State v. Johnson, Unpublished Decision (11-29-2002)
State v. Johnson, Unpublished Decision (11-29-2002)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} On October 6, 2000, appellant, an inmate at the Lake Erie Correctional Institution, was found to be in possession of a piece of coaxial cable. Appellant's possession of the cable was in violation of the institutional rules. Once appellant was found to be concealing contraband, Officer Senskey, a security officer at the prison, attempted to perform a routine pat-down search of appellant. During the search, appellant became uncooperative and proceeded to take what was interpreted as a swing at Officer Senskey. As Officer Sensky tried to subdue appellant, they both fell to the ground. While on the ground, appellant grabbed Officer Senskey by the testicles and proceeded to squeeze them for at least one minute. With the assistance of several other officers, appellant was eventually handcuffed and taken away. Medical reports indicate that Officer Senskey suffered a crushed right testicle as a result of the incident.
{¶ 3} On December 6, 2000, appellant was indicted by the Ashtabula County Grand Jury for Assault on a Corrections Officer, in violation of R.C.
{¶ 4} "[1.] Appellant's conviction is not supported by the manifest weight of the evidence.
{¶ 5} "[2.] Appellant was tried, convicted, and sentenced on a felony based upon an indictment that was written as a misdemeanor.
{¶ 6} "[3.] The trial court improperly instructed the jury below that an inmate had a duty to submit to authority.
{¶ 7} "[4.] Appellant was given the maximum possible sentence for what he was found guilty of without a specific finding that he met one of the criteria that are set forth in revised code
2929.14 (C).{¶ 8} "[5.] Appellant was given a sentence that was to run consecutively to a sentence that he is presently serving, without specific findings that are required by revised code
2929.14 (E)(3)."
{¶ 9} On its face, appellant's first assignment of error raises a manifest weight argument. However, appellant's argument actually raises a sufficiency issue for this court to consider. In his argument, appellant claims that no one testified that they saw appellant grab Officer Senskey's testicles. Appellant also posits alternative ways that Officer Senskey's testicles could have been damaged. Appellant did not put on a defense in this case. As a result, there is no contradicting evidence for this court to consider along the lines of a manifest weight argument. Appellant seems to be arguing that the state failed to prove an element of the offense of assault. As a result, we proceed with our analysis under a sufficiency standard.
{¶ 10} Sufficiency of the evidence challenges "whether the prosecution has presented evidence on each element of the offense to allow the matter to go to the jury, while `manifest weight' contests the believability of the evidence presented." State v. Schlee (Dec. 23, 1994), 11th Dist. No. 93-L-082, 1994 Ohio App. LEXIS 5862. "The test for sufficiency of the evidence is whether after viewing the probative evidence and the inference drawn therefrom in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found all of the elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt." Id.
{¶ 11} As previously mentioned, appellee presented uncontroverted testimony at trial that appellant had indeed refused to cooperate with Officer Senskey's pat-down search. The testimony also indicates that once appellant took a swing at Officer Senskey, Officer Senskey initiated a takedown of appellant. Furthermore, appellee presented uncontested evidence that once both appellant and Officer Senskey were on the ground, appellant grabbed Officer Senskey by the testicles causing severe pain and damage. Officer Senskey testified that: "While I was down on the ground with Mr. Johnson, he grabbed my testicles." When asked what kind of pain was involved, Officer Senskey testified: "Well I was in excruciating pain. * * * I can't describe it. It was just I became the fear, I was overcome by fear and pain, and it's just difficult to describe." Subsequently, the record indicates that fellow officers came to the aid of Officer Senskey in an attempt to facilitate appellant's release of Officer Senskey's testicles. When asked if he informed the other officers of what was going on, Officer Senskey replied: "Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am." Specifically, Officer Senskey stated that he informed the officers who subsequently had come to his aid that: "He's got my balls."
{¶ 12} Following the testimony of Officer Senskey, Officers Orgel, Smith, and Jackson all testified that appellant was uncooperative and that they saw appellant take a swing at Officer Senskey. Furthermore, Officers Orgel, Smith, and Jackson all testified that, upon their arrival at the scene of the incident, Officer Senskey immediately informed them that appellant had indeed grabbed hold of his testicles and would not let go. In fact, the record indicates that appellant did not let go of Officer Sensky's testicles until another officer threatened him with pepper spray. Dr. Samuel Namey also testified that Officer Senskey was diagnosed and treated for a crushed right testicle following the incident.
{¶ 13} Following appellee's presentation of its case in chief, the defense rested without presenting any witnesses or exhibits. As a result, the evidence presented by appellee is uncontroverted. Therefore, we hold that after viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have determined beyond a reasonable doubt that appellant assaulted Officer Senskey. Appellant's first assignment of error is not well taken and is without merit.
{¶ 14} Appellant argues in his second assignment of error that appellant's indictment "lacked sufficient language to have him tried and convicted of a felony." We do not agree.
{¶ 15} Appellant was indicted under R.C.
{¶ 16} Appellant's indictment provided in pertinent part: "On or about the 6th day of October, 2000, * * *, one CHESTER JOHNSON, did knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical harm to Corrections Officer Darrell Senskey of the Lake Erie Correctional Institution while CHESTER JOHNSON was incarcerated in a state correctional institution. This act, to-wit: Assault on a Corrections Officer, constitutes a felony of the fifth degree, contrary to and in violation of the Ohio Revised Code, Title 29 Section
{¶ 17} The record indicates that appellant stipulated to the fact he was incarcerated at a state correctional institution at the time of the incident.
