State v. Jenkins, 24166 (12-17-2008)
State v. Jenkins, 24166 (12-17-2008)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} On February 10, 2004, Defendant pled guilty to multiple counts of kidnapping in violation of R.C.
{¶ 3} On March 13, 2008, the trial court resentenced Defendant to an aggregate prison term of thirty years. Defendant timely appealed.
"A trial court's resentencing a defendant to non-minimum, maximum, and consecutive prison terms under State v. Foster,109 Ohio St.3d 1 ,2006-Ohio-856 ,845 N.E. 2d 470 , violates the defendant's rights guaranteed by theSixth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Blakely v. Washington (2004),542 U.S. 296 ,124 S.Ct. 2531 ; United States v. Booker (2005),543 U.S. 220 ,125 S.Ct. 738 ."
"Because resentencing under State v. Foster,109 Ohio St.3d 1 ,2006-Ohio-856 ,845 N.E. 2d 470 , retroactively subjects a defendant to a `statutory maximum sentence' that greatly exceeds the maximum sentence the defendant was subject to when the alleged offenses were committed, Foster violates the Due Process Clauses of the Ohio and United States Constitutions."
{¶ 4} Defendant's first and second assignments of error argue that the remedy fashioned by the Supreme Court of Ohio in Foster violates her right to a jury trial and to due process and operates as an unconstitutional ex post facto law. This Court disagrees.
{¶ 5} In Foster, the Ohio Supreme Court held that the parts of Ohio's felony sentencing statutes that required judicial factfinding before a trial court could impose maximum sentences, consecutive sentences, or sentences greater than the minimum violated the
{¶ 6} This Court has previously considered and rejected each of Defendant's constitutional arguments. Kelly at ¶ 69-70; State v.Ross, 9th Dist. No. 23375,
{¶ 7} Defendant's third assignment of error is that the trial court erred by imposing consecutive sentences for certain of her convictions without the constitutional or statutory authority to do so.
{¶ 8} In State v. Bates,
"The severance and excision of former R.C.
2929.14 (E)(4) and former R.C.2929.41 (A) in their entirety by Foster *** leaves no statute to establish in the circumstances before us presumptions for concurrent and consecutive sentencing or to limit trial court discretion beyond the basic `purposes and principles of sentencing' provision articulated and set forth in R.C.2929.11 and2929.12 . As a result, the common-law presumptions are reinstated. Such a conclusion is also consistent with the perspective of the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission, which opined that after Foster, judges have broader discretion within felony ranges to impose definite and consecutive sentences. In particular, `[j]udges are no longer guided to give concurrent sentences unless circumstances argue that consecutive sentences are more appropriate.' *Page 4 "Accordingly, the trial court now has the discretion and inherent authority to determine whether a prison sentence within the statutory range shall run consecutively or concurrently, and we hold that the trial court may impose a prison sentence to be served consecutively to a prison sentence imposed on the same offender by another Ohio court." (Internal citations omitted.) Bates,2008-Ohio-1983 , at ¶18-19 .
Defendant's third assignment of error is overruled for the reasons set forth in Bates.
"The Trial Court failed to consider the principles of sentencing, per R.C.2929.11 and failed to balance the factors of seriousness and recidivism pursuant to R.C.2929.12 ."
{¶ 9} Defendant's fourth assignment of error is that her sentence reflects an abuse of the trial court's discretion. This Court concludes that Defendant's sentence is neither clearly and convincingly contrary to law nor an abuse of the trial court's discretion.
{¶ 10} Post-Foster, this Court must employ a two-step analysis in reviewing sentencing. See State v. Kalish,
{¶ 11} The trial court adhered to the applicable rules and statutes in this case, and Defendant's sentence, which included prison terms that were greater than the minimum and some that are to be served consecutively, is not clearly and convincingly contrary to law. The trial court stated that it considered the purposes and general principles of felony sentencing set forth in R.C.
{¶ 12} The trial court did not abuse its discretion in imposing these prison terms upon Defendant. The trial court explained that it had considered a pre-sentence investigation, victim impact statements, and records from the Summit County Children Services Board. The presentence investigation report, however, is not part of the record in this appeal. See, generally, State v. Hultz, 9th Dist. No. 07CA0043,
{¶ 13} Defendant's sentence is neither clearly and convincingly contrary to law nor an abuse of the trial court's discretion. Defendant's fourth assignment of error is overruled.
{¶ 14} Defendant's assignments of error are overruled, and the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
*Page 6The 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 Summit, 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.
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 Appellant.
CARR, P. J. MOORE, J. CONCUR.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- State of Ohio v. Alice M. Jenkins
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Unpublished