State v. Donegan , 2017 Ohio 8520 ( 2017 )

[Cite as State v. Donegan, 2017-Ohio-8520.]
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO
THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT
HARDIN COUNTY
STATE OF OHIO,
PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE, CASE NO. 6-17-05
v.
THOMAS J. DONEGAN, OPINION
DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.
Appeal from Hardin County Common Pleas Court
Trial Court No. CRI 20162155
Judgment Affirmed
Date of Decision: November 13, 2017
APPEARANCES:
Michael J. Short for Appellant
Jason M. Miller for Appellee
Case No. 6-17-05
ZIMMERMAN, J.
{¶1} Defendant-appellant, Thomas J. Donegan (“Donegan”), appeals the
April 12, 2017 sentencing entry of the Hardin County Court of Common Pleas. For
the reasons that follow, we affirm the judgment and sentence of the trial court.
{¶2} On October 28, 2016, the Hardin County grand jury indicted Donegan
on Count One: Rape in violation of R.C. 2907.02(A)(1)(b), a felony of the first
degree; and Count Two: Gross Sexual Imposition in violation of
2907.05(A)(4)(C)(2), a felony of the third degree. (Doc. 1).
{¶3} On November 8, 2016, Donegan entered a plea of not guilty to both
charges and his case was set for a jury trial for January 17, 2017. (Doc. 6).
{¶4} On November 16, 2016, Donegan filed a motion for a competency
evaluation. The evaluation was ultimately conducted on January 11, 2017 and the
competency hearing occurred on February 9, 2017, wherein the trial court found
Donegan competent to stand trial. A new trial date was then set for March 30, 2017.
(Doc. 26).
{¶5} On March 9, 2017, the trial court conducted its final pretrial hearing on
the charges at which time Donegan withdrew his plea of not guilty to Count Two
and entered a plea of guilty. Pursuant to negotiations, the State dismissed Count
One (Rape) of the indictment in exchange for Donegan’s guilty plea. (Change of
Plea Tr. Pg. 2). At the plea hearing Donegan signed a “Waiver of rights and plea of
-2-
Case No. 6-17-05
guilty” form that reflected his change of plea. (Doc. 30). In accepting Donegan’s
plea, the trial court found him guilty of Gross Sexual Imposition, and ordered a pre-
sentence investigation (“PSI”) report. (Doc. 31).
{¶6} Donegan was sentenced to a prison term of thirty months which was
journalized by the trial court’s judgment entry filed April 12, 2017. (Doc. 35).
{¶7} On April 19, 2017 Donegan timely filed a notice of appeal raising the
following assignment of error.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR
THE DEFENDANT’S PLEA WAS NOT GIVEN KNOWINGLY,
INTELLIGENTLY, AND VOLUNTARILY.
{¶8} In his sole assignment of error, Donegan asserts that the trial court erred
in accepting his guilty plea because it was not made knowingly, intelligently, and
voluntarily.
{¶9} “ ‘When a defendant enters a plea in a criminal case, the plea must be
made knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily. Failure on any of those points
renders enforcement of the plea unconstitutional under both the United States
Constitution and the Ohio Constitution.’ ” State v. Veney, 120 Ohio St.3d 176,
2008-Ohio-5200, ¶7, quoting State v. Engle, 74 Ohio St.3d 525, 527 (1996).
{¶10} Crim.R. 11(C) states:
(2) In felony cases the court may refuse to accept a plea of guilty
or a plea of no contest, and shall not accept a plea of guilty
-3-
Case No. 6-17-05
or no contest without first addressing the defendant
personally and doing all of the following:
(a) Determining that the defendant is making the plea
voluntarily, with understanding of the nature of the charges
and of the maximum penalty involved, and if applicable, that
the defendant is not eligible for probation or for the
imposition of community control sanctions at the sentencing
hearing.
(b) Informing the defendant of and determining that the
defendant understands the effect of the plea of guilty or no
contest, and that the court, upon acceptance of the plea, may
proceed with judgment and sentence.
