State v. Campbell, Unpublished Decision (11-27-2002)
State v. Campbell, Unpublished Decision (11-27-2002)
Opinion of the Court
Following a bench trial, defendant-appellant William Campbell was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or a drug of abuse, in violation of R.C.
In his first assignment of error, Campbell complains that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to try him without a valid jury waiver. In this case, although Campbell's trial was to the court, Campbell executed a form that waived his rights to be tried by either a jury or the court for the purposes of entering a plea. Clearly, the form was not the right one; it should have simply been a waiver of trial by jury. But it is also clear that Campbell understood and then waived his right to a trial by jury. And the form met the requirements of both R.C.
In his second assignment of error, Campbell complains that the trial court erred by allowing the state to adduce certain "prejudicial (though irrelevant) evidence" from a defense witness who had asserted his rights under the
In his third, fourth, and fifth assignments of error, Campbell challenges the weight and sufficiency of the evidence, as well as the trial court's denial of his Crim.R. 29 motion. The state was required to prove that Campbell had operated a vehicle while he was under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or alcohol and a drug of abuse, pursuant to R.C.
In our review of the trial court's denial of Campbell's Crim.R. 29 motion, we must determine whether the evidence was such that reasonable minds could have reached different conclusions as to whether the state had proved each material element of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt.2 To reverse a conviction on the manifest weight of the evidence, we must review the entire record, weigh the evidence and all reasonable inferences, consider the credibility of witnesses, and conclude that, in resolving conflicts in the evidence, the trier of fact clearly lost its way and created a manifest miscarriage of justice.3
In this case, the state presented evidence that Campbell operated a car on a highway at a speed of eighty miles per hour in a forty-mile-per-hour construction zone, near the approach to an exit ramp. A police officer who had been operating a laser monitor from an adjacent entrance ramp testified that "the vehicle was traveling so fast that it appeared that they [sic] might not make the exit. And I went ahead and put my vehicle in reverse and started to back off the entrance ramp, thinking that that vehicle that was traveling in and exiting the ramp at that speed might possibly run into me." Campbell's car almost slid "sideways into the wrong way onto the connector."
Campbell then failed to stop at a stop sign before turning onto an access road. As the officer pursued the car, he noted that there were two occupants. The officer watched as Campbell failed to stop at a second stop sign and "came to rest somewhat sideways" in the roadway. Campbell drove off at an "extreme high rate of speed," and as the pursuing officer got closer to his car, Campbell turned into a parking lot at "a high high rate of speed." The officer described Campbell's driving as "extremely erratic and dangerous."
Once Campbell drove into the parking lot, the officer parked his car directly behind Campbell's car. As he pulled up, both doors of Campbell's car flew open. The officer saw Campbell exit from the driver's side and run over to stand by his passenger on the passenger's side of the car. The officer let his police dog out of the back of his car and gave the two men his "K-9 warning to get to the ground or I would release the dog."
When the officer approached Campbell, he noted a strong odor of alcohol, and that Campbell was slurring his speech. He asked a second officer to administer field sobriety tests. After Campbell exhibited all six clues of intoxication on the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, the officer concluded that Campbell was appreciably impaired by alcohol or a drug of abuse.
Initially, we note that the weight to be given the evidence and the credibility of the witnesses were primarily for the trial court to determine; inconsistencies in the evidence were also for the trial court to resolve.4 In sum, we hold that the trial court did not err in denying the Crim.R. 29 motion because reasonable minds could have reached different conclusions as to whether each element of the crime had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. We also conclude, based on our review of the record, that Campbell's conviction was not against the manifest weight of the evidence. Therefore, we overrule his third, fourth, and fifth assignments of error.
In his sixth assignment of error, Campbell complains that the trial court should not have imposed the maximum prison term for the offense. Under R.C.
In this case, the trial court completed one of the most thorough sentencing worksheets that we have seen. When considering the recidivism factors under R.C.
The court also noted that ten of Campbell's thirteen prior probations through municipal court were unsuccessful and that Campbell had two parole violations following his last driving-under-the-influence offense. The court noted that Campbell had served three prior prison terms. The court found that the minimum prison term would demean the seriousness of the offense and that it would not adequately protect the public from future harm by Campbell. The court's finding that Campbell posed the greatest likelihood of recidivism, thereby warranting a maximum prison term, was amply supported by the record. We overrule the last assignment of error.
Therefore, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
Further, a certified copy of this Judgment Entry shall constitute the mandate, which shall be sent to the trial court under App.R. 27. Costs shall be taxed under App.R. 24.
Painter, P.J., Hildebrandt and Winkler, JJ.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.