State v. Boczek, Unpublished Decision (12-13-2002)
State v. Boczek, Unpublished Decision (12-13-2002)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} On July 24, 2001, the Lake County Grand Jury issued an indictment against appellant for one count of violating a protection order in violation of R.C.
{¶ 3} On September 19, 2001, appellant appeared before the trial court for sentencing. At the hearing, the prosecutor informed the court that appellant's record dated back to when he was thirteen and engaged in the offense of telephone harassment. Appellant committed the juvenile offenses of telephone harassment, menacing, and assault. When he was eighteen, appellant was charged with assault and aggravated trespass, aggravated menacing of a police officer, and several violations of the anti-stalking law. He was convicted of assault at age twenty-one and aggravated assault the following year. Appellant violated his probation for these offenses on numerous occasions. In January of 2001, appellant was convicted for the telephone harassment of his landlord and was ordered to jail. Before commencing his incarceration, he damaged the vehicle of his girlfriend, the victim in the instant case. The victim obtained a restraining order against appellant. Appellant was convicted of violating that restraining order. Appellant continued to violate the restraining order by contacting the victim, even while in jail. Appellant also assaulted a correctional officer while incarcerated.
{¶ 4} The prosecutor argued that the more serious factors for sentencing were present, while none of the less serious factors were found in the case. The prosecutor contended that appellant's history of repeated convictions and his violations of probation and community control sanctions showed appellant was prone to recidivism. The prosecutor relied upon appellant's violations of the restraining order to bolster the state's claim that appellant was likely to re-offend. The prosecutor asked that the longest prison term be imposed because appellant was likely to commit another crime.
{¶ 5} The court stated it considered the provisions of R.C.
{¶ 6} On September 25, 2001, the trial court issued its judgment entry of sentence. The court stated it had considered the factors under R.C.
{¶ 7} Appellant assigns the following errors for review:
{¶ 8} "I. The trial court erred to the prejudice of the defendant-appellant when it ordered a term of imprisonment without making the requisite findings under the applicable sentencing statutes.
{¶ 9} "II. The trial court erred to the prejudice of the defendant-appellant when it ordered his sentence to be served consecutive to the sentence he was serving for a parole violation."
{¶ 10} In his first assignment of error, appellant contends the trial court erred by failing to make the requisite findings under R.C.
{¶ 11} When reviewing the imposition of a sentence upon a defendant by a trial court, this court will not disturb the sentence unless we find, by clear and convincing evidence, that the record does not support the sentence or that the sentence is contrary to law. Statev. Norwood (June 8, 2001), 11th Dist. No. 2000-L-072, 2001 Ohio App. LEXIS 2573.
{¶ 12} R.C.
{¶ 13} Appellant cites to State v. Fails, 11th Dist. No. 2000-P-0019, 2001-Ohio-8902, 2001 Ohio App. LEXIS 5056, in support of his argument that the trial court did not comply with the dictates of R.C.
{¶ 14} Usually, a sentencing court need not provide its reasons for imposing more than the minimum prison term. See State v. King, 11th Dist. Nos. 2000-L-143 and 2000-L-144, 2001-Ohio-8758, 2001 Ohio App. LEXIS 5431. However, when imposing a prison term for a felony of the fourth or fifth degree, R.C.
{¶ 15} In the instant case, the trial court adopted the findings set forth by the prosecutor at the sentencing hearing as its own. The statute requires that the trial court give its own reasons for selecting a particular term of imprisonment in passing sentence for a felony of the fourth or fifth degree. The trial court cannot pass its responsibility for stating those reasons on the record to the prosecutor. The statute places that burden on the trial court. It is the trial court's findings and reasons for choosing a particular sentence that are to be reviewed by an appellate court, not those of the state or defense. Because the trial court did not provide its own reasons for imposing the sentence upon appellant, the trial court failed to comply with the dictates of R.C.
{¶ 16} In his second assignment of error, appellant contends the trial court erred by ordering his sentence be served consecutively with appellant's parole violation sentence. Appellant maintains the trial court did not state its reasons for imposing consecutive sentences as required by R.C.
{¶ 17} When a trial court decides to impose consecutive sentences under R.C.
{¶ 18} At the sentencing hearing, the trial court stated it decided upon consecutive sentences because the crime was committed while appellant was under sanction. The trial court also pointed to appellant's criminal history, the victim's fear, and appellant's continued threats, made even while he was incarcerated. We find that these are sufficient reasons to support the trial court's imposition of consecutive sentences.
{¶ 19} The trial court also found that consecutive sentences were necessary to protect the public from future harm and were not disproportionate to the seriousness of appellant's conduct. Under R.C.
DONALD R. FORD, J., JUDITH A. CHRISTLEY, J., concur.
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