State v. Williams , 2017 Ohio 125 ( 2017 )


Menu:
  • [Cite as State v. Williams, 2017-Ohio-125.]
    IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO
    SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT
    MONTGOMERY COUNTY
    STATE OF OHIO                                      :
    :
    Plaintiff-Appellee                        :   C.A. CASE NO. 27072
    :
    v.                                                 :   T.C. NO. 15TRD11860
    :
    SHERRY WILLIAMS                                    :   (Criminal Appeal from
    :    Municipal Court)
    Defendant-Appellant                       :
    :
    ...........
    OPINION
    Rendered on the ___13th___ day of _____January______, 2017.
    ...........
    TROY B. DANIELS, Atty. Reg. No. 0084957, Assistant City Prosecutor, 335 W. Third
    Street, Rm. 372, Dayton, Ohio 45402
    Attorney for Plaintiff-Appellee
    JAMES S. SWEENEY, Atty. Reg. No. 0086402, 341 S. Third Street, Suite 100, Columbus,
    Ohio 43215
    Attorney for Defendant-Appellant
    .............
    DONOVAN, J.
    {¶ 1} Defendant-appellant Sherry Williams appeals her conviction and sentence
    for one count of reckless operation, in violation of R.C. 4511.20, a misdemeanor of the
    fourth degree. Williams filed a timely notice of appeal with this Court on March 28, 2016.
    {¶ 2} The incident which forms the basis for the instant appeal occurred on
    -2-
    November 11, 2015, when Williams was cited by Dayton Police Officer Eric T. Brown for
    failure to control her vehicle and failure to stop after an accident after she crashed into a
    fence owned by Mahle Behr Dayton, LLC, a business located near Leo Street in Dayton,
    Ohio. At her arraignment on November 30, 2015, Williams pled not guilty to all of the
    offenses charged in the traffic citation.
    {¶ 3} Shortly thereafter, on December 14, 2015, Williams pled guilty to an
    amended charge of one count of reckless operation in return for dismissal of the
    remaining counts. As part of her plea, Williams also agreed to pay restitution for the
    damaged fence in an amount to be determined by the probation department in her
    presentence investigation report (PSI).
    {¶ 4} At her sentencing hearing on January 19, 2016, Williams acknowledged her
    prior guilty plea to one count of reckless operation, as well as her agreement to pay
    restitution for the damage she caused. Williams, however, objected to the restitution
    amount indicated in her PSI and requested a hearing to determine the proper amount.
    The trial court granted Williams’ request for a restitution hearing.
    {¶ 5} The trial court subsequently held a restitution hearing on February 9, 2016.
    The only witness to testify at the hearing was Joel Zeugner, Chief Probation Officer for
    the Dayton Municipal Court. Zeugner testified that he was the individual who prepared
    Williams’ PSI. In order to prepare the PSI, Zeugner testified that he contacted the owner
    of Mahle Behr Dayton, LLC, Boris Nordel. Zeugner further testified that Nordel sent him
    two estimates from different companies to repair the damage done by Williams when she
    crashed into the fence.
    {¶ 6} The first estimate, State’s Exhibit A, was prepared by Allied Fence Builders,
    -3-
    Inc. for $5,250.00. The second estimate, State’s Exhibit B, was prepared by J.L. Kuck,
    General Contractors, Inc. for $5,998.00.      Both estimates described the repairs that
    needed to be done to repair the fence on Leo Street. Zeugner testified that the probation
    department’s policy was to utilize the lower of the two estimates for the restitution amount
    to be ordered.    Therefore, the restitution amount decided upon was $5,250.00, the
    amount of the estimate provided by Allied Fence Builders.           Williams presented no
    evidence at the restitution hearing.
    {¶ 7} The trial court found that the State had met is burden regarding the amount
    of restitution to be ordered. The trial court, however, ordered the probation department
    to investigate whether Mahle Behr Dayton was insured, and if so, the amount of its
    deductible. The sentencing hearing was held on March 21, 2016. The State presented
    evidence that the business’ insurance deductible was $250,000.00 via documentation in
    the presentence report. Thereafter, the trial court sentenced Williams to thirty days in
    jail, suspended; non-reporting probation to include restitution in the amount of $5,250.00;
    a fine of $50.00; and court costs.
    {¶ 8} It is from this judgment that Williams now appeals.
    {¶ 9} Williams’ sole of assignment of error is as follows:
    {¶ 10} “THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION WHEN IT ORDERED
    APPELLANT TO PAY RESTITUTION IN THE AMOUNT OF $5,250.00.”
    {¶ 11} In her sole assignment, Williams contends that the trial court abused its
    discretion when it ordered restitution in the amount of $5,250.00. Specifically, Williams
    argues that the State failed to adduce competent, credible evidence establishing exactly
    how much of the damage to the fence was caused by her and whether there was any pre-
    -4-
    existing damage to the fence for which she was not responsible.
    {¶ 12} R.C. 2929.28 specifies the types of financial sanctions a trial court may
    impose in misdemeanor cases, including restitution. The statute provides the following
    in pertinent part:
    [T]he court imposing a sentence upon an offender for a
    misdemeanor, including a minor misdemeanor, may sentence the offender
    to any financial sanction or combination of financial sanctions authorized
    under this section. If the court in its discretion imposes one or more financial
    sanctions, the financial sanctions that may be imposed pursuant to this
    section include, but are not limited to, the following:
    (1) Unless the misdemeanor offense is a minor misdemeanor or
    could be disposed of by the traffic violations bureau serving the court
    under Traffic Rule 13, restitution by the offender to the victim of the
