City of Whitehall v. Wildi, Unpublished Decision (3-12-2002)
City of Whitehall v. Wildi, Unpublished Decision (3-12-2002)
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
Defendant-appellant, Deborah A. Wildi, appeals from the June 4, 2001 sentencing entry of the Franklin County Municipal Court, sentencing Wildi to thirty days incarceration, suspended for one year provided no convictions involving moving violations, and ordering Wildi to pay a $250 fine. For the reasons that follow, we affirm.On December 24, 2000, Wildi was stopped and cited for weaving in violation of Whitehall City Code Section 331.39(b), and changing lanes without safety in violation of Whitehall City Code Section 331.14(b). Pursuant to R.C.
1. Whitehall Code 331.14(b) is a third degree misdemeanor not a fourth degree misdemeanor.
2. The Sentence Entry indicates that "Per defendant's own statement, he/she is able to pay the fine (and costs) imposed by October 19, 2001 or by time payment[s."]
3. The Prosecutor did not correctly communicate my prior record to the Court. And my attorney did not completely correct him.
4. The sentence of the maximum penalty allowed constitutes an undue hardship and the Court was at least partially advised of the situation by my attorney.
5. The Court's unreasonable, arbitrary and unconscionable attitude connotes an abuse of discretion.
As a threshold matter, we observe that counsel for Wildi failed to object to any of the assignments of error that Wildi is now raising on appeal. The failure to object to evidence at trial constitutes a waiver of any challenge on that evidence on appeal, except for plain error. State v. Robertson (1993),
Wildi's five assignments of error will be examined under plain error to determine whether her substantial rights were adversely affected as to undermine the fairness of the guilt determining process. State v. Lewis (July 21, 1998), Franklin App. No. 97APA09-1263, unreported, citing State v. Swanson (1984),
In her first assignment of error, Wildi contends that while the maximum penalty for changing lanes without safety was correctly stated by the trial court, the trial court incorrectly stated that the offense was a violation of the fourth degree. Wildi asserts that although this pronouncement of the violation classification constituted harmless error, the trial court should nonetheless make a correction of the misstatement.
Pursuant to Whitehall City Code Section 331.14(b), changing lanes without safety is a violation of the third degree, which carries the maximum term of imprisonment of thirty days, and the maximum fine of $250. During the sentencing hearing, the trial judge correctly informed Wildi of the penalty for her conviction, and Wildi indicated that she understood the penalty:
THE COURT: That is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree in the City of Whitehall, carries a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail and a $250 fine. Do you understand that, ma'am?
THE DEFENDANT: Uh-huh. [Tr. 2.]
Careful review of the transcript reveals that while the trial court did correctly state the maximum penalty that could be imposed, it also misstated the violation classification of the traffic offense. However, in light of the fact that Wildi received the proper maximum penalty allowed by law, any misstatement by the trial court of the violation classification was harmless error. Accordingly, Wildi's first assignment of error is found not well-taken and is overruled.
Assignments of error two and four are interrelated and, as such, will be addressed together. In her second assignment of error, Wildi argues that she never indicated to the trial court that she was able to pay the $250 fine, and that she purposely told the trial court that she was unemployed as a way of showing her inability to pay the fine. (Tr. 6.) In her fourth assignment of error, Wildi argues that the $250 fine does not comply with the revised code because it creates an undue hardship.
R.C.
In her third assignment of error, Wildi argues that the trial court was prejudiced when the prosecutor indicated that Wildi had eight speeding violations, when she alleged that she only had five speeding violations. Appellee in response argues that, at the sentencing hearing, Wildi did not object to the prosecutor's statement of her prior driving record. At the sentencing hearing, after the prosecutor recited Wildi's prior driving record, defense counsel stated:
MR. SCHNIEDER: If I may, Your Honor, one of the November speeds is a no-point speed and that was part of a plea. It was not a speed infraction. [Tr. 5.]
While it is not clear from the record if a certified or uncertified copy of the Bureau of Motor Vehicle computer printout of Wildi's driving record was admitted into evidence, we nonetheless find that the prosecutor's recitation of the number of violations on Wildi's driving record was not prejudicial. Considering the nature of Wildi's prior driving record, and the failure to present evidence to contradict the prosecutor's statement, we find that the reading of Wildi's prior driving record did not deprive her of a fair trial and did not constitute plain error.
