State v. Britton, Unpublished Decision (7-2-2002)
State v. Britton, Unpublished Decision (7-2-2002)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} On April 21, 1992, the Lorain County Grand Jury indicted Defendant on three counts of abduction, in violation of R.C.
{¶ 3} The trial court conducted a sex offender status hearing on October 5, 2000. At this hearing, Defendant argued that the State was required to prove that he acted with a sexual animus. On October 10, 2000, the court determined and adjudicated Defendant to be a sexual predator. Defendant timely appealed that adjudication.
{¶ 4} During his initial appeal, Defendant asserted that his adjudication as a sexual predator was against the manifest weight of the evidence. He did not allege that the State failed to prove that he acted with a sexual animus. In fact, this Court specifically noted that Defendant "[did] not dispute that his conviction[s] on two counts of abduction * * * were sexually oriented offenses." State v. Britton (July 18, 2001), 9th Dist. No. 00CA007723, at 4. On July 18, 2001, this Court affirmed the decision of the trial court. Britton, supra, at 6.
{¶ 5} On November 8, 2002, Defendant filed a "motion to declare R.C.
{¶ 6} In his first assignment of error, Defendant challenges the constitutionality of R.C.
{¶ 7} In State v. Perry (1967),
"Under the doctrine of res judicata, a final judgment of conviction bars a convicted defendant who was represented by counsel from raising and litigating in any proceeding except an appeal from that judgment, any defense or any claimed lack of due process that was raised or could havebeen raised by the defendant at the trial, which resulted in that judgment of conviction, or on an appeal from that judgment." (Emphasis sic.) See, also, State v. Hamilton, 9th Dist. No. 21331, 2003-Ohio-2343, at ¶ 7, citing State v. Dimitrov, 8th Dist. No. 76986, 2002-Ohio-2350, at ¶ 2 ("Res judicata will be applied to bar the further litigation of issues that were either raised or could have been raised through a prior appeal"); State v. Widman (May 16, 2001), 9th Dist No. 00CA007681, at 3 (stating that "the doctrine of res judicata is directed at procedurally barring convicted defendants from relitigating matters which were, or could have been, litigated on direct appeal") (Emphasis sic.); State v. Dee (July 12, 2000), 9th Dist. No. 19738, at 3; State v. Thrower (July 31, 1991), 9th Dist. No. 14967, at 5.
{¶ 8} In the instant case, Defendant raised his constitutional challenge to R.C.
{¶ 9} In his second assignment of error, Defendant maintains that the trial court erred in denying his petition to terminate his sexual predator classification in light of new evidence which demonstrates that Defendant committed his crimes without any sexual motivation. We disagree.
{¶ 10} Pursuant to R.C.
"Upon the filing of the petition, the judge may review the prior sexual predator determination that comprises the sexual predator adjudication, and, upon consideration of all relevant evidence and information, including, but not limited to, the factors set forth in division (B)(3) of this section, either shall enter a determination that the offender no longer is a sexual predator or shall enter an order denying the petition. The judge shall not enter a determination under this division that the offender no longer is a sexual predator unless the judge determines by clear and convincing evidence that the offender is unlikely to commit a sexually oriented offense in the future." R.C.
{¶ 11} Upon consideration of the trial court record, the factors set forth in R.C.
{¶ 12} We first note that Defendant's abduction convictions were sexually oriented offenses pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 13} In support of his assertion that he lacked sexual animus in committing his crimes, Defendant offers two new pieces of evidence: a psychological report and a polygraph report. We find the psychological report to be unpersuasive as Defendant's psychologist was not trained in the area of forensic sexual predator assessments. Upon review of the record, we further find that Defendant's polygraph report is insufficient to establish that Defendant is unlikely to commit a sexually oriented offense in the future. We also note that Defendant has made no showing of any subsequent remedial behavior in support of his petition for reclassification. See State v. Dunwoody (August 30, 1999), 5th Dist. No. CA-97-65 (noting that an offender who has been adjudicated as a sexual predator may petition the court to reclassify him based on subsequent remedial behavior, such as the completion of sexual offender programs). Thus, Defendant's second assignment of error is overruled.
{¶ 14} Defendant's assignments of error are overruled. The judgment of the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas is affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
LYNN C. SLABY, BAIRD, J., BATCHELDER, J. CONCUR.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.