{¶ 18} Appellant argues that the indictment failed to specify the elements necessary to elevate the crime from a misdemeanor to a felony. Appellant is incorrect in his assertion.
{¶ 19} An indictment is sufficient if it contains, in substance, a statement that the accused has committed some public offense therein specified. R.C.
{¶ 20} The indictment noted that appellant was charged with assaulting a corrections officer, both on the title page and in the main text of the indictment. Furthermore, the indictment noted that the Lake Erie Correctional Institution was a state correctional facility. The indictment properly cited R.C.
{¶ 21} An indictment need not pinpoint exact statutory subsections, or even cite the numerical designation of a statutory provision to be considered valid. State v. Yemma (Aug. 9, 1996), 11th Dist. No. 95-P-0156, 1996 Ohio App. LEXIS 3361; State v Hughley (1984),
{¶ 22} Based on the foregoing analysis, appellant has failed to show how the structure of the indictment was deficient. Appellant's second assignment of error is without merit.
{¶ 23} In his third assignment of error, appellant argues that the trial court's jury instruction regarding self-defense was improper.
{¶ 24} A court's instructions to the jury should be addressed to the actual issues in the case a posited by the evidence and the pleadings. State v. Guster (1981),
{¶ 25} Specifically, appellant alleges that the trial court did not need to instruct the jury on the issue of self-defense. The record indicates that appellant's counsel raised the issue of self defense in his opening statement: "At one point, Chester had problems breathing, and that he reached ___, in effect he did what he could to prevent serious injury for himself and acted in self-defense." Tr. 413. Beyond that, appellant failed to present any evidence at trial to support his claim.
{¶ 26} At the conclusion of trial, the trial court issued the following instruction to the jury: "This Court has determined as a matter of law that you were [sic] not to consider the issue of self-defense, and you are instructed that a corrections officer has lawful authority to detain and search a prison inmate to determine whether they are in possession of weapons or other contraband. The prison inmate does not have the legal right to resist a lawful detention and search, and the corrections officer has no duty to retreat or desist from such efforts to make a lawful detention and search because of resistance. Corrections officers in the performance of their duties may lawfully use such force as is reasonable and necessary under the circumstances to the effect a detention and search for weapons or other contraband."
{¶ 27} Appellant raised the issue of self-defense in his opening statement. Appellant then did not present any evidence to support the self-defense argument, or any other argument for that matter, at trial. In an effort to prevent the jury from considering an issue on which no evidence was presented, the trial court issued the above mentioned jury instruction. We hold that the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it instructed the jury to disregard the issue of self-defense. We also hold that the trial court's statements pertaining to the procedures used by Officer Senskey were appropriate and accurate statements of the law. See, State v. Spirko (1991),
{¶ 28} Appellant's third assignment of error is not well taken and is without merit.
{¶ 29} Appellant argues in his fourth assignment of error that the trial court, in imposing the maximum sentence on appellant, failed to make the specific findings required by R.C.
{¶ 30} In accordance with R.C.
{¶ 31} A trial court may impose the maximum authorized prison term "only upon offenders who committed the worst forms of the offense, upon offenders who pose the greatest likelihood of committing future crimes, upon certain drug offenders, and upon certain repeat violent offenders." R.C.
{¶ 32} When imposing a maximum sentence based on one of the four criteria found in R.C.
{¶ 33} As a result, this court has held that the findings mandated by R.C.
{¶ 34} The record indicates that the trial court did indeed satisfy the requirements of R.C.
{¶ 35} On the record at the sentencing hearing, the trial court stated the following reasons for imposing the maximum sentence: "I was advised by the probation department that in '79 you were convicted of Aggravated Burglary; in '85, Aggravated Burglary; and in '92, Felonious Sexual Penetration. * * *, you do pose the greatest likelihood of committing future crimes." As to the worst form of the offense, the trial court found: "* * * Dr. Namey's testimony what he was concerned about is you could have sterilized the man. * * * the Court finds that you squeezed the testicles for a period, I'll say in excess of a minute. * * * Senskey was gasping, couldn't breathe, he couldn't talk, when it was finally over he couldn't walk. * * * Although this was a lower level assault, it's a serious assault in that attempting to injure the testicles of a male human being causes excruciating pain, and because of the length of the period of the squeeze * * *."
{¶ 36} Based on the record before us, we hold that the trial court listed the factors required by R.C.
{¶ 37} In his fifth and final assignment of error, appellant argues that the trial court failed to make the specific findings required by R.C.
{¶ 38} Before a trial court may impose consecutive sentences, it must make the findings contained in R.C.
{¶ 39} Furthermore, R.C.
{¶ 40} After a thorough review of the record, we hold that the trial court satisfied the requirements of R.C.
{¶ 41} Furthermore, the trial court stated that: "If the Court were to impose a concurrent sentence, in effect there would be no punishment at all. * * *. You just go back to prison, do the time you're already committed to do, and there would be no punishment. * * *. So consecutive sentences are necessary to punish the offender * * *." We have already discussed the trial court's approach to the seriousness of the offense in our analysis of the fourth assignment of error. Therefore, we hold that the trial court satisfied the requirement for imposing a consecutive sentence under R.C
{¶ 42} For the foregoing reasons, we hold that appellant's first, second, third, fourth, and fifth assignments of error are not well taken and without merit. The decision of the Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court is hereby affirmed.
WILLIAM M. O'NEILL, P.J., DONALD R. FORD, J., concur.
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