(c) Informing the defendant and determining that the defendant
understands that by the plea the defendant is waiving the
rights to jury trial, to confront witnesses against him or her,
to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in the
defendant’s favor, and to require the state to prove the
defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at a trial at
which the defendant cannot be compelled to testify against
himself or herself.
{¶11} “[A] trial court must strictly comply with Crim.R. 11(C)(2)(c) and
orally advise a defendant before accepting a felony plea that the plea waives the
defendant’s constitutional rights.” State v. Ackley, 12th Dist. Madison No. CA2013-
04-010, 2014-Ohio-876, citing Veney, at ¶31. “When a trial court fails to strictly
comply with this duty, the defendant’s plea is invalid.” Id. However, a trial court
is required to only substantially comply with the non-constitutional notifications
required by Crim.R. 11(C)(2)(a) and (b). Id. at ¶14. An appellate court reviews that
substantial-compliance standard based upon the totality of the circumstances
-4-
Case No. 6-17-05
surrounding the defendant’s plea and determines whether he subjectively
understood the implications of his plea and the rights he waived. Id., citing State v.
Sarkozy, 117 Ohio St.3d 86, 2008-Ohio-509, ¶20. “Furthermore, a defendant who
challenges his guilty plea on the basis that it was not knowingly, intelligently, and
voluntarily made must show a prejudicial effect. * * * The test is whether the plea
would have otherwise been made.” Id., quoting State v. Nero, 56 Ohio St.3d 106,
108 (1990).
{¶12} In the case sub judice, we find that Donegan was properly advised of
his constitutional rights under Crim.R. 11 by the trial court. The record establishes
that the Court personally addressed Donegan regarding his plea of guilty in
accordance with Crim.R. 11(C)(2). Specifically, with respect to Crim.R.
11(C)(2)(b), the record reflects as follows:
Court: Mr. Donegan, is that your understanding – that
you’re prepared to enter a plea to the one count, is that what
you’re gonna do today?
Defendant: Yes sir.
***
Court: Alright. You can turn the page sir. Do you
understand, Mr. Donegan, when you plead guilty to a criminal
charge, one of the effects of that plea of guilty is that you, in
essence, are admitting the facts that form the basis for that charge
* * *. Do you understand that?
Defendant: Yes sir.
-5-
Case No. 6-17-05
Court: Do you understand, Mr. Donegan, if I accept your
plea today, I legally have the right to go ahead and sentence you
today if I want to do that. Do you understand that?
Defendant: Yes sir.
(Change of Plea Tr. Pgs. 2, 3, 6).
{¶13} Furthermore, with respect to Crim.R. 11(C)(2)(c), the record states:
Court: Alright. Do you understand, Mr. Donegan, that you
share with every citizen in the State of Ohio the right, having been
charged with a crime, you have the right to have your guilt or
your innocence on this charge determined not by one person, not
by me alone, but you have a right to have a jury of twelve citizens
of Hardin County chosen – they would be chosen by you and your
attorney, as well as the State’s attorney, and once chosen, those
twelve citizens – we call them a jury – they would be the ones that
would determine if you’ve broken the law. So you understand
you have a complete right to a trial by jury?
Defendant: Yes sir.
Court: Alright. Do you understand by entering this plea of
guilty that you’re giving up your right to a jury trial?
Defendant: Yes sir.
Court: Do you understand if you wanted to have a trial, we
would all expect the State, the prosecutor, would call witnesses to
try to prove its case against you? Do you understand for every
witness the State would use, you have a right to see that witness
and question that witness?
Defendant: Yes.
***
Court: Alright. So do you understand by entering these
pleas of guilty, this one plea of guilty – excuse me – you’re giving
-6-
Case No. 6-17-05
up your right to see and question all of the State’s witnesses,
you’re also giving up your right to make people come to court to
be your witness. Do you understand all of that?
Defendant: Uh
Court: Let me break it down. Do you understand that
you’re not going to be able to see and question any of the State’s
witnesses, because when you plead guilty they won’t use any
witnesses? Do you understand that?
Defendant: Yes sir.
Court: And you also understand by pleading guilty you
won’t be bringing witnesses in to determine whether you
committed this crime, you’re just admitting it. Do you
understand that?
