State v. Duhart, L-08-1170 (3-13-2009)
State v. Duhart, L-08-1170 (3-13-2009)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} Appointed counsel, Dan Weiss, has submitted a request to withdraw pursuant to Anders v. California (1967),
{¶ 3} Anders, supra, and State v. Duncan (1978),
{¶ 4} In the course of seeking to withdraw pursuant toAnders, counsel must also furnish the client with a copy of the brief, the request to withdraw, and furnish the client sufficient time to raise any matters that the client wishes to on a pro se basis. Once these *Page 3 criteria have been met, the appellate court must conduct a full examination of the proceedings held below to determine if the appeal is frivolous. If it is determined that the appeal is frivolous, then the appellate court may grant counsel's request to withdraw and dismiss the appeal without violating constitutional requirements or it may proceed to a decision on the merits. Id.
{¶ 5} In the case before us, appointed counsel for appellant has satisfied the requirements set forth in Anders, supra. This court finds further that appellant was notified by counsel of his right to file an appellant brief; however, no pro se brief was filed.
{¶ 6} Accordingly, this court shall proceed with an examination of the potential assignments of error proposed by counsel for appellant and the entire record below to determine if this appeal lacks merit and is, therefore, wholly frivolous.
{¶ 7} Counsel for appellant sets forth the following three proposed assignments of error:
{¶ 8} "A. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN PROCEEDING TO SENTENCING WHERE APPELLANT'S STATE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO A GRAND JURY INDICTMENT AND STATE AND FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO DUE PROCESS WERE VIOLATED WHEN HE WAS NOT ISSUED A PROPER INDICTMENT.
{¶ 9} "B. APPELLANT WAS DENIED EFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL AS GUARANTEED BY THE SIXTH AND *Page 4
{¶ 10} "C. APPELLANT'S SENTENCE WAS UNFAIR AND CONTRARY TO THE SPIRIT OF THE PLEA AGREEMENT."
{¶ 11} The following undisputed facts are relevant to the issues raised on appeal. On April 9, 2008, pursuant to negotiated plea agreements, appellant entered pleas of guilty to one amended count of burglary, in violation of R.C.
{¶ 12} In the first proposed assignment of error by counsel for appellant, it is suggested that the trial court committed prejudicial error in sentencing appellant based, in part, on an improper indictment. As correctly conceded by counsel for appellant, "the intent element of an offense is an essential element * * * and an indictment that does not charge a defendant with intent does not charge a defendant with the crime." State v. Colon ("Colon I"),
{¶ 13} In the second proposed assignment of error, it is suggested that appellant was denied effective assistance of counsel. To prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, appellant must show that "counsel's conduct so undermined the proper functioning of the adversarial process that the trial court cannot be relied upon as having produced a just result." Strickland v. Washington (1984),
{¶ 14} Counsel for appellant suggests that appellant may have an argument on appeal based on counsel's failure to object to an alleged flaw in the indictment concerning the requisite mens rea. For the reasons stated above, and as counsel for appellant correctly concedes, such an objection could not properly be sustained. Therefore, appellant suffered no prejudicial effect from counsel's failure to object and cannot satisfy the prejudice prong of the Strickland test. It is well-settled that the court need not satisfy one prong before the other, rather "[i]f it is easier to dispose of an ineffectiveness claim on the ground of lack of sufficient prejudice, that course should be followed."Strickland¸ supra, at paragraph three of the syllabus. Appellant's second proposed assignment of error is without merit.
{¶ 15} In the third proposed assignment of error, counsel for appellant suggests that the trial court erred in sentencing appellant unfairly and in contravention of the spirit of the plea agreement. It is well-established that "[a] trial court has broad discretion in sentencing * * *." State v. Yontz (1986),
Accordingly, upon our own independent review of the record, we find no grounds for meritorious appeal. Accordingly, this appeal is found to be without merit and is wholly frivolous. Appellant's counsel's motion to withdraw is found well-taken and is granted.
{¶ 16} The judgment of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas is affirmed. Appellant is ordered to pay the costs of this appeal pursuant to App. R. 24. Judgment for the clerk's expenses incurred in preparation for the record, fees allowed by law, and the fee for filing in the appeal is awarded to Lucas County.
JUDGMENT AFFIRMED
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to App. R. 27. See, also, 6th Dist. Loc. App. R. 4.
Peter M. Handwork, J., William J. Skow, P.J., Thomas J. Osowik, J., CONCUR. *Page 1
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.