State v. Elchert, Unpublished Decision (5-9-2005)
State v. Elchert, Unpublished Decision (5-9-2005)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} In 2001, Elchert was indicted in Seneca County case number 00-CK-1094. In July of 2001, Elchert was sentenced in that case to a three-year term of community control for attempted endangering children in violation of R.C.
{¶ 3} In January of 2004, police and emergency response teams responded to a 911 call from the Elchert residence. Upon arrival, one of the Elchert's four month old twins was pronounced dead. Upon further investigation, the baby was found to have suffered from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. In April of 2004, Elchert was indicted for endangering children in violation of R.C.
{¶ 4} In August of 2004, Elchert entered a plea of guilty to the lesser included offense of endangering children in violation of R.C.
{¶ 5} In October of 2004, a joint sentencing hearing was held to impose sentences for both the community control violations as well as the misdemeanor endangering children offense. At the sentencing hearing, following extensive arguments by counsel and victim's advocates, the trial court first imposed a seventeen month sentence of imprisonment for the community control violations in case number 00-CK-1094. Following the imposing of the sentence of prison for the old case, the trial court then imposed a sentence of one hundred and eighty days for the endangering children offense to be served consecutively to the prison sentence imposed in case number 00-CK-1094. It is from this judgment Elchert appeals, presenting the following assignment of error for our review.
The trial court erred by imposing a county jail sentence for amisdemeanor offense to be served upon completion of and consecutively toa sentence of imprisonment for a felony offense.
{¶ 6} In her sole assignment of error, Elchert asserts that the trial court erred in ordering that her sentence in the present misdemeanor endangering children offense be served consecutive to the felony prison sentence in case number 00-CK-1094. Specifically, Elchert argues that R.C.
{¶ 7} R.C.
(A) * * * Except as provided in division (B)(3) of this section, a jailterm or sentence of imprisonment for misdemeanor shall be servedconcurrently with a prison term or sentence of imprisonment for felonyserved in a state or federal correctional institution. * * *
(3) A jail term or sentence of imprisonment imposed for a misdemeanorviolation of section
(Emphasis added.)
{¶ 8} In State v. Downing, 3d Dist. No. 11-02-07, 2002-Ohio-6310, this Court addressed the issue of whether the same court may run a subsequent misdemeanor sentence consecutive to a prior felony sentence of imprisonment. In Downing, we addressed the exact same language of R.C.
{¶ 9} Finding that the language of R.C.
{¶ 10} While the State attempts to argue that at time that the trial court ordered Elchert's misdemeanor sentence to be run consecutively to case number 00-CK-1094 she had not yet been sentenced to prison in that case, upon review of the record, we find the State's argument to be mistaken. At the sentencing hearing, the trial court clearly imposed a seventeen month prison term in 00-CK-1094 prior to her being sentenced upon the misdemeanor endangering children offense. Accordingly, followingDowning, the trial court was without discretion to impose a misdemeanor sentence consecutive to a felony prison sentence pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 11} Additionally, the State argues that pursuant to State v.Rarden, 12th Dist. No. CA2002-04-080, 2003-Ohio-3067, and State v. Keys
(Sept. 29, 2000), 10th Dist. No. 99AP-1116, the imposition of a sentence on revocation of a felony community control violation simply does not retroactively raise R.C.
{¶ 12} Finding that the trial court erred in ordering Elchert's misdemeanor sentence be imposed consecutive to the felony prison sentence in case number 00-CK-1094, we sustain the sole assignment of error.
{¶ 13} Having found error prejudicial to the appellant herein, in the particulars assigned and argued, we reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand the matter for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Judgment reversed and cause remanded. Cupp, P.J., and Shaw, J., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- State of Ohio v. Jennifer A. Elchert
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Unpublished