State v. Moore, Unpublished Decision (9-13-2002)
State v. Moore, Unpublished Decision (9-13-2002)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} Appellant raises the following assignments of error on appeal:
{¶ 3} "Assignment of Error Number One:
{¶ 4} "The trial court improperly ordered defendant's prison term in case CR0200102922 served consecutively with that in case number CR0200102284.
{¶ 5} "Assignment of Error Number Two:
{¶ 6} "Defendant was denied due process of law in that his plea was based on misstatements made to him by his counsel, the state failed to abide by the plea agreement by failing to make a recommendation on the record, and, under the circumstances, any assurance of concurrent sentencing served to negate the voluntariness of the plea of no contest entered by defendant.
{¶ 7} "Assignment of Error Number Three:
{¶ 8} "The trial court erred in finding that defendant had been on probation at the time of the offense."
{¶ 9} As an initial matter, we note that, although not reflected in the statement of his assignment of error, appellant incorporates in his first assignment of error an argument that the trial court failed to make the appropriate findings for maximum sentences, pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 10} Appellant additionally argues in his first assignment of error that the trial court failed to make the necessary findings, pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 11} To impose consecutive sentences, the trial court must make certain findings pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 12} the trial court must find that "the consecutive service is necessary to protect the public from future crime or to punish the offender and that consecutive sentences are not disproportionate to the seriousness of the offender's conduct and to the danger the offender poses to the public;" and the trial court must find "any of the following":
{¶ 13} "(a) The offender committed the multiple offenses while the offender was awaiting trial or sentencing, was under a sanction imposed pursuant to section
{¶ 14} "(b) The harm caused by the multiple offenses was so great or unusual that no single prison term for any of the offenses committed as part of a single course of conduct adequately reflects the seriousness of the offender's conduct.
{¶ 15} "(c) The offender's history of criminal conduct demonstrates that consecutive sentences are necessary to protect the public from future crime by the offender."
{¶ 16} In this case, the trial court found that consecutive sentences were "necessary to fulfill the purposes of R.C.
{¶ 17} The trial court also found that appellant was "under community control when the offense was committed." This finding falls under R.C.
{¶ 18} We further find that the trial court failed to make any findings pursuant to either R.C.
{¶ 19} First, R.C.
{¶ 20} Accordingly, to the extent that an improper finding was made, with respect to R.C.
{¶ 21} Appellant argues in his second assignment of error that his plea was not voluntarily entered into because, as part of his plea agreement, the state had promised to recommend concurrent sentencing, thereby limiting appellant's prison time to eleven months.
{¶ 22} We find that there was no indication or evidence in the record that appellant had been promised a sentencing recommendation by the state. In fact, the state asserts that no such agreement existed. Additionally, we note that appellant was informed of the terms of his plea agreement, including that he could be sentenced to a maximum prison term of 24 months in prison if everything was run consecutively. We further note that any recommendation by the state would not have been binding on the trial court. Accordingly, based on the record on appeal, we find that appellant's plea was voluntarily entered. Appellant's second assignment of error is therefore found not well-taken.
{¶ 23} On consideration whereof, this court finds that substantial justice has not been done the party complaining with respect to the sentence imposed. Accordingly, the judgment of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas is reversed as to appellant's sentence. This matter is remanded to the trial court to resentence appellant in accordance with R.C.
JUDGMENT REVERSED.
Peter M. Handwork, J., Richard W. Knepper, J., and Mark L.Pietrykowski, P.J., CONCUR.
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