State v. Judd, Unpublished Decision (5-17-2005)
State v. Judd, Unpublished Decision (5-17-2005)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} Appellee is the State of Ohio.
{¶ 4} As a result, Appellant was charged with theft in Franklin County and pled guilty to one count of receiving stolen property for the three pieces of equipment.
{¶ 5} Charges were also brought against Appellant in Delaware County. Appellant was charged in Delaware County with breaking and entering, three counts of theft, possession of criminal tools and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
{¶ 6} Appellant filed a Motion to Dismiss, arguing that the offenses were allied offenses of similar import. The trial court denied said motion. The State did, however, dismiss the three counts of theft as a result of Appellant's plea of guilty entered in Franklin County.
{¶ 7} On January 15, 2004, a jury trial commenced in this matter, concluding on January 16, 2004 and resulting in a finding of guilty as charged.
{¶ 8} On June 22, 2004, the trial court conducted a sentencing hearing, wherein Appellant was sentenced to two years incarceration.
{¶ 9} Appellant now appeals, assigning the following errors for review:
{¶ 11} "II. The finding of guilty to breaking and entering is against the manifest weight of the evidence.
{¶ 12} "III. Double Jeopardy: state may not either by design or inadvertence "separate charges originating in one course of criminal conduct" and pursue them separately in courts of more than one county even though venue could be laid in any one of the counties.
{¶ 13} "IV. The trial court erred in not granting appellants [sic] motion to dismiss on the basis of allied offenses of similar import.
{¶ 14} "V. The trial judge erred in finding appellant guilty of criminal tools when appellant had no criminal tools or no criminal tools were found.
{¶ 15} "VI. The finding of guilty to criminal tools is against the manifest weight of the evidence."
{¶ 17} "II. Appellant would suggest that the jury instruction's was misleading and would have the jury think that they could find defendant guilty of possession of criminal tool's [sic] and not on the lesser included offense of `aided and abetted' another in possession of criminal tool's [sic]. In addition, should have amended the indictment as the same (aider and abetter [sic]) so the jury was not mislead [sic] in any way. See, Smith-vs-Ohio, Dept. of Rehabilitation and Corr.
{¶ 18} "III. Co-defendants testimony was abuse of discresion [sic] by the trial court after letting his testimony to the jury Than [sic] the trial court let him lie on the stand and let det. Woolum lie on the jury stand without declearing [sic] a mistrial as the duty of the trial judge requires in addition, after learing [sic] that Mr. Browning lie [sic] in police report saying my girlfriend got pulled over by a highway trooper and later was found to be a lie.; tr. 109, 1001 (detective woolum's lie on the stand), Tr. 76. (2)(7)(8)(9). Co-defendants [sic] lie's [sic] on the jury stand."
{¶ 20} Sufficiency of the evidence refers to the legal standard the trial court applies in determining whether the State has presented sufficient evidence on each element of the crime charged to submit the matter to the jury. The court must determine whether, after viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could find the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Sufficiency of the evidence is evidence which, if believed would convince the average mind. Thompkins at 386,
{¶ 21} On review for manifest weight, a reviewing court is to examine the entire record, weigh the evidence and all reasonable inferences, consider the credibility of the witnesses and determine "whether in resolving conflicts in the evidence, the jury clearly lost its way and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the conviction must be reversed. . . . The discretionary power to grant a new trial should be exercised only in the exceptional case in which the evidence weighs heavily against the conviction." Thompkins, supra. at 387,
{¶ 22} As is stated above, appellant was convicted of breaking and entering in violation of R.C.
{¶ 23} "(B) No person shall trespass on the land or premises of another, with purpose to commit a felony."
{¶ 24} Upon our review of the record we find that viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution any rational trier of fact could have found that appellant, trespassed on the land of another with the purpose of committing a felony.
{¶ 25} Sufficient testimony was adduced that appellant entered the nursery without permission and with the intent to steal a skid loader, and did in fact steal the skid loader as well as a truck and a trailer. The State presented the testimony of Andy Coffee, an employee of Blendon Gardens, who testified that a landscaping truck, trailer and skid loader were stolen sometime during the night of September 29, 2002, and that said equipment was later recovered by the Columbus Police. (T. at 19, 20). The State also presented the testimony of Timmy Browning who admitted to stealing said equipment with Appellant and stated that they broke the locks on the truck by using a screwdriver. (T. at 73-80). He further admitted that neither he nor appellant had permission to be on the nursery property or to remove the equipment. (T. at 75).
{¶ 26} Additionally, the State presented the testimony of Det. Todd Woolum of the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, who testified that he interviewed Appellant in regard to the theft at Blendon Gardens, that Defendant admitted to the crimes and signed a written confession acknowledging his guilt. (T. at 63, 97).
