State v. O'malley, Unpublished Decision (3-1-2006)
State v. O'malley, Unpublished Decision (3-1-2006)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 3} On September 27, 2002, the trial court ordered Appellee returned to the court from prison for a sexual predator hearing pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 4} In a judgment entry dated April 18, 2005, the trial court entered a conditional sexual predator adjudication. While the court did not explicitly state whether or not it found Appellee to be a sexual predator, it determined that Appellee's classification upon release from prison would be conditioned upon his place of residence. Specifically, the court stated:
"[T]he Court finds, by clear and convincing evidence, that if the Defendant resides outside of a residential facility for mentally handicapped individuals upon his release from prison he should be labeled a sexual predator, but that if he resides in such a facility he should not be so labeled. In the event that he resided [sic] in such a facility, he should be labeled a sexually oriented offender."
The court did support this conclusion with specific factual findings regarding Appellee, the child victim, and the offenses. The State has timely appealed from this entry, asserting one assignment of error for review.
{¶ 5} In its sole assignment of error, the State contends that the trial court erred when it issued a conditional sexual predator classification. The State argues that the court's adjudication does not comport with the legislative intent of the classification scheme set forth in R.C.
{¶ 6} Generally, this Court reviews sexual predator adjudications to determine whether there is "`some competent credible evidence' to support the trial court's determination."State v. Unrue, 9th Dist. No. 21105, 2002-Ohio-7002, at ¶ 6. However, the instant case presents purely a question of law, and as such, we review the issue de novo. Akron v. Callaway,
{¶ 7} R.C.
"(c) * * * [I]n making a determination under this division as to whether the offender is a sexual predator, the court shall consider all relevant factors, including, but not limited to, all of the factors specified in [R.C.
"Upon making its determinations at the sexual predator hearing, the court shall proceed as follows:
"(i) If the court determines that the offender is not a sexual predator and that the offender previously has not been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a sexually oriented offense other than the offense in relation to which the hearing is being conducted and previously has not been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a child-victim oriented offense, it shall include in the offender's institutional record its determinations and the reason or reasons why it determined that the offender is not a sexual predator.
"(ii) If the court determines that the offender is not a sexual predator but that the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a sexually oriented offense other than the offense in relation to which the hearing is being conducted or previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a child-victim oriented offense, it shall include in the offender's institutional record its determination that the offender is not a sexual predator but is a habitual sex offender and the reason or reasons why it determined that the offender is not a sexual predator, shall attach the determinations and the reason or reasons to the offender's sentence, shall specify that the determinations were pursuant to division (C) of this section, shall provide a copy of the determinations and the reason or reasons to the offender, to the prosecuting attorney, and to the department of rehabilitation and correction, and may impose a requirement that the offender be subject to the community notification provisions contained in sections
"(iii) If the court determines by clear and convincing evidence that the offender is a sexual predator, it shall enter its determination in the offender's institutional record, shall attach the determination to the offender's sentence, shall specify that the determination was pursuant to division (C) of this section, and shall provide a copy of the determination to the offender, to the prosecuting attorney, and to the department of rehabilitation and correction. The offender and the prosecutor may appeal as a matter of right the judge's determination under divisions (C)(2)(a) and (c) of this section as to whether the offender is, or is not, a sexual predator." (Emphasis added.) R.C.
{¶ 8} The statute requires the trial court to find that the offender either is or is not a sexual predator, and does not authorize a conditional sexual predator classification. In this case, the court found by clear and convincing evidence a number of facts and circumstances that would tend to support a sexual predator finding. We presume that the court made these findings in accordance with the factors to be considered when making a sexual predator adjudication, as presented in R.C.
{¶ 9} The State's assignment of error is sustained, and we remand the case to the trial court to enter a classification in accordance with R.C.
Judgment reversed, and cause remanded.
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 Appellee.
Exceptions.
Whitmore, P.J. Carr, J. concur.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.