State v. DurhamState v. Durham
Criminal Appeal from the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Case No. CR-525549
BEFORE: Rocco, J., Stewart, P.J., and S. Gallagher, J.
RELEASED AND JOURNALIZED: May 12, 2011
Timothy Young
Ohio Public Defender
BY: Stephen P. Hardwick
Assistant Public Defender
Ohio Public Defender‘s Office
250 East Broad Street, Suite 1400
Columbus, Ohio 43215
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
William D. Mason
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor
BY: Kristen L. Sobieski
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
The Justice Center
1200 Ontario Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
KENNETH A. ROCCO, J.:
{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant Roy A. Durham, Jr. appeals from his convictions and the sentence imposed after a jury found him guilty of felonious assault and kidnapрing.
{¶ 2} Durham presents five assignments of error. He claims the trial court allowed two types of improper testimony into evidence, “cumulative error” occurred that denied him his right to a fair trial, the trial court failed
{¶ 3} Upon a review of the record, this court finds none of Durham‘s claims to have merit. Consequently, his convictions and sentences are affirmed.
{¶ 4} According to the evidence presented at trial, Durham and the victim, Rosalynn Harrell, were friends, having met in 2005. Harrell worked as a secretary, and took an active role in activities at her church. By 2007, Durham was living with Harrell at her apartment; although she supported him, he controlled thе household finances.
{¶ 5} On the morning of Tuesday, October 2, 2007, Durham became angry at Harrell, accusing her of having eavesdropped on one of his conversations. He struck her three or four times in the face, then dragged her to the bedroom.
{¶ 6} Once therе he placed her in a chair, struck her again, knocked her to the floor, picked her up, pushed her back onto the chair, then tied her to it. He used two belts and a towel. With one belt, he tied her hands behind the chair. He placed a towel in her mouth as a gag, then tied a smaller belt around her head to hold the towel.
{¶ 7} When Harrell was secured, Durham told her he believed she was involved in a plot against him. He called her names and threatened to kill her. Occasionally, he untied her hands only to permit her to write confessions about her role.
{¶ 8} Harrell did not write “fast enough for him” at one point, so Durham went to the kitchen, obtained a knife, and stabbed her in her right shin. Approximately twenty minutes later, he threw salt into her wound.
{¶ 9} Durham kept Harrell captive in the chair until evening. By that time, he was “calmer,” became solicitous, and permitted Harrell to go to bed. The following day, Harrell remained with Durham because she was bruised and fearful of his reaction if she should attempt to leave. He reinforced her fear when he becаme angry again at something she did, “went to yelling and went to hitting [her] with a meat tenderizer” he was using to crush pain medicine. Harrell attempted to ward off the blows, but one struck her hard in her left hand.
{¶ 10} On Thursday, Durham escorted Harrell to a grocery store and a “tackle shop“; he drove Harrell‘s car. He also insisted she wear sunglasses to hide her facial bruises.
{¶ 11} By Friday, Harrell‘s leg wound was infected. Durham drove her to an “urgent care” facility, ordered her to explain she sustained her injuries
{¶ 12} That evening, Harrell‘s church pastor, Cornelius White, came to Harrell‘s apartment, worried because, by that time, she had missed several church оbligations for which she had volunteered. White spoke to Durham over the intercom; Durham told White that Harrell was not at home and he thought she was “at her mother‘s.” Durham asked White if he wanted to “come in and see.”
{¶ 13} White demurred, but informed Durham he would return if he did not find Harrell. Althоugh White attempted to contact Harrell‘s mother, he received no answer. Church matters thereafter replaced his concern over Harrell‘s whereabouts.
{¶ 14} Harrell remained in her apartment with Durham the next day and on Sunday, seeking to keep him pacified. Thus, she missed Sunday church services. That evening, Harrell‘s sister telephoned White, indicating that Harrell had not been in touch with her family for nearly a week. The call galvanized White into action. He assembled four other church members and they proceeded to Harrell‘s apartment.
{¶ 15} This time, White and two other churchmen went directly to Harrell‘s apartment door, pounded on it, and refused to believe Durham when
{¶ 16} When White entered the apartment, he saw Harrell “laying in a corner broke down in an infant-type position” on the bedroom floor; she appeared “broken.” Harrell was unkempt and had difficulty in getting to her feet, so one of the churchmen helped her outside. Upon seeing Harrell‘s condition, White‘s wife called the police. Durham, however, did not stay; he drove away in Harrell‘s car.
{¶ 17} Emboldened by her church and family, Harrell provided a written statement to the police detailing her experience. She also obtained a protective order against Durham.
{¶ 18} Durham subsequently was indicted in this case on five counts, charged with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of felonious assault, and one count of intimidation of a crime victim. His case proceeded to a jury trial.
