State v. Depaolo, Unpublished Decision (6-8-2005)
State v. Depaolo, Unpublished Decision (6-8-2005)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 3} Meanwhile, Mr. DePaolo had been convicted of an unrelated drug possession charge and by April 2004 was residing at his parents' home under house arrest, where he shared a bedroom with his girlfriend, Ann Grunder. On April 1, 2004, the grand jury indicted Mr. DePaolo for trafficking in cocaine in violation of R.C.
{¶ 4} Mr. DePaolo pled not guilty, and subsequently moved the court to dismiss based on alleged outrageous government conduct at the time of his arrest. The court denied the motion and the case proceeded to trial. At the close of the evidence, the trial court denied Mr. DePaolo's request for a jury instruction on entrapment, whereupon Mr. DePaolo changed his plea to no contest. The court convicted him on the accepted facts and sentenced him accordingly. Mr. DePaolo timely appealed, asserting two assignments of error for review.
{¶ 5} Mr. DePaolo alleges that the outrageous conduct by the police in executing the arrest warrant on April 13, 2004, violated due process and that the appropriate remedy was the dismissal of the charges from August 18-19, 2003. We disagree.
{¶ 6} This Court recently considered an identical claim of error and concluded that it was without merit. State v. Grunder, 9th Dist. No. 04CA0071-M, 2005-Ohio-2145, at ¶ 3. As that claim was the companion case to this one, brought by Mr. DePaolo's codefendant, it was founded on the identical circumstances. Furthermore, that appeal was premised on the same legal argument. Because this Court has previously decided this case, we are bound to adhere to stare decisis.
{¶ 7} Moreover, the facts alleged by Mr. DePaolo have not been preserved for the record and are not properly before this Court for review. We cannot review a matter when the facts upon which the review is predicated are not properly before us. State v. Girard, 9th Dist. No. 02CA0057-M, 2003-Ohio-7178, at ¶ 19. Mr. DePaolo's assignment of error is deemed without merit and is overruled.
{¶ 8} Mr. DePaolo asserts that the evidence supports an entrapment defense, that the trial court erred by refusing to instruct the jury on this defense, and that his conviction should be reversed due to this error. We disagree.
{¶ 9} When the trial court denied Mr. DePaolo's request for a jury instruction on entrapment, Mr. Paolo changed his plea to no contest and the court rendered judgment. "Since appellant entered a plea of no contest and waived his right to a jury trial, he has, for purposes of appellate review, waived any error that may have been associated with the trial court's rejection of his proposed jury instruction." State v.Riffle (Sept. 21, 2001), 4th Dist. No. 00CA543, at *5, 2001-Ohio-2605. Mr. DePaolo's claim of error has been waived, and is overruled.
Judgment affirmed.
The Court finds that there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
We order that a special mandate issue out of this Court, directing the Court of Common Pleas, County of Medina, State of Ohio, to carry this judgment into execution. A certified copy of this journal entry shall constitute the mandate, pursuant to App.R. 27.
Immediately upon the filing hereof, this document shall constitute the journal entry of judgment, and it shall be file stamped by the Clerk of the Court of Appeals at which time the period for review shall begin to run. App.R. 22(E). The Clerk of the Court of Appeals is instructed to mail a notice of entry of this judgment to the parties and to make a notation of the mailing in the docket, pursuant to App.R. 30.
Costs taxed to Appellant.
Exceptions.
Whitmore, P.J. Concurs.
Carr, J. Concurs in judgment only
Reference
- Full Case Name
- State of Ohio v. Steven M. Depaolo
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Unpublished