Background

• Peal was involved in a 2009 drug-related robbery-homicide with one victim killed and another injured.
• Peal was indicted on multiple counts including aggravated murder with felony murder specifications and related firearm specifications, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, and having weapons under disability.
• At trial, the jury acquitted Peal of the aggravated murder counts and could not reach a verdict on other charges, leading to a mistrial on those counts.
• Peal pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter under R.C. 2903.04(A), a first-degree felony, with a one-year firearm specification, as part of a plea agreement.
• During sentencing, the court imposed ten years for involuntary manslaughter plus a consecutive one-year firearm specification, and Peal filed a timely appeal.
• Peal argues the trial court abused its discretion by considering matters for which he had not been convicted.

Issues

Key Cases Cited

• State v. Kalish, 120 Ohio St.3d 23 (2008-Ohio-4912) (two-step Kalish standard for appellate review of sentencing)