State v. Embry, Unpublished Decision (2-17-2006)
State v. Embry, Unpublished Decision (2-17-2006)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} "Defendant Appellant's sentence should be reversed as the trial court failed to comply with the mandates of R.C.
{¶ 3} Anders, supra, and State v. Duncan (1978),
{¶ 4} In the case before us, appointed counsel for appellant has satisfied the requirements set forth in Anders, supra. Accordingly, this court shall proceed with an examination of the potential assignment of error set forth by counsel for appellant and the entire record below to determine if this appeal lacks merit and is, therefore, wholly frivolous.
{¶ 5} The facts giving rise to this appeal are as follows. In 2002, Vanessa Ferguson began dating appellant, Thomas Embry. On September 21, 2002, Ferguson and appellant traveled to various locations where appellant smoked crack cocaine. Their last stop was to the apartment of appellant's friend, Greta Pettaway. Ferguson and appellant got into an argument and appellant began beating Ferguson. Pettaway testified that she saw appellant hit and kick Ferguson repeatedly. Pettaway testified that another man at the house had to spray mace on appellant to get him to stop beating Ferguson. She eventually lost consciousness. As a result of the beating, Ferguson sustained severe head and facial injuries.
{¶ 6} On November 1, 2002, appellant was indicted on one count of felonious assault, a violation of R.C.
{¶ 7} The potential assignment of error raised in counsel'sAnders brief concerns whether, in sentencing appellant, the trial court should have imposed the shortest term authorized. As discussed above, appellant was convicted of a second-degree felony, which involves a possible prison term of two, three, four, five, six, seven or eight years. R.C.
{¶ 8} "[T]he court shall impose the shortest prison term authorized for the offense pursuant to division (A) of this section, unless one or more of the following applies:
{¶ 9} "(1) The offender was serving a prison term at the time of the offense, or the offender previously had served a prison term.
{¶ 10} "(2) The court finds on the record that the shortest prison term will demean the seriousness of the offender's conduct or will not adequately protect the public from future crime by the offender or others."
{¶ 11} In sentencing appellant to seven years in prison, the trial judge specifically stated on the record that appellant had previously served a prison term. Accordingly, appellate counsel's potential assignment of error is without merit.
{¶ 12} Appellant, pro se, has submitted a brief setting forth three arguments. Appellant first argues that the court erred in sentencing him in violation of Blakely v. Washington (2004),
{¶ 13} Appellant next contends that the court erred in considering his prior prison terms for aggravated burglary and robbery in that those offenses are different from the offense in the instant case. Appellant also contends that the court erred in considering prior prison terms that were served for offenses committed more than five years before he was convicted of assaulting Vanessa Ferguson.
{¶ 14} R.C.
{¶ 15} In his third assignment of error, appellant contends that the trial court erred in sentencing him when the trial court failed to impose post-release control sanctions. Under R.C.
{¶ 16} In this case, the trial judge made no mention of post-release control sanctions either at the sentencing hearing or in the judgment entry. Accordingly, we find appellant's third assignment of error well-taken. Generally, under Anders, we would appoint new appellate counsel for appellant to brief and argue the issue of post-release control. However, the record of this cause fails to disclose any evidence showing that the trial court complied with R.C.
{¶ 17} We hereby grant appellate counsel's motion to withdraw as counsel and instruct the trial court to appoint new counsel to represent appellant at re-sentencing. On consideration whereof, the decision of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas is affirmed in part and reversed in part. This matter is remanded to the trial court for resentencing consistent with the requirements of R.C.
JUDGMENT AFFIRMED, IN PART AND REVERSED, IN PART.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to App.R. 27. See, also, 6th Dist.Loc.App.R. 4, amended 1/1/98.
Handwork, J. Singer, P.J. Parish, J. concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- State of Ohio v. Thomas Embry
- Cited By
- 17 cases
- Status
- Unpublished