Defendant: Yes sir.
***
Court: Alright. Do you understand that by entering this
plea you’re giving up your right to a trial?
Defendant: My question is, sir, is if I don’t want a jury trial
Court: Correct. This is what you do when you choose not to
have a jury trial. That’s what we’re going through now. There
won’t be a trial. Is that what you understand?
Defendant: Yes.
(Change of Plea Tr. Pgs. 6-10).
{¶14} The court further questioned Donegan as follows with respect to
Crim.R. 11(C)(2)(b):
-7-
Case No. 6-17-05
Court: * * * What I’m saying is at the moment legally you
are still innocent, but as soon as we go through this process you
will no longer be considered innocent of this charge. Do you
understand that?
Defendant: Yes sir.
***
Court: Alright. So do you understand that you would not
have to testify if there was a trial? Do you understand that?
Defendant: Yeah.
Court: Nobody can make you speak.
Defendant: I understand.
***
Court: * * * Are you making this plea because someone is
threatening you or forcing you to do it, or are you doing this
because it’s your decision?
Defendant: I’m doing this on my own decision.
Court: Alright. That’s what I want to ask, because I want
to make sure nobody is making you do this.
Defendant: No.
Court: Alright. Very good. And are you doing this, Mr.
Donegan, knowing that there is no decision as to what my sentence
would be? There’s absolutely no decision. That remains to be
seen. Do you understand that?
Defendant: Yes sir.
***
-8-
Case No. 6-17-05
Court: Mr. Donegan, having gone through this whole
process now, to the count of gross sexual imposition, as I said, do
you plead guilty or not guilty?
Defendant: Well on that I pleaded guilty.
***
Court: So to the charge of gross sexual imposition
Defendant: I’m guilty.
Court: Alright. So then the Court’s going to find – first of
all I have to decide whether I think you’re acting voluntarily, and
you’ve convinced me you are acting voluntarily, and that
nobody’s making you do anything
Defendant: No.
Court: Very good. I understand. And that you are doing
this without any knowledge of what the sentence will be, so the
Court finds you’re doing voluntary action. I also find you have
been given all of your constitutional and statutory rights, and
you’ve questioned me about many of those and have then
answered the questions appropriately. So the Court’s going to
find that you have acknowledged that you understand your rights
and therefore the Court is going to find that your plea to count
two of guilty is knowingly and intelligently and voluntarily based.
So we will enter that plea of record now.
(Change of Plea Tr. Pgs. 13 - 15, 22 - 23, 33 - 34).
{¶15} In addition to the trial court’s personal advisement (to Donegan) of his
constitutional rights, Donegan also reviewed and signed a “waiver of rights and plea
of guilty” form (Doc. 30) that contained a recital of his following constitutional and
statutory rights:
-9-
Case No. 6-17-05
 Waiver of trial by jury
 Waiver of confrontation and cross-examination of State’s
witnesses
 Waiver of subpoenaing and/or calling witnesses
 Waiver of State’s requirement to prove guilty beyond a
reasonable doubt
 Waiver of presumption of innocence
 Waiver of right to remain silent
{¶16} Based upon the trial court’s advisement colloquy with Donegan and
our review of Donegan’s rights waiver form (Doc. 30), we find the record
establishes that the requirements of Crim.R. 11(C)(2) have been satisfied in this
case. The record reflects that the trial court meticulously inquired of Donegan of
his understanding of the nature of the proceedings, his constitutional rights, the
maximum punishment involved and the impact of entering a plea of guilty. Further,
Donegan reviewed and signed a rights waiver form which duplicated the trial court’s
advisement of his constitutional rights. Thus, Donegan was properly advised of his
Crim.R. 11 rights by the trial court and we find that his plea of guilty was knowingly,
intelligently and voluntarily entered. Accordingly, we overrule Donegan’s sole
assignment of error.
{¶17} Having found no error prejudicial to the appellant herein in the
particular assignment of error, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Judgment Affirmed
WILLAMOWSKI and SHAW, J.J., concur.
/jlr
-10-