State v. Williams, Unpublished Decision (2-26-2003)
State v. Williams, Unpublished Decision (2-26-2003)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} Raising eight assignments of error, defendant-appellant John Williams appeals from his conviction for theft of jewelry, in violation of R.C.
{¶ 3} Williams contends that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to proceed to judgment because the jury waiver he executed at the beginning of his trial was not properly filed at the time of trial. In the initial appeal of this matter, State v. Williams (Feb. 6, 2002), 1st Dist. No. C-010113, this court held that the jury waiver was not part of the record and remanded the case for further proceedings in accordance with State v. Berry (Apr. 14, 2000), 1st Dist. No. C-990354 and C-990365.
{¶ 4} On remand, the trial court conducted a hearing at which Williams's trial counsel and an employee of the clerk of court testified and were cross-examined. Following the hearing, the trial court found that on November 9, 2000, prior to trial, Williams had executed a waiver-of-jury form, that his counsel had also signed the form, that the trial court had conducted the proper inquiry to determine that Williams's waiver was knowingly and intelligently made, that the court had accepted the waiver, and that it was conveyed to the clerk for filing. Pursuant to Crim.R. 36, the trial court then journalized the jury waiver nunc pro tunc to the trial date.
{¶ 5} We hold that, for purposes of satisfying the requirements of R.C.
{¶ 6} In three interrelated assignments of error, Williams contests the weight and the sufficiency of the evidence supporting the theft conviction. He also asserts that the trial court's comments, uttered immediately before it found him guilty, indicated that the trial court erroneously considered Williams's failure "to pay [the victim] back for the property" as evidence of guilt.
{¶ 7} Our review of the record fails to persuade us that the trial court, sitting as the trier of fact, clearly lost its way and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the conviction must be reversed and a new trial ordered. See State v. Thompkins,
{¶ 8} The record contains substantial, credible evidence from which the trier of fact could have concluded that the state had proved all elements of the charged crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Specifically, the record shows that Williams purposely deprived Ziv of property by exceeding the scope of the consent given to sell the jewelry. See R.C.
{¶ 9} In two interrelated assignments of error, Williams contends that the trial court erred in denying a separate hearing on the issue of restitution and in ordering him to pay $33,000 in restitution because this amount did not bear a reasonable relationship to the loss suffered. At the time of sentencing, Williams was able to produce the affidavit of Ron Wilheim indicating that some restitution had been made. Ziv denied that any restitution had been received. R.C.
{¶ 10} Williams's third assignment of error, in which he claims that his initial trial attorney was ineffective for failing to call Ron Wilheim as a witness at trial and at the sentencing hearing, is overruled. In light of the speculative impact of testimony about a putative partnership with Williams and of the victim's testimony that no restitution had been made, we hold that counsel's acts or omissions did not deprive Williams of a substantive or procedural right, or render the trial fundamentally unfair. See Lockhart v. Fretwell (1993),
{¶ 11} Williams's sixth assignment of error, in which he contends that the trial court erroneously permitted a police detective to comment on the statements of other witnesses who testified at trial, is overruled, as we cannot say that the trial court abused its sound discretion to control the admission of relevant evidence. See State v.Sage (1987),
{¶ 12} Therefore, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
{¶ 13} 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.
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