State v. Bigley, 07ca0091-M (9-2-2008)
State v. Bigley, 07ca0091-M (9-2-2008)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 3} Bigley timely appealed the trial court's order. However, this Court dismissed his appeal for lack of a final, appealable order. On June 1, 2007, the trial court issued a nunc pro tunc entry, in which it again included the language that it was sentencing Bigley "to a mandatory prison term under division (F) of section
"THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN SENTENCING [BIGLEY] TO MANDATORY TIME BECAUSE THE COURT LACKED AUTHORITY TO SENTENCE HIM TO SAME."
{¶ 4} In his first assignment of error, Bigley contends that the trial court erred in sentencing him to mandatory prison time because the court lacked authority to sentence him to mandatory time. We agree.
{¶ 5} Upon review, we find that the trial court erred in finding in its journal entries that Bigley's offenses are subject to a mandatory prison term. See State v. Felix (Mar. 24, 1999), 9th Dist. No. 19105, at *1. R.C.
{¶ 6} The State has conceded that Bigley's sentence was not mandatory. It has argued, however, that the trial court's use of the word "mandatory" was a "typographical error" and that Bigley cannot demonstrate that he would have received a different sentence without that language. According to the State, because Bigley's sentence was not mandatory, the trial court's use of that term can be ignored. As such, the State has claimed that Bigley was not prejudiced.
{¶ 7} It is not clear to this Court that the trial court's decision was a typographical error. First, we note that the trial court stated that it had considered "the principles and purposes of sentencing under Ohio Revised Code section
{¶ 8} Bigley's first assignment of error is sustained.
"THE TRIAL COURT FAILED TO CONSIDER THE PRINCIPLES OF SENTENCING, PER R.C.*Page 42929.11 AND FAILED TO BALANCE THE FACTORS OF SERIOUSNESS AND RECIDIVISM PURSUANT TO R.C.2929.12 ."
"THE TRIAL COURT IMPROPERLY SENTENCED [BIGLEY] TO 8 YEAR TERM, AS THE COURT UNCONSTITUTIONALLY FOUND FACTS BY A PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE EXPOSING [BIGLEY] TO AN ELEVATED UPPER TERM SENTENCE, THAT WAS ABOVE AND BEYOND THE STATUTORY MAXIMUM FOR THAT CHARGES [SIC] AND UNCONSTITUTIONALLY RAN THEM CONSECUTIVELY, THUS VIOLATING [BIGLEY'S] RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL."
"THE SENTENCING OF [BIGLEY], WITHOUT MAKING THE FINDS [SIC] REQUIRED BY R.C.2929.14 (B)(C) AND R.C.2929.14 (E) AFTER THE SEVERANCE IN FOSTER OPERATED AS AN EX POST FACTO LAW AND DENIED [BIGLEY] DUE PROCESS."
{¶ 9} In his second, third and fourth assignments of error, Bigley asserts that the trial court committed several errors in his sentencing.
{¶ 10} Our disposition of Bigley's first assignment of error renders Bigley's remaining assignments of error moot. Accordingly, we need not address them.
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. *Page 5
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.
*Page 1Carr, P. J. Dickinson, J. concur.
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