State v. Branham, 07ca3167 (7-22-2008)
State v. Branham, 07ca3167 (7-22-2008)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 3} The deputy continued to the residence and knocked on the door, to which a voice from inside asked, "Who is it?" When the deputy *Page 3 responded "Steve," the voice from inside the residence said "come on in" and the deputy complied. When the deputy entered the Nuckols residence, he happened onto the scene of an active "meth cook" with multiple batches of methamphetamine in various stages of completion. Upon seeing the deputy, an unknown number of surprised occupants of the Nuckols residence fled through doors and windows to make their escape. Four individuals were detained and arrested, among them the Appellant and Ms. Nuckols.
{¶ 4} On December 21, 2006, a Scioto County grand jury issued a three-count indictment charging the Appellant with illegal possession of chemicals for the manufacture of methamphetamine, in violation of R.C.
{¶ 5} On April 9, 2007, the matter was tried to a jury. At the conclusion of the trial, the Appellant was found not guilty of the principal offenses for which he was indicted, but was found guilty of complicity in the manufacture of methamphetamine. He was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison. He now appeals from this judgment and sentence, asserting the following assignments of error:
{¶ 7} 2. TRIAL COUNSEL PROVIDED INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE, IN VIOLATION OF THE
{¶ 8} 3. THE TRIAL COURT VIOLATED MR. BRANHAM'S RIGHTS TO DUE PROCESS AND A FAIR TRIAL WHEN IT ENTERED A JUDGMENT OF CONVICTION FOR COMPLICITY TO THE ILLEGAL MANUFACTURE OF DRUGS, WHICH WAS AGAINST THE MANIFEST WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE.
{¶ 10} Failure to object to an alleged error by the trial court so that the court can correct its error results in a waiver of all but plain error review. See State v. Johnson (2006),
{¶ 11} In order to demonstrate ineffective assistance of counsel, as claimed by the Appellant, an appellant must meet two requirements. First, an appellant must demonstrate that counsel's performance was deficient by showing that counsel committed errors so serious that he or she was not, in effect, functioning as counsel. Strickland v.Washington (1984),
{¶ 12} The Appellant claims that the trial court committed plain error when it failed to instruct the jury that in order to find the Appellant guilty of complicity in the manufacture of methamphetamine, it had to determine he knowingly aided or abetted another in the commission of the offense. The State has the burden of establishing all material elements of a crime by proof beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Adams (1980),
*Page 8"Now no person, acting with the kind of culpability required for the commission of an offense, shall aid or abet another to commit an offense.
"In order to constitute aiding and abetting, the accused must have taken some role in causing the commission of the offense. The mere presence of an accused at the scene of a crime is not sufficient to prove, in and of itself, that the accused was either an aider and [sic] abettor. Aided or abetted means supported, assisted, encouraged, cooperated with, advised or incited.
"Whoever is guilty of complicity in the commission of an offense shall be prosecuted as if he were the principal offender."
(Emphasis added). In the case sub judice, the words "acting with the kind of culpability required for the commission of an offense" relate back to the instruction pertaining to the illegal manufacture of drugs, which states,
"The Defendant is also charged with Illegal — Count 2, Illegal Manufacture of Drugs. Before you can find the Defendant guilty, you must find beyond a reasonable doubt that on or about the 11th day of November, 2006, in Scioto County, Ohio, the Defendant did knowingly manufacture or otherwise engage in any part of the production of a controlled substance, being methamphetamine."
(Emphasis added). Relating back to the instruction on the illegal manufacture of drugs charge, it is easily determined that the culpability required for the complicity charge is "knowingly." We therefore find that the trial court committed no error, let alone plain error, when giving its instruction on culpability. In the same vein, trial counsel for the Appellant did not render ineffective assistance by failing to object to a proper jury instruction. Accordingly, the Appellant's first and second assignments of error are overruled.
{¶ 13} In his third assignment of error, the Appellant contends the trial court's decision was against the manifest weight of the evidence. When considering an appellant's claim that a conviction is against the manifest weight of the evidence, our role is to determine whether the evidence *Page 9
produced at trial attains the high degree of probative force and certainty required of a criminal conviction. State v. Getsy (1998),
{¶ 14} In the case sub judice, the Appellant was discovered by a sheriffs deputy at the residence of co-defendant Cindy Nuckols during an active "meth cook" involving multiple batches of methamphetamine in various stages of completion. Co-defendant Nuckols testified that the Appellant's role in the cook was to provide a specially-designed gas tank containing anhydrous ammonia, a vital component in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Ms. Nuckols also testified that the Appellant stopped at her residence earlier on the day of the "meth cook" and dropped off the gas tank filled with anhydrous ammonia, in accordance with a previously-made plan, and that he returned to her residence to pick up his "cut" of the methamphetamine shortly before the deputy arrived. In light of this testimony, the Appellee offered substantial evidence upon which the jury could reasonably conclude that all the elements of complicity in the manufacture of methamphetamine had been established beyond a reasonable doubt. We hereby overrule the Appellant's third assignment of error.
{¶ 15} In our view, the trial court did not err when it instructed the jury on the issue of complicity, and therefore, the Appellant's trial counsel did not provide him with ineffective assistance by failing to object to the instruction. We also find that the trial court's judgment was not against the manifest weight of the evidence, as the state offered substantial evidence in *Page 11 support of the conviction. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
*Page 12JUDGMENT AFFIRMED.
The Court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this Court directing the Scioto County Common Pleas Court to carry this judgment into execution.
IF A STAY OF EXECUTION OF SENTENCE AND RELEASE UPON BAIL HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY GRANTED BY THE TRIAL COURT OR THIS COURT, it is temporarily continued for a period not to exceed sixty days upon the bail previously posted. The purpose of a continued stay is to allow Appellant to file with the Supreme Court of Ohio an application for a stay during the pendency of proceedings in that court. If a stay is continued by this entry, it will terminate at the earlier of the expiration of the sixty day period, or the failure of the Appellant to file a notice of appeal with the Supreme Court of Ohio in the forty-five day appeal period pursuant to Rule II, Sec. 2 of the Rules of Practice of the Supreme Court of Ohio. Additionally, if the Supreme Court of Ohio dismisses the appeal prior to expiration of sixty days, the stay will terminate as of the date of such dismissal.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure. Exceptions.
*Page 1Abele, P.J. and Kline, J.: Concur in Judgment and Opinion.
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