{¶ 19} The state presented the testimony of Harrell, a few of her acquaintances from church, and police officers who became involved in the case. At the conclusion of the state‘s case, the trial court granted Durham‘s
{¶ 20} The jury found Durham guilty of one count of kidnapping, and the two counts of felonious assault, but not guilty of intimidation. At sentencing, the trial court merged the two counts of felonious assault pursuant to
{¶ 21} Durham presents the following assignments of error for review.
{¶ 22} “I. The trial court erred by permitting the complaining witness to testify based on ‘refreshed recollection’ without a proper foundation.
{¶ 23} “II. The trial court erred by admitting hearsay to improperly bolster the testimony of a key state witnesses [sic].
{¶ 24} “III. Cumulative error prejudiced Mr. Durham.
{¶ 25} “IV. The trial court erred by imposing consecutive sentences without making findings as required by
{¶ 26} “V. The convictions and sentence violate Mr. Durham‘s right to the effective assistance of counsel.”
{¶ 27} Durham‘s first and second assignments of error both address trial court rulings concerning the admission of evidence. Thеse matters lie within
{¶ 28} Initially, Durham contends the trial court erred when it permitted the prosecutor to show Harrell the written statement she gave to the police in order to refresh her recollection of the details of the оrdeal she endured with Durham. Durham cites none of the Ohio Rules of Evidence to support his argument, perhaps because none does.
{¶ 29}
{¶ 30} In this case, Harrell‘s ordeal took place three years prior to the time the case actually proceeded to trial. She admitted on direct examination that she could not remember her entire description of what occurred, assented when the prosecutor asked her if her written statement would refresh her memory, and informed the trial court after a review of her statement that she now recalled additional details. The trial court committed no error under thеse circumstances.
{¶ 31} Durham further asserts the trial court improperly permitted: 1) White to testify that he promised Harrell‘s father he would “keep an eye out for her“; and, 2) a police officer to testify Harrell decided to “press charges” against Durham after the incident. Durham contends this testimony constituted hearsay in violation of
{¶ 32}
{¶ 33} To be inadmissible as hearsay, thereforе, the witness must testify about a statement. It follows that when the witness merely testifies about his own declarations or observations, or actions taken as a result of another‘s decisions, this testimony does not fit the definition of
{¶ 34} White testified he made a promise to Harrell‘s father and this promise, in part, prompted White to check on her well-being. Similarly, the police officer merely mentioned that the investigation proceeded because Harrell cooperated with it. Neither of these instances violated
{¶ 36} In his third assignment of error, Durham argues that his convictions result from “cumulative error.” He cites neither particular portions of the record nor any legal authority to support this argument. This court, therefore, declines to address it.
{¶ 37} Durham argues in his fourth assignment of error that the trial court erred in imposing consecutive sentences without providing findings and reasons in support of those findings. He allows that the Ohio Supreme Court specifically held in State v. Foster, 109 Ohio St.3d 1, 2006-Ohio-856, 845 N.E.2d 470, that such findings were not required, but he relies on Oregon v. Ice (2009), 555 U.S. 160, 129 S.Ct. 711, 172 L.Ed.2d 517 to assert that Foster was incorrectly decided and must be overturned, thus reinstating
{¶ 38} However, the Ohio Supreme Court reсently has addressed and rejected Durham‘s argument in State v. Hodge, 128 Ohio St.3d 1, 2010-Ohio-6320, 941 N.E.2d 768. Hodge held that the statutory provisions are not revived. Id., paragraph two of the syllabus.
{¶ 39} Moreover, the supreme court also held that, unless the General Assembly enacts new legislation requiring that findings be made, trial courts are not obligated to engage in judicial fact-finding prior to imposing consecutive sentences. Id., paragraph three of the syllabus; see, also, State v. Townsend, Cuyahoga App. No. 94473, 2011-Ohio-86.
{¶ 40} Durham‘s fourth assignment of error, accordingly, is overruled.
{¶ 41} In his fifth assignment of error, Durham claims that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to “object to any of the errors raised in this brief.” Durham makes this claim despite his trial counsеl‘s obvious effort on his client‘s behalf, and his success in securing Durham‘s acquittal on two of the five counts of the indictment. State v. Bradley (1989), 42 Ohio St.3d 136, 538 N.E.2d 373, paragraphs two and three of the syllabus.
{¶ 42} Once again, Durham neither argues anything specifically, nor cites to any particular portion of the record to support his claim. Id. Therеfore, this court answers Durham‘s claim by quoting the following portion of Watson:
{¶ 43} “An appellate court may rely upon
{¶ 44} “Accordingly, we find that appellant has failed to comply with
{¶ 45} Since none of Durham‘s assignments of errоr has merit, his convictions and sentence are affirmed.
It is ordered that appellee recover from appellant costs herein taxed.
The court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this court directing the common pleas court to carry this judgment into execution. The defendant‘s convictions having been affirmed, any bail pending appeal is terminated. Case remanded to the trial court for execution of sentеnce.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to
KENNETH A. ROCCO, JUDGE
MELODY J. STEWART, P.J., and
SEAN C. GALLAGHER, J., CONCUR