State v. Hairston, 2007-Ca-11-0063 (9-4-2008)
State v. Hairston, 2007-Ca-11-0063 (9-4-2008)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 3} On August 22, 2007, pursuant to plea negotiations, appellant entered a plea of guilty to kidnapping, as a lesser included offense of Count 2 of the Indictment, i.e., a felony of the second degree without the Firearm Specification and to the offense of aggravated robbery as charged in Count 5 of the Indictment, a first degree felony, with a firearm specification. In exchange, the State agreed to dismiss Counts 1, 3 and 4 of the Indictment as well as the firearm specifications pertaining to those counts. The State further agreed to dismiss the firearm specification accompanying Court 2, i.e., the charge of kidnapping to which the appellant had agreed to plead guilty. (T., Aug. 22, 2007 at 6).
{¶ 4} During the plea hearing the appellant admitted the following facts. On July 22, 2007, the appellant was involved with three other individuals who entered a *Page 3 residence located in Delaware County Ohio. The appellant and his three accomplices were armed with firearms. They directed the two male occupants of the residence to go to the basement. Members of the trio proceeded to the upstairs bedroom of the sister of the two males, kicked in the door and removed her to the basement. The family members were then tied with electrical cords while the appellant and his accomplices ransacked the home and then left with cash and other miscellaneous property.
{¶ 5} The appellant and the State agreed to submit briefs concerning whether the charge of aggravated robbery as set forth in Count 5 of the indictment and the crime of kidnapping as set forth in Count 2 of the indictment should be merged for sentencing purposes. (T., August 22, 2007 at 17-18). The trial court specifically informed appellant prior to accepting his plea of guilty that the sentences for the two crimes could be run consecutive to each other. (Id. at 18). Appellant indicated to the trial judge that he understood. (Id.).
{¶ 6} Following the acceptance of appellant's guilty plea, the Court referred appellant to the Adult Parole Authority for purposes of a presentence investigation report.
{¶ 7} At the sentencing hearing held October 23, 2007 the trial court sentenced appellant to a term of six (6) years on the kidnapping charge contained in Count 2 of the Indictment and to a term of eight (8) years on the aggravated robbery charge as set forth in Count 5 of the Indictment. The trial court further ordered that the sentences be served consecutive to each other as well as consecutive to the mandatory three (3) year prison term imposed upon the firearm specification to the aggravated robbery charge. *Page 4
{¶ 8} Appellant timely appealed and submits the following assignment of error for our consideration:
{¶ 9} "I. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY SENTENCING THE APPELLANT TO CONSECUTIVE PRISON TERMS."
{¶ 11} After the decision of the Ohio Supreme Court in State v.Foster,
{¶ 12} "The following sections, because they either create presumptive minimum or concurrent terms or require judicial fact-finding to overcome the presumption, have no meaning now that judicial findings are unconstitutional: R.C.
{¶ 13} As this Court has noted,
{¶ 14} "Prior to the passage of S.B. 2 it was well settled that the decision whether a criminal defendant is to serve the sentences for all his crimes consecutively or concurrently is a matter committed to the sound discretion of the trial court. State v. Johnson (1988),
{¶ 15} R.C.
{¶ 16} "(A) Where the same conduct by defendant can be construed to constitute two or more allied offenses of similar import, the indictment or information may contain counts for all such offenses, but the defendant may be convicted of only one.
{¶ 17} "(B) Where the defendant's conduct constitutes two or more offenses of dissimilar import, or where his conduct results in two or more offenses of the same or *Page 6 similar kind committed separately or with a separate animus as to each, the indictment or information may contain counts for all such offenses, and the defendant may be convicted of all of them."
{¶ 18} Recently, the Supreme Court of Ohio in State v. Cabrales,
{¶ 19} "In determining whether offenses are allied offenses of similar import under R.C.
{¶ 20} Nonetheless, even though the offenses are of similar import under R.C.
{¶ 21} For purposes of this assignment of error, we assume, without deciding that aggravated robbery in violation of R.C.
{¶ 22} The record indicates that appellant pled guilty to kidnapping with respect to the female victim. Appellant also plead guilty to aggravated robbery upon allegations involving not only the female victim but also her two brothers.
{¶ 23} Appellant admitted that he went to the upstairs bedroom of the female victim, kicked in the bedroom door and took her down to the basement. (T., Aug. 22, 2007 at 23; 35). She was then tied up with her two brothers who had been removed from a separate location in the house. (Id.). Appellant further admitted putting the gun to the head of the female victim. (Id. at 34). The appellant and his associates then ransacked the home stealing cash and various items.
{¶ 24} Under this analysis, where a defendant commits a single act and is charged with two offenses, each which concern a different victim, the offenses are not allied offenses of similar import but are offenses of dissimilar import. State v. Franklin,
{¶ 25} Because appellant had a deadly weapon on or about his person and either displayed it, brandished it or indicated that he possessed it while attempting to or committing a theft offense with respect to each of the three victims, the offense of robbery was separate from the offense of kidnapping only the female victim. Cf. State v. Smith, supra;State v. Madaris, supra. *Page 8
{¶ 26} The trial court did not err in determining, following the guilty pleas, that the offenses were separate and committed with a separate animus as to each offense. State v. Kent (1980),
{¶ 27} Appellant's sole assignment of error is denied.
{¶ 28} For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of the Court of Common Pleas, Delaware County, Ohio, is affirmed.
*Page 9By Gwin, J., Hoffman, P.J., and Wise, J., concur
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.