Furthermore, the exhibits of Wildi's prior driving record and traffic violations that were attached to her brief cannot be considered by this court as there is no indication that they were part of the trial record. See State v. Bogan (Aug. 6, 1998), Cuyahoga App. No. 72278, unreported. Accordingly, Wildi's third assignment of error is found not well-taken and is overruled.
In her fifth assignment of error, Wildi contends that the trial court's alleged offensive comments, along with the use of incorrect information, the inability to consider mitigating circumstances, and the imposition of the sentence constituted an abuse of discretion. In determining whether to impose imprisonment for misdemeanor offenses, the trial court, pursuant to R.C.
* * * [S]hall consider the risk that the offender will commit another offense and the need for protecting the public from the risk; the nature and circumstances of the offense; the history, character, and condition of the offender and the offender's need for correctional or rehabilitative treatment; any statement made by the victim under sections
2930.12 to2930.17 of the Revised Code, if the offense is a misdemeanor specified in division (A) of section2930.01 of the Revised Code; and the ability and resources of the offender and the nature of the burden that payment of a fine will impose on the offender.
The trial court can also, when appropriate, give consideration to standards set forth in R.C.
(C) The sentencing court shall consider all of the following that apply regarding the offender, the offense, or the victim, and any other relevant factors, as indicating that the offender's conduct is less serious than conduct normally constituting the offense:
The victim induced or facilitated the offense.
(2) In committing the offense, the offender acted under strong provocation.
(3) In committing the offense, the offender did not cause or expect to cause physical harm to any person or property.
(4) There are substantial grounds to mitigate the offender's conduct, although the grounds are not enough to constitute a defense.
While the trial court is not limited to the criteria pronounced in either R.C.
In the present case, Wildi has failed to demonstrate that the trial court's decision in establishing the provisions of the sentence was unreasonable, arbitrary or unconscionable. At the sentencing hearing, the trial court stated:
THE COURT: She also has a horrible driving record, and she can't seem to drive without having things happen. This isn't the first time she's been down here. $250 to include costs; 30 days in jail, suspended for one year PNC; that PNC will require no moving violation. * * * [Tr. 6.]
While we acknowledge that the trial court was not required to explain its findings under R.C.
Nothing in the transcripts demonstrates that the trial court did not consider the provisions of R.C.
Furthermore, Wildi complains that comments made by the trial court were an abuse of discretion. Once again, we observe that Wildi's counsel did not object to any of the trial court's comments. Therefore, any errors not brought to the attention of the trial court by objection or otherwise are waived and may not be raised on appeal unless they rise to the level of plain error. Robertson; Tichon, supra. In her brief, Wildi alleges that the following comments made by the trial court evidences an attitude by the trial court that is unreasonable, arbitrary or unconscionable:
"Amazing. I haven't seen anything on it." [Appellant's
brief at 10.]
2. "She also has a horrible driving record, and she can't seem to drive without having things happen. This isn't the first time she's been down here." [Appellant's brief at 10.]3. "[A]nd will receive — possibly receive 30 days in jail. I'm not sure." [Appellant's brief at 11.]
A careful review of the sentencing transcript reveals that comment number one was made by the trial court in reference to an earlier case that Wildi appealed. (Tr. 5.) The second and third comments were appropriately made when the trial court sentenced Wildi. (Tr. 6.) While Wildi may not have liked to hear the second and third comments made by the trial court, the trial court was merely remarking on her extensive prior driving record. Given Wildi's past driving record, the trial court's comments did not constitute an abuse of discretion and, as such, does not amount to plain error. State v. Jackson (July 28, 2000), Mahoning App. No. 98 C.A. 207, unreported. Accordingly, Wildi's fifth assignment of error is not well-taken and is overruled.
For the foregoing reasons, Wildi's five assignments of error are overruled and the judgment of the Franklin County Municipal Court is affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
DESHLER and BROWN, JJ., concur.
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