State v. Saddler, 90197 (6-19-2008)
State v. Saddler, 90197 (6-19-2008)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} On July 19, 1990, defendant pled guilty to one count of rape in violation of R.C.
{¶ 3} On June 20, 2007, the trial court conducted a sexual predator hearing and adjudicated defendant a sexual predator.
{¶ 4} Defendant now appeals and asserts four assignments of error for our review, which shall be addressed together where appropriate.
{¶ 5} "I. The trial court erred in adjudicating Mr. Saddler a sexual predator in the absence of sufficient evidence that would establish by clear and convincing evidence the likelihood he would engage in a sexually oriented offense in the future.
{¶ 6} "II. The trial court failed to conduct an adequate classification hearing as required by State v. Eppinger (2001),
{¶ 7} The law in effect at the time of defendant's hearing, R.C.
{¶ 8} In making a sexual predator determination, a trial court should consider all relevant factors, which include, but are not limited to, the following: the offender's age, the offender's prior criminal record, the age of the victim, whether the sexually oriented offense for which sentence was imposed involved multiple victims, whether the offender used drugs or alcohol to impair the victim or to prevent the victim from resisting, whether the offender has participated in available programs for sexual offenders, any mental illness or mental disability of the offender, the nature of the offender's conduct and whether that conduct was part of a demonstrated pattern of abuse, whether the offender displayed cruelty during the commission of the crime, and any additional behavioral characteristics that contributed to the offender's conduct. R.C.
{¶ 9} A trial court is not required to individually assess each of these statutory factors on the record nor is it required to find a specific number of these factors before it can adjudicate an offender a sexual predator so long as its determination is *Page 5
grounded upon clear and convincing evidence. State v. Ferguson, Cuyahoga App. No. 88450,
{¶ 10} After reviewing the record, we conclude that the trial court did not err when it classified defendant as a sexual predator. Here, the evidence demonstrated that the defendant was 18 years of age at the time of the rape and that the victim was 12 years old. The nature of the defendant's conduct during the commission of the sexually oriented offense indicated the potential for cruelty, since the defendant pulled the victim's hair and struck her several times with a closed fist when she resisted him. The defendant had a lengthy juvenile record including a conviction for vehicular manslaughter, which he was on probation for at the time of the rape. The basis for the court's decision is clear on the record.
{¶ 11} Defendant argues that, notwithstanding the court's findings, most of the statutory factors weighed against a sexual predator determination and that he scored *Page 6 in the low-risk-to-reoffend range in the Static-99 report, a series of tests designed to recognize if a sexual offender is likely to reoffend.
{¶ 12} A trial court is not required to rely solely on psychiatric findings or opinions in its determination regarding the likelihood of recidivism. State v. Robertson (2002),
{¶ 13} Here, we find that there was competent, credible evidence to support the trial court's finding that the State proved by clear and convincing evidence that defendant is a sexual predator. See State v.Wilson,
{¶ 14} Assignments of Error I and II are overruled.
{¶ 15} "III. R.C.
{¶ 16} "IV. R.C. §
{¶ 17} In his third and fourth assignments of error, defendant argues that the trial court's finding that he is a sexual predator constitutes an additional criminal punishment and violates constitutional prohibitions against ex post facto and retroactive legislation.
{¶ 18} R.C. Chapter
{¶ 19} "* * * R.C. Chapter
{¶ 20} Notwithstanding this established case law, defendant argues that Senate Bill 5,2 which prohibits a sexual predator from applying for reconsideration of that classification at a later date and establishes residency requirements,3 renders R.C.
{¶ 21} This Court has repeatedly addressed the reconsideration issue and has consistently held that these types of sexual offender registration laws are not punitive in nature and do not violate the prohibition against ex post facto laws, without reference to the ability of the offender to petition for revision of the classification. SeeState v. Butler, Cuyahoga App. No. 86554,
{¶ 22} With regard to the residency requirement, the United States Supreme Court has held that laws imposing regulatory burdens on individuals convicted of crimes without any corresponding risk assessment do not impose ex post facto punishment. State v.Ferguson, supra, citing De Veau v. Braisted (1960),
{¶ 23} Moreover, the defendant waived this issue by not raising it in the trial court. "Failure to raise at the trial court level the issue of the constitutionality of a statute * * * constitutes a waiver of such issue and a deviation from this state's orderly procedure, and therefore need not be heard for the first time on appeal." State v. Smith (1991),
{¶ 24} Pursuant to current state and federal case law, R.C.
{¶ 25} Assignments of error III and IV are overruled.
Judgment affirmed.
It is ordered that appellee recover from appellant its costs herein taxed.
The court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this Court directing the Court of Common Pleas to carry this judgment into execution.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure.
SEAN C. GALLAGHER, J., and KENNETH A. ROCCO, J., CONCUR
"(A) No person who has been convicted of, is convicted of, has pleaded guilty to, or pleads guilty to either a sexually oriented offense that is not a registration-exempt sexually oriented offense or a child-victim oriented offense shall establish a residence or occupy residential premises within one thousand feet of any school premises.
"(B) If a person to whom division (A) of this section applies violates division (A) of this section by establishing a residence or occupying residential premises within one thousand feet of any school premises, an owner or lessee of real property that is located within one thousand feet of those school premises, or the prosecuting attorney, village solicitor, city or township director of law, similar chief legal officer of a municipal corporation or township, or official designated as a prosecutor in a municipal corporation that has jurisdiction over the place at which the person establishes the residence or occupies the residential premises in question, has a cause of action for injunctive relief against the person. The plaintiff shall not be required to prove irreparable harm in order to obtain the relief." *Page 1
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.