{¶ 27} We find that appellant's conviction was not against the manifest weight of the evidence. The jury, as trier of fact, was is in the best position to observe the demeanor of the witnesses and to weigh their credibility.
{¶ 28} In short, we find that appellant's conviction for breaking and entering was not against the manifest weight or the sufficiency of the evidence.
{¶ 29} Appellant's first and second assignments of error are overruled.
{¶ 31} Appellant argues that he was subjected to double jeopardy by being charged and convicted of breaking and entering in Delaware County because he had already been charged and pled guilty to receiving stolen property in Franklin County.
{¶ 32} R.C.
{¶ 33} "Where the same conduct by defendant can be construed to constitute two or more allied offenses of similar import, the indictment or information may contain counts for all such offenses, but the defendant may be convicted of only one."
{¶ 34} In Newark v. Vazirani (1990),
{¶ 35} "Under R.C.
{¶ 36} The elements of the criminal offense of receiving stolen property, as stated in R.C.
{¶ 37} As stated previously, the elements of breaking and entering as stated in R.C.
{¶ 38} Upon review, we find that the evidence allows the conclusion that the breaking and entering was accomplished at the time of entry and that a new and different crime took place when the theft within the nursery was committed. Such conclusion is consistent with the rationale of Boyer v. Maxwell, (1963)
{¶ 39} These two offenses have elements which do not correspond to such a degree that the commission of one offense will result in the commission of the other. Breaking and entering and receiving stolen property are separate crimes; one can be committed without committing the other. We find this argument to be without merit.
{¶ 40} Appellant's third and fourth assignments of error are overruled,
{¶ 42} Appellant argues that this charge is unsupported because no tool was ever recovered or entered into evidence.
{¶ 43} We will not repeat the standards of review for these assignments as same are set forth above.
{¶ 44} The elements of the criminal offense of possessing criminal tools, as stated in R.C.
{¶ 45} As stated above, Appellant's accomplice Timmy Browning testified that he and Appellant used a screwdriver to break into the truck which they then stole. (T. at 80). He further testified that such screwdriver was then taken home and was ultimately "lost in the shuffle". (T. at 84).
{¶ 46} There was also the testimony of Blendon Gardens' employee Andy Coffee who corroborated Browning's testimony, stating that when the truck was returned to the nursery, the door lock was damaged in a manner consistent with Browning's account. (T. at 22).
{¶ 47} Based on the above, we find that appellant's conviction for possession of criminal tools was not against the manifest weight or the sufficiency of the evidence.
{¶ 48} Appellant's fifth and sixth assignments of error are overruled.
{¶ 50} A claim of ineffective assistance of counsel requires a two-prong analysis. The first inquiry in whether counsel's performance fell below an objective standard of reasonable representation involving a substantial violation of any of defense counsel's essential duties to appellant. The second prong is whether the appellant was prejudiced by counsel's ineffectiveness. Lockhart v. Fretwell (1993),
{¶ 52} In order to warrant a reversal, the appellant must additionally show he was prejudiced by counsel's ineffectiveness. This requires a showing that there is a reasonable probability that but for counsel's unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. Bradley, supra at syllabus paragraph three. A reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome.
{¶ 53} Having found in our review of the above assignments of error that breaking and entering and receiving stolen property are not allied offenses of similar import and that Appellant was not subjected to double jeopardy by being charged and convicted of both crimes, we find that Appellant's counsel was not ineffective in failing to raise such argument.
{¶ 54} Appellant's first supplemental assignment of error is overruled.
{¶ 56} No transcript of the jury instructions was included in the record on appeal. We therefore presume the regularity of the trial court's actions in this regard. Wozniak v. Wozniak (1993),
{¶ 57} Appellant's second supplemental assignment of error is overruled.
{¶ 59} Appellant argues that the testimony of Timmy Browning and Trooper Woolum was not credible.
{¶ 60} As stated above, we find that appellant's convictions are not against the manifest weight of the evidence. The jury was in the best position to weigh the evidence and to judge the credibility of the witnesses, and we find that it did not lose its way in finding appellant guilty.
{¶ 61} Appellant's third supplemental assignment of error is overruled.
{¶ 62} Accordingly, the judgment of the Delaware County Common Pleas Court is affirmed.
Boggins, P.J., Gwin, J. concurs.
Hoffman, J. dissents.
Dissenting Opinion
{¶ 63} I concur in the majority's analysis and disposition of appellant's first, second, fifth, and sixth assignments of error.
{¶ 64} I further agree in the majority's disposition of appellant's third and fourth assignments of error. However, I do so after applyingState v. Rance (1999),
{¶ 65} I respectfully dissent from the majority's decision to address appellant's supplemental assignments of error. I would withdraw our consent to file a supplemental brief as having been improvidently allowed.
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