State v. Vasquez, 08ap-758 (3-17-2009)
State v. Vasquez, 08ap-758 (3-17-2009)
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant, Fidel A. Vasquez ("appellant"), appeals the decision and entry of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, which denied his motions for resentencing and modification of his sentence. Because appellant's motions were untimely, we affirm the trial court's decision.{¶ 2} On March 7, 2003, a Franklin County jury found appellant guilty of one count of reckless homicide with a gun specification and one count of tampering with *Page 2
evidence. The trial court sentenced appellant on April 24, 2003, and he received consecutive sentences of five years for reckless homicide, three years for the gun specification, and three years for tampering with evidence. Appellant appealed, and this court affirmed. State v.Vasquez, 10th Dist. No. 03AP-460,
{¶ 3} On June 23, 2008, appellant moved for resentencing based onState v. Foster,
{¶ 4} Appellant appeals, and he raises the following assignments of error:
[I.] The Trial Court Erred in denying [appellant's] Motion for Resentencing and Modification without an evidentiary hearing in violation of [appellant's] right to Due Process under the Ohio and United States Constitutions.
[II.] The Trial Court Erred by not granting [appellant's] Motion for Sentencing Modification.
{¶ 5} We will address appellant's assignments together. Appellant's right to post-conviction relief arises from R.C.
Any person who has been convicted of a criminal offense or adjudicated a delinquent child and who claims that there was such a denial or infringement of the person's rights as to render the judgment void or voidable under the Ohio Constitution or the Constitution of the United States, * * * may file a petition in the court that imposed sentence, stating the grounds for relief relied upon, and asking the court to vacate or set aside the judgment or sentence or to grant *Page 3 other appropriate relief. The petitioner may file a supporting affidavit and other documentary evidence in support of the claim for relief.
{¶ 6} The post-conviction relief process is a collateral civil attack on a criminal judgment, not an appeal of the judgment. State v.Steffen,
{¶ 7} A petitioner seeking post-conviction relief is not automatically entitled to an evidentiary hearing. Calhoun, at 282. The trial court "shall determine whether there are substantive grounds for relief" before granting a hearing on a post-conviction petition. R.C.
{¶ 8} A post-conviction petition also must be timely. R.C.
{¶ 9} R.C.
{¶ 10} Because appellant's motions were untimely post-conviction petitions, the trial court properly denied them. Accordingly, we overrule appellant's assignments of error. We affirm the judgment of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.
Judgment affirmed.
SADLER and KLATT, JJ., concur. *Page 1
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