    offender's crime or any survivor of the victim, in an amount based on the
    victim's economic loss. * * *
    If the court imposes restitution, the court shall determine the amount
    of restitution to be paid by the offender. If the court imposes restitution, the
    court may base the amount of restitution it orders on an amount
    recommended by the victim, the offender, a presentence investigation
    report, estimates or receipts indicating the cost of repairing or replacing
    property, and other information, provided that the amount the court orders
    as restitution shall not exceed the amount of the economic loss suffered by
    the victim as a direct and proximate result of the commission of the
    -5-
    offense. If the court decides to impose restitution, the court shall hold an
    evidentiary hearing on restitution if the offender, victim, or survivor disputes
    the amount of restitution. If the court holds an evidentiary hearing, at the
    hearing the victim or survivor has the burden to prove by a preponderance
    of the evidence the amount of restitution sought from the offender.
    (Emphasis added.) R.C. 2929.28(A)(1).
    {¶ 13} “R.C. 2929.28(A)(1) grants broad discretion to the trial court to ‘base the
    amount of restitution it orders' on new information presented at the restitution hearing,
    which can be from the victim, the offender, a presentence investigation report, estimates,
    receipts, or ‘any other information.’ ” State v. Olson, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 25452,
    2013–Ohio–4403, ¶ 8. In turn, “we generally review a trial court's order of restitution
    under an abuse of discretion standard[.]” State v. Wilson, 2d Dist. Montgomery No.
    26488, 2015–Ohio–3167, ¶ 11.
    {¶ 14} “A trial court abuses its discretion when it orders restitution that does not
    bear a reasonable relationship to the actual financial loss suffered.” 
    Id., citing State
    v.
    Johnson, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 24288, 2012–Ohio–1230, ¶ 11. In addition, a court
    abuses its discretion if the award of restitution is not supported by competent, credible
    evidence in the record from which the court can discern the amount of restitution to a
    reasonable degree of certainty. (Citations omitted.) Olson at ¶ 33.
    {¶ 15} “The evidence to support a restitution order can take the form of either
    documentary evidence or testimony.” (Citations omitted.) State v. Jones, 10th Dist.
    Franklin No. 14AP–80, 2014–Ohio–3740, ¶ 23. Moreover, “[t]he trial court is authorized
    to base the amount of restitution on an amount recommended by the victim.” State v.
    -6-
    Pillow, 2d Dist. Greene No. 07CA095, 2008–Ohio–6046, ¶ 148; R.C. 2929.28(A)(1).
    {¶ 16} We note that Williams does not challenge the trial court’s finding that her
    conduct in crashing into the fence on Leo Street was the proximate cause of some
    damage to the victim’s fence. Williams does, however, dispute the amount of restitution
    ordered by the trial court arguing that “no evidence was provided to the trial court to inform
    it how much of the damage to the fence was caused by [Williams].” For the following
    reasons, we find Williams’ argument to be without merit.
    {¶ 17} As previously discussed, Zeugner testified that in preparing Williams’ PSI,
    he corresponded with Nordel, the owner of Mahle Behr Dayton, who, in turn, requested
    and received estimates from two local fence building companies regarding the cost to
    repair the fence bordering Leo Street. The first estimate, State’s Exhibit A, was prepared
    by Allied Fence Builders, Inc. and quoted a repair estimate of $5,250.00. The second
    estimate, State’s Exhibit B, was prepared by J.L. Kuck, General Contractors, Inc. for
    $5,998.00. Zeugner testified that the probation department’s policy was to utilize the
    lower of the two estimates for the restitution amount to be ordered. Therefore, the
    restitution amount decided upon was $5,250.00, the amount of the estimate provided by
    Allied Fence Builders and incorporated into Williams’ PSI. Allied’s estimate stated the
    following:
    1. Repair all damaged components of fence along Leo St. Parts that need
    to be replaced will be with equivalent in size, strength & finish.
    2. Replace approximately 60ft of 6 gauge chain link fabric. This is a non-
    standard gauge and will take some time to get in stock.
    3. Replace all barbed wire on the entire line. Existing wire is too old to
    -7-
    splice.
    4. Removal of existing gate and bending back to as straight as possible.
    May have to be brought back to fabrication shop in order to accomplish this.
    5. Tie all new and existing fabric back to posts.
    6. Replace bottom tension wire as needed.
    7. Dispatch our gate operator technician to hook existing operator back up
    and test.
    TOTAL INSTALLED COST: $5,250.00 based on non-prevailing wage rates.
    {¶ 18} In the instant case, we find that State’s Exhibit A, Allied’s repair estimate,
    constitutes competent, credible evidence from which the trial court could determine, within
    a reasonable degree of certainty, the amount of the victim’s actual loss. No evidence
    was adduced which established that the fence was damaged in any way before Williams
    crashed into it. More importantly, Williams does not dispute that her conduct proximately
    caused damage to the fence. Therefore, the trial court did not abuse its discretion when
    it ordered Williams to pay restitution in the amount of $5,250.00.
    {¶ 19} Williams’ sole assignment of error is overruled.
    {¶ 20} Williams’ sole assignment of error having been overruled, the judgment of
    the trial court is affirmed.
    .............
    HALL, P.J. and WELBAUM, J., concur.
    Copies mailed to:
    Troy B. Daniels
    James S. Sweeney
    Hon. Mia Wortham Spells
    -8-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 27072

Citation Numbers: 2017 Ohio 125

Judges: Donovan

Filed Date: 1/13/2017

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 1/13/2017