State v. Gordon, Unpublished Decision (1-28-2005)
State v. Gordon, Unpublished Decision (1-28-2005)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} INITIALLY, WE FIND THAT GORDON'S APPLICATION FOR REOPENING IS NOT TIMELY FILED. AS REQUIRED BY APP.R. 26(B)(2)(B), GORDON MUST ESTABLISH "A SHOWING OF GOOD CAUSE FOR UNTIMELY FILING IF THE APPLICATION IS FILED MORE THAN NINETY DAYS AFTER JOURNALIZATION OF THE APPELLATE JUDGMENT" WHICH IS SUBJECT TO REOPENING. SEE, ALSO, STATE V. COOEY, 73 OHIO ST.3d 411, 1995-OHIO-328; STATE V. REDDICK, 72 OHIO ST.3d 88, 1995-OHIO-249,
{¶ 3} THE DOCTRINE OF RES JUDICATA ALSO PREVENTS THIS COURT FROM REOPENING GORDON'S ORIGINAL APPEAL. ERRORS OF LAW THAT WERE EITHER PREVIOUSLY RAISED OR COULD HAVE BEEN RAISED THROUGH AN APPEAL MAY BE BARRED FROM FURTHER REVIEW VIS-A-VIS THE DOCTRINE OF RES JUDICATA. SEE, GENERALLY, STATE V. PERRY (1967), 10 OHIO ST.2d 175,
{¶ 4} HEREIN, GORDON POSSESSED A PRIOR OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE AND ARGUE THE CLAIM OF INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF APPELLATE COUNSEL UPON APPEAL TO THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO. GORDON, HOWEVER, FAILED TO FILE AN APPEAL WITH THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO, WITH REGARD TO CUYAHOGA APPELLATE CASE NO. 82180, AND HAS FURTHER FAILED TO PROVIDE THIS COURT WITH ANY REASON AS TO WHY AN APPEAL WAS NOT FILED WITH THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO. STATE V. HICKS (OCT. 28, 1982), CUYAHOGA APP. NO. 44456, REOPENING DISALLOWED (APR. 19, 1994), MOTION NO. 50328, AFFIRMED (AUG. 3, 1994), 70 OHIO ST.3d 1408. GORDON HAS ALSO FAILED TO DEMONSTRATE WHY THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS APPEAL RENDER THE APPLICATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF RES JUDICATA UNJUST. THUS, WE FIND THAT THE DOCTRINE OF RES JUDICATA PREVENTS THIS COURT FROM REOPENING GORDON'S APPEAL.
{¶ 5} FINALLY, A SUBSTANTIVE REVIEW OF GORDON'S BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF HIS APPLICATION FOR REOPENING FAILS TO ESTABLISH THE CLAIM OF INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF APPELLATE COUNSEL. IT IS WELL SETTLED THAT APPELLATE COUNSEL IS NOT REQUIRED TO RAISE AND ARGUE ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR THAT ARE MERITLESS. JONES V. BARNES (1983),
IN STATE V. REED (1996), 74 OHIO ST.3d 534, 535,
{¶ 6} STATE V. SPIVEY, 84 OHIO ST.3d 24,
{¶ 7} IN SUPPORT OF HIS CLAIM OF INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF APPELLATE COUNSEL, GORDON RAISES THREE ISSUES THAT APPELLATE COUNSEL ALLEGEDLY FAILED TO ADDRESS ON APPEAL: (1) THE USE OF A URINALYSIS TEST IS SCIENTIFICALLY INVALID; (2) STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE COLLECTION OF A URINE SAMPLE FROM GORDON WAS NOT EFFECTED; AND (3) THE FAILURE OF APPELLATE COUNSEL TO FILE AN APPEAL WITH THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO. THE ISSUES RELATING TO THE USAGE OF THE URINALYSIS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT GORDON WAS INTOXICATED HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY RAISED AND ARGUED ON APPEAL AND THUS ARE BARRED FROM FURTHER REVIEW BY THE DOCTRINE OF RES JUDICATA. SEE STATE V. GORDON (MAY 13, 2002), CUYAHOGA APP. NO. 80079; STATE V. GORDON, CUYAHOGA APP. NO. 82180,
{¶ 8} FINALLY, THE ISSUE OF APPELLATE COUNSEL'S FAILURE TO FILE AN APPEAL WITH THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO DOES NOT DEMONSTRATE INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL. APP.R. 26(B)(2)(C) PROVIDES THAT THE APPLICATION FOR REOPENING SHALL CONTAIN "* * * ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR OR ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR THAT PREVIOUSLY WERE NOT CONSIDERED ON THE MERITS IN THE CASE BY ANY APPELLATE COURT OR THAT WERE CONSIDERED ON AN INCOMPLETE RECORD BECAUSE OF APPELLATE COUNSEL'S DEFICIENT REPRESENTATION." APPELLATE COUNSEL WAS NOT PERMITTED TO ARGUE, ON APPEAL TO THIS COURT, THE ISSUE OF FAILURE TO FILE AN APPEAL WITH THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO SINCE ONLY ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE TRIAL HELD BELOW COULD BE RAISED BEFORE THIS COURT. SEE, GENERALLY, APP.R. 26(B); STATE V. MURNAHAN, SUPRA.
{¶ 9} ACCORDINGLY, WE DECLINE TO REOPEN GORDON'S APPEAL. APPLICATION FOR REOPENING DENIED.
SWEENEY, P.J., CONCURS.
SEAN C. GALLAGHER, J., CONCURS.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.