet, Inc. v.Adams (1988),
{¶ 7} Next, appellant maintains that his appellate counsel was ineffective because he failed to file a transcript of his sentencing hearing. In his Assignment of Error No. VIII, appellant contended that the trial court failed to comply with the sentencing guidelines found in R.C. Chapter 2929 in imposing maximum and consecutive sentences. For the following reasons, we grant appellant's application for reopening on the alleged sentencing errors.
{¶ 8} After a jury trial, appellant was found guilty of the named offenses. On April 28, 2000, the trial court apparently held a sentencing hearing. A copy of the transcript of this hearing was not included in appellant's appeal. Carpenter, supra.
{¶ 9} In its final judgment entry, the lower court imposed a mandatory life sentence for the violation of R.C.
{¶ 10} Pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 11} The rule followed by this court allows a trial court to state the two necessary findings and reasons in the its judgment entry on sentencing, State v. Massie (Oct 5, 2001), Huron App. No. H-00-031 andState v. Walk (Dec. 29, 2000), Erie App. No. E-97-079, and/or to orally state the required findings and reasons at the sentencing hearing, Statev. Akers (June 2, 2000), Sandusky App. No. S-99-035 (Citations omitted.).
{¶ 12} Here, the trial court's judgment entry, in imposing consecutive sentences, makes only two of the requisite three findings found in R.C.
{¶ 13} Appellant's Assignment of Error No. IX asserted that the trial court erred in determining that appellant is a sexual predator. Specifically, he claimed that the likelihood that he would commit an offense in the future was not demonstrated. Again, we held that, in the absence of a transcript of the sexual predator hearing, we must presume the validity of the proceedings below. Appellant now maintains that his appellate counsel was ineffective for failing to file that transcript1.
{¶ 14} At a sexual offender classification hearing, in order for the offender to be designated a sexual predator, the state must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the offender has been convicted of a sexually oriented offense and that the offender is likely to engage in the future in one or more sexually oriented offenses. R.C.
{¶ 15} "Instead of deciding whether the offender is particularly deserving of punishment, the issue presented to the court at a sexual offender classification hearing is whether the defendant is likely to commit future sexually oriented offenses." State v. Eppinger (2001),
{¶ 16} Indeed, in Eppinger, the Ohio Supreme Court held that a sexual predator determination is "confounding to review on appeal without an adequate record" and therefore set forth a model procedure to be used by trial courts in making this determination. Id. at 166-167. Thus, it is "critical" for a clear and accurate record to be created for review. Id. at 166.
{¶ 17} In the present case, we had only the judgment entry for our review. Therefore, and based upon the foregoing law, we are compelled to conclude that appellant has demonstrated, pursuant to App.R. 26(B), that an genuine issue exists as to whether he was prejudiced by his appellate counsel's failure to file a transcript of the sexual predator hearing.
{¶ 18} As to the remaining issues raised by appellant, they concern matters outside the record of this cause and, as such, are not the proper subject of an App.R. 26(B) application for reopening.
{¶ 19} Accordingly, this appeal is hereby reopened, as provided in App.R. 26(B), for the limited purpose of reviewing the errors asserted in connection with the denial of appellant's motion to suppress and his sentencing2 and sexual predator classification as set forth above. Appellant is granted 40 days from the date of this order to file the necessary transcripts. Upon the filing of said transcripts, the clerk shall file the appellate record, and this case will proceed thereafter according to the Appellate Rules.
APPLICATION GRANTED.
Melvin L. Resnick, J., Mark L. Pietrykowski, P.J., and George M.Glasser, J., CONCUR.
Judge George M. Glasser, retired, sitting by assignment of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio.
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