State v. Phillips, Unpublished Decision (2-1-2006)
State v. Phillips, Unpublished Decision (2-1-2006)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} A jury trial commenced on January 12, 2005. The jury found appellant guilty as charged. By indirect sentence judgment order filed January 13, 2005, the trial court sentenced appellant to one hundred eighty days in jail, ninety suspended, and ordered appellant to pay restitution in the amount of $3,400.00.
{¶ 3} On January 28, 2005, appellant filed a motion for hearing on restitution. A hearing was held on February 10, 2005. By judgment entry filed March 2, 2005, the trial court again ordered appellant to pay $3,400.00 in restitution.
{¶ 4} Appellant filed an appeal and this matter is now before this court for consideration. Assignments of error are as follows:
{¶ 8} A trial court is authorized to order restitution by an offender to a victim in an amount based upon the victim's economic loss. R.C.
{¶ 9} During the restitution hearing, defense counsel did not contest the amount of damages sustained by the victims. Instead, defense counsel argued appellant should only be responsible for the damages associated with one of the victims because he only assaulted one person. T. at 4-7, 10-15.
{¶ 10} Appellant failed to object to the amount of the restitution order thereby waiving all but plain error with respect to the amount. State v. Gears (1999),
{¶ 11} According to the restitution hearing transcript, the total damages suffered by the victims amounted to $6,262.85. T. at 5-6. The original sentence of January 13, 2005 ordered appellant to pay $3,400.00. A transcript from the original sentencing hearing was not presented for our review; therefore, we are unable to review the trial court's reasoning for settling on the $3,400.00 amount. "When portions of the transcript necessary for resolution of assigned errors are omitted from the record, the reviewing court has nothing to pass upon and thus, as to those assigned errors, the court has no choice but to presume the validity of the lower court's proceedings, and affirm."Knapp v. Edwards Laboratories (1980),
{¶ 12} Assignment of Error I is denied.
{¶ 14} It is important to note that the trial court judge who held the restitution hearing and imposed the order was not the same judge who tried the case. T. at 10. Appellant argues under the facts tried to the jury, he should be responsible for the economic loss incurred by Jack DeLong only, not both Jack and Jeff DeLong. Although the parties argued the facts of the case, a transcript of the jury trial was not provided to the sentencing judge or to this court.
{¶ 15} At best, the transcript of the restitution hearing establishes a fight occurred wherein appellant participated and assaulted both victims. T. at 12. Appellant was unquestionably part of the milieu and may not have personally assaulted both; however, his involvement aided and abetted in the assault of both victims. Further, the charging document claims appellant "participated in an attack upon Jack and Jeff DeLong." The jury's verdict found appellant "[g]uilty of the offense charge in the complaint."
{¶ 16} Without commenting on the method employed in splitting the damages, and based solely upon the lack of a transcript, the language of the complaint and the jury verdict, we find the trial court did not err in determining the amount of damages should be shared jointly and severally by the defendants.
{¶ 17} Assignment of Error II is denied.
{¶ 18} The judgment of the Ashland Municipal Court of Ashland County, Ohio is hereby affirmed.
Farmer, J. Wise, P.J. and Gwin, J. concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- State of Ohio v. Thomas B. Phillips
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Unpublished