State v. Mercer, Unpublished Decision (7-03-2003)
State v. Mercer, Unpublished Decision (7-03-2003)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} Mercer was charged in a two-count indictment with felonious assault with a firearm specification, and kidnapping. A jury trial commenced on September 3, 2002. On September 5, Mercer failed to appear for trial, and the case proceeded without him. The following evidence was presented.
{¶ 3} The victim and Mercer had a prior relationship and had a child together. According to the victim, on April 5, 2002, at approximately 7:00 p.m., she was preparing to attend a function at business school with her boyfriend. The victim planned to take her young son to the babysitter's house first. As she stood by the vehicle in which her boyfriend sat with her son, she saw Mercer jogging down the street with a gun in his hand. As he approached the car, he pointed the gun at the boyfriend and asked the victim, "Who is that nigger with my son?" The victim grabbed the baby from her boyfriend and Mercer told him to leave. The boyfriend drove away. Mercer then stuck a gun into the victim's side and ordered her to come with him. The victim observed that the gun was a black automatic weapon, which required bullets to be loaded through a clip.
{¶ 4} Mercer then tried to get the victim and the baby into his car. The victim, attempting to stall for time, told Mercer they could go to her house to talk. Mercer threatened to kill her if she was "playing" with him. Prior to entering the home, the victim agreed to go to his car. At that point, Mercer put the gun to the victim's head and threatened to kill her. The baby began to cry, so Mercer pulled the victim to his car. Just before they reached his vehicle, a Lakewood police car drove past them. The victim, holding her son, ran toward the police car and Mercer ran between neighboring houses. The victim ran toward Madison Avenue, where her boyfriend picked her up.
{¶ 5} While in the car, the victim spoke with Lakewood dispatchers until an officer came to her location. The police eventually located and arrested Mercer in Madison Park.
{¶ 6} The boyfriend corroborated the victim's testimony, but added that when he drove away, he contacted Lakewood police on his cell phone.
{¶ 7} Officer Tindira testified that he received a police dispatch regarding a man holding a woman at gunpoint. On his way to the scene, he observed a man fitting Mercer's description in Madison Park. The officer called other officers, and Mercer was arrested. No gun was found on Mercer's person.
{¶ 8} Officer O'Brock testified that once Mercer was apprehended, the officer searched for the gun and found it one house away from the spot where Mercer was last seen, and one block from the victim's house. According to O'Brock, the weapon was a black .380 semi-automatic, which had some dirt and mud on it as well as some fresh scrapes. The officer could not clear the weapon at the scene because it was jammed. The gun was, therefore, taken to a firing range where it was cleared. One live round was in the chamber and the bottom plat and spring of the magazine was missing.
{¶ 9} O'Brock testified that the weapon could have been damaged when it was thrown to the ground and that the weapon was operable as found, but it was dangerous to test fire because of its condition.
{¶ 10} The jury found Mercer guilty as charged. The trial court sentenced him to five years for felonious assault with an additional mandatory three years for the firearm specification. He was sentenced to five years for kidnapping, to run concurrent with the felonious assault count.
{¶ 11} Mercer raises three assignments of error.
{¶ 13} We initially note that no objections were made regarding the jury instructions. "Failure to object to a jury instruction constitutes a waiver and any claim of error relative thereto, unless, but for the error, the outcome of the trial clearly would have been otherwise." State v. Underwood (1983),
{¶ 14} Mercer has failed to show that the jury instructions constitute plain error.
{¶ 15} Mercer's indictment for kidnapping stated: "The Grand Jurors, on their oaths, further find that the Defendant(s), unlawfully, and by force, threat or deception removed [the victim] from the place where she was found or restrained her of her liberty for the purpose of facilitating the commission of a felony or the flight thereafter and/or terrorizing or inflicting serious physical harm on [victim]."
{¶ 16} Therefore, Mercer was indicted under several different sections constituting kidnapping. Mercer claims the trial court should have instructed the jury that it must unanimously find that Mercer was guilty of one of the sections before finding Mercer guilty of kidnapping. Instead, the trial court gave the jury a general unanimity instruction.
{¶ 17} The prevailing rule in Ohio is that a general unanimity instruction, such as the one given in this case, will ensure that the jury is unanimous on the factual basis for a conviction even where the indictment alleges numerous factual bases for liability. State v.Johnson (1989),
{¶ 18} In the instant case, the evidence was sufficient to find Mercer guilty of kidnapping under any of the sections. It is inconceivable based on the facts of this case that the jury would find Mercer not guilty of any of the sections. The evidence indicated that Mercer stuck a gun in the victim's side while she held their child, threatened to kill her, and then attempted to force her into his car. After she convinced him to take her to her house to talk, he placed a gun to her head and threatened to kill her.
{¶ 19} We, therefore, find no plain error because the outcome of the trial would not have been different if the jury had been instructed differently.
{¶ 20} Mercer's first assignment of error is overruled.
{¶ 22} This court reviews a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel under the two-part test set forth in Strickland v. Washington
(1984),
{¶ 23} Because we found no merit in the first assignment of error, we therefore conclude that Mercer's attorney's representation did not fall below an objective standard of representation.
{¶ 24} Mercer's second assignment of error is overruled.
{¶ 26} The standard of review with regard to the sufficiency of evidence is set forth in State v. Bridgeman (1978),
{¶ 27} In the instant case, Officer O'Brock testified that when he found the weapon, the slide was jammed with one live round in the chamber. According to the officer, the weapon was operable as found, but he could not test fire it in that condition because it was dangerous. This evidence was sufficient to find that the gun was operable.
{¶ 28} The victim also testified that Mercer pointed the weapon at her head and threatened to shoot her. Pursuant to State v. Thompkins
(1997),
{¶ 29} Mercer's third assignment is overruled.
Judgment affirmed.
It is ordered that appellee recover of appellant its costs herein taxed.
The court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this court directing the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas to carry this judgment into execution. The defendant's conviction having been affirmed, any bail pending appeal is terminated. Case remanded to the trial court for execution of sentence.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure.
ANN DYKE, P.J. and SEAN C. GALLAGHER, J. concur.
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