State v. Coleman, 8-06-26 (8-20-2007)
State v. Coleman, 8-06-26 (8-20-2007)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} On May 10, 2005, the Logan County Grand Jury indicted Coleman on one count of trafficking in crack cocaine, a violation of R.C.
{¶ 3} On August 15, 2005, Coleman entered into a plea agreement with the state. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Coleman pled guilty to a second-degree felony for trafficking in crack cocaine and the above mentioned specification, and the state dismissed the charge for possession of crack cocaine. Coleman and the state also agreed to a recommended prison term of five years. The trial court ordered a pre-sentence investigation, and on September 26, 2006, the court held a sentencing hearing. The court considered that Coleman had previously served a prison term; that Coleman had a "lengthy" criminal history; and that Coleman had a prior conviction for trafficking in drugs. The court sentenced Coleman to serve *Page 3 four years in prison, to pay a mandatory fine of $7,500, and to forfeit the $70 alleged in the specification.
{¶ 4} On May 10, 2006, Coleman filed a motion for judicial release, which the trial court overruled, finding that Coleman was serving a mandatory sentence. On September 1, 2006, Coleman filed a motion for re-sentencing and a request for the appointment of counsel. In his motion, Coleman argued that his sentence was unconstitutional pursuant to the United States Supreme Court's holding in Blakely v.Washington (2004),
The trial court errored when it overruled the defendant-appellant's motion for re-sentencing incorporated with appointment of counsel.
{¶ 5} We must initially consider the nature of Coleman's appeal. The Ohio Supreme Court has held that "[w]here a criminal defendant, subsequent to *Page 4
his * * * direct appeal, files a motion seeking vacation or correction of his * * * sentence on the basis that his * * * constitutional rights have been violated, such a motion is a petition for postconviction relief as defined in R.C. 2953.21." State v. Reynolds,
{¶ 6} The post-conviction relief statute states in pertinent part:
[a]ny person who has been convicted of a criminal offense * * * and who claims that there was such a denial or infringement of the person's rights as to render the judgment void or voidable under the Ohio Constitution or the Constitution of the United States, * * * may file a petition in the court that imposed sentence, stating the grounds for relief relied upon, and asking the court to vacate or set aside the judgment or sentence or to grant other appropriate relief. The petitioner may file a supporting affidavit and other documentary evidence in support of the claim for relief.
R.C.
{¶ 7} Final judgment was entered on August 25, 2006, when the trial court filed its judgment entry finding Coleman guilty and imposing sentence. Crim.R. 32(C). Coleman's time to file a direct appeal expired on September 26, 2005. App.R. 4(A). Counting forward 180 days, Coleman was required to file a petition for post-conviction relief by March 3, 2006. Coleman did not file his "motion for re-sentencing" until September 1, 2006, approximately six months late. Therefore, Coleman's petition is untimely filed under R.C.
{¶ 8} Although R.C.
{¶ 9} As mentioned in Dressler, we note that the trial court did not retain continuing jurisdiction to modify Coleman's sentence. The record does not *Page 6
contain any filing indicating that Coleman would receive a new sentencing hearing after Foster. The Ohio Supreme Court specified that its holding in Foster operated retroactively to affect only those cases pending in the trial courts and those cases pending on direct appeal.Foster, at ¶ 103-104. Ohio law is clear that absent very limited circumstances, a trial court does not retain jurisdiction once a sentence has been ordered into execution. Dressler, at ¶ 16, citingState v. Clark, 8th Dist. No. 82519, 2003-Ohio-3969, at ¶ 20, citing State v. Garretson (2000),
{¶ 10} Finally, we note that Coleman has requested a writ of habeas corpus from this Court. However, Coleman's arguments and request pertaining to habeas *Page 7
corpus are without merit. An appeal is not the proper procedure for obtaining a writ of habeas corpus. R.C.
{¶ 11} In view of the foregoing, the trial court did not err in overruling Coleman's petition for post-conviction relief. The sole assignment of error is overruled.
{¶ 12} The judgment of the Logan County Common Pleas Court is affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
*Page 1ROGERS, P.J., and PRESTON, J., concur. r
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.