State v. Gaggi, Unpublished Decision (4-28-2005)
State v. Gaggi, Unpublished Decision (4-28-2005)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} In March 2002, Gaggi was charged with two counts of kidnapping and ten counts of gross sexual imposition (GSI), involving two victims under the age of thirteen. Each GSI count also contained a sexually violent predator specification.
{¶ 3} In June 2002, Gaggi pled guilty to four amended counts of GSI, and all other charges were dismissed. Gaggi was sentenced to four years in prison on each count, with only two counts to be served concurrently, for a total of twelve years.
{¶ 4} Gaggi appeals his sentence, raising six assignments of error.
{¶ 6} In State v. Jordan,
When sentencing a felony offender to a term of imprisonment, a trial court is required to notify the offender at the sentencing hearing about postrelease control and is further required to incorporate that notice into its journal entry imposing sentence.
When a trial court fails to notify an offender about postrelease control at the sentencing hearing but incorporates that notice into its journal entry imposing sentence, it fails to comply with the mandatory provisions of R.C.
{¶ 7} Here, the trial court did not advise Gaggi of post-release control at sentencing but merely incorporated the term of post-release control in its journal entry. Therefore, following the mandates set forth in Jordan, Gaggi's sentence is vacated and this matter is remanded to the trial court for resentencing.1
{¶ 8} Accordingly, we sustain Gaggi's second assignment of error.
{¶ 10} This court has previously rejected this argument in State v.Baron,
{¶ 11} Therefore, following this court's precedent, we find that R.C.
{¶ 13} A sexual predator is defined in R.C.
{¶ 14} Gaggi argues that the trial court's repeated use of "more likely than not" rather than "likely" in determining whether he is "likely" to engage in future sexual offenses demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the statute. However, Gaggi has not demonstrated how "more likely than not" indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of the statute. We recognize that "more likely than not" is the definition for "probable," which is a lesser standard than "clear and convincing." However, the record reflects that the court stated that the proper standard of proof was clear and convincing evidence. Morever, we find that the trial court considered all relevant factors set forth in R.C.
{¶ 15} Therefore, we find no error in the court's classifying Gaggi a sexual predator, and the court's misstatement of the definition of clear and convincing evidence was harmless error.
{¶ 16} Accordingly, Gaggi's sixth assignment of error is overruled.
{¶ 17} Sentence vacated and case remanded for resentencing consistent with this opinion.
Blackmon, A.J. and Corrigan, J. concur
Reference
- Full Case Name
- State of Ohio v. Daniel Gaggi
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Unpublished