State v. Hudson, 08-Ca-48 (4-22-2009)
State v. Hudson, 08-Ca-48 (4-22-2009)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 3} On April 16, 2002, the trial court granted Appellant early judicial release on the first count of robbery, placing Appellant on community control with respect to the remaining counts. Subsequently, the trial court revoked Appellant's community control, and ordered Appellant return to prison to serve the remainder of the sentence imposed on count one and the seven breaking and entering counts. Upon his release from prison, the trial court placed Appellant on community control pursuant to his sentence on the second count of robbery.
{¶ 4} On September 30, 2005, Appellant's community control was again revoked, and the trial court ordered Appellant serve the previously suspended three year sentence on count two. At the hearing, the trial court did not notify Appellant he would be subject to a term of post-release control following the completion of his prison term, as required by R.C.
{¶ 5} Appellant was scheduled for release from prison on September 10, 2008. Prior to his release, on April 8, 2008, the State moved the trial court to correct Appellant's sentence pursuant to R.C.
{¶ 6} Appellant now appeals assigning as error:
{¶ 7} "I. THE TRIAL COURT'S RESENTENCING OF APPELLANT UNDER R.C.
{¶ 8} "II. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN APPLYING THE RESENTENCING PROCEDURE IN R.C.
{¶ 9} "III. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN APPLYING THE RESENTENCING PROCEDURE IN R.C.
{¶ 11} Appellant maintains the trial court's resentencing under R.C.
{¶ 12} The Ohio Supreme Court held in State v. Jordan "[w]hen a trial court fails to notify an offender about postrelease control at the sentencing hearing * * * it fails to comply with the mandatory provisions of R.C.
{¶ 13} In State v. Bezac,
{¶ 14} The Court in Bezac stated,
{¶ 15} "However, in such a resentencing hearing, the trial court may not merely inform the offender of the imposition of postrelease control and automatically reimpose the original sentence. Rather, the effect of vacating the trial court's original sentence is to place the parties in the same place as if there had been no sentence. See Romito v.Maxwell,
{¶ 16} In State v. Simpkins,
{¶ 17} "Because a sentence that does not conform to statutory mandates requiring the imposition of postrelease control is a nullity and void, it must be vacated. *Page 5
The effect of vacating the sentence places the parties in the same position they would have been in had there been no sentence.Bezak,
{¶ 18} "A trial court's jurisdiction over a criminal case is limited after it renders judgment, but it retains jurisdiction to correct a void sentence and is authorized to do so. Cruzado,
{¶ 19} "* * *
{¶ 20} "`Although res judicata is an important doctrine, it is not so vital that it can override society's interest in enforcing the law, and in meting out the punishment the legislature has deemed just.'Beasley,
{¶ 21} "Every judge has a duty to impose lawful sentences. `Confidence in and respect for the criminal-justice system flow from a belief that courts and officers of the courts perform their duties pursuant to established law.' Cruzado,
{¶ 22} "* * *
{¶ 23} "Neither constitutional principles nor the doctrine of res judicata requires that sentencing become a game in which a wrong move by the judge or prosecutor *Page 6
means immunity for a defendant. See Bozza v. United States (1947),
{¶ 24} "* * *
{¶ 25} "In reaching the conclusion that there is no constitutional violation here, we recognize that Simpkins had completed the vast majority of his sentence at the time of his resentencing. We are also aware that some courts have expressed "concern that the power of a sentencing court to correct even a statutorily invalid sentence must be subject to some temporal limit" imposed by due process and fundamental fairness. Breest,
{¶ 26} "Where, as here, the sentence imposed was unlawful and thus void, there can be no reasonable, legitimate expectation of finality in it. United States v. Crawford (C.A.5, 1985),
{¶ 27} Upon review of the record, we find Appellant's sentence was void; however, the trial court retained jurisdiction to resentence Appellant pursuant to the procedure set forth in R.C.
{¶ 28} Appellant further argues R.C. Section
{¶ 29} Appellant's sentence was not increased by the imposition of post-release control following his incarceration. Indeed, this condition is a mandatory requirement of appellant's sentence that existed at the time of appellant's original sentence. Woods v. Telb (2000),
{¶ 30} The Supreme Court of Ohio in Woods, supra, stated, "the administration of justice by the judicial branch of the government cannot be impeded by the other branches of the government in the exercise of their respective powers." Id. at 511, 733 N.E.2d 1103. However, the court found no judicial function was usurped by the legislature's enactment of R.C.
{¶ 31} This Court addressed the issue raised herein in State v.Merideth (January 18, 2007), Perry App. No. 06CA15:
{¶ 32} "Appellant herein proposes, without supporting authority, that once his sentence was executed in 2000, he came under the authority of the executive branch, *Page 8 and that there is no provision for the trial court to reassert jurisdiction over his sentence. Generally speaking, cases involving mandatory post-release control do not implicate the separation of powers doctrine, because the executive branch has no discretion over whether an offender is subject to such statutorily-mandated sanctions. SeeState v. Johnson, Cuyahoga App. No. 80459, 2002-Ohio-4581, ¶ 19. `Consequently, a court's failure to inform the offender of post-release control sanctions in these cases requires a different disposition: such cases must be remanded for resentencing for the limited purpose of notifying the offender of the mandatory post-release control and including this sanction in its sentencing order.' Id., emphasis added.
{¶ 33} "Clearly, the determination of guilt in a criminal matter and the sentencing of a defendant convicted of a crime are solely the province of the judiciary. State ex rel. Bray v. Russell (2000),
{¶ 34} Accordingly, we do not find the trial court's resentencing of Appellant pursuant to the procedures set forth in R.C.
{¶ 35} Finally, Appellant maintains the trial court erred in applying the procedure set forth in R.C.
{¶ 36} The Ohio Constitution Article
{¶ 37} "(D) No bill shall contain more than one subject, which shall be clearly expressed in its title. No law shall be revived or amended unless the new act contains the entire act revived, or the section or sections amended, and the section or sections amended shall be repealed."
{¶ 38} The purpose of the one-subject rule is to prevent the tactic of "logrolling," which occurs when legislators combine several distinct proposals into a single bill in order to gain passage, even though no single proposal may have obtained majority approval separately.State ex rel. Ohio Civ. Serv. Employees Assn., AFSCME, Local 11, AFL-CIOv. State Emp. Relations Bd.,
{¶ 39} However, to avoid interference with the legislative process, a court's role in enforcing the one-subject rule is limited. Id. at ¶ 27. Thus, "`[t]he mere fact that a bill embraces more than one topic is not fatal, as long as a common purpose or relationship exists between the topics.'" State ex rel. Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers v. Sheward (1999),
{¶ 40} Although Am. Sub. H.B. 137 contains provisions regarding both juvenile-delinquency matters and adult criminal matters, we conclude the bill does not represent "logrolling" and the topics included within the bill share a common purpose. Thus, we find R.C.
{¶ 41} For the foregoing reasons, Appellant's sentence in the Fairfield County Court of Common Pleas is affirmed.
Hoffman, J. Farmer, P.J. and Edwards, J. concur *Page 11
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.