STATE OF OHIO, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. FREDRICK HAWKINS, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 108057
COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO EIGHTH APPELLATE DISTRICT COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA
October 10, 2019
2019-Ohio-4162
JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION. JUDGMENT: AFFIRMED. Criminal Appeal from the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Case Nos. CR-18-626321-A, CR-18-626329-A, CR-18-630435-A, CR-18-631229-A, and CR-18-631968-A
Michael C. O’Malley, Cuyahoga County Prosecuting Attorney, and Owen Patton and Jeffrey Maver, Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys, for appellee.
Carmen Naso and Andrew Geronimo, Counsel, and Rachel Adelman, Jie Zhang, and Matthew Logan O’Connor, Certified Legal Interns, Milton A. Kramer Law Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, for appellant.
RAYMOND C. HEADEN, J.:
{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant Fredrick Hawkins (“Hawkins”) filed a delayed notice of appeal of his convictions and sentencing following his guilty pleas in
I. Procedural and Factual History
{¶ 2} Regarding CR-18-626321-A, Hawkins was charged on March 8, 2018 under a three-count indictment with breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony, in violation of
{¶ 3} In a separate criminal case, CR-18-626329-A, Hawkins was indicted on March 20, 2018, for drug possession, a fifth-degree felony, in violation of
{¶ 4} The court held a plea hearing on May 24, 2018, on the two criminal cases — CR-18-626321-A and CR-18-626329-A. Hawkins retracted his former not guilty pleas. Under CR-18-626321-A, Hawkins entered a plea of guilty to Count 1, breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony, in violation of
{¶ 5} On October 10, 2018, the state charged Hawkins with three new cases — CR-18-630435-A, CR-18-631229-A, and CR-18-631968-A — and Hawkins pleaded not guilty to all charges. Hawkins subsequently withdrew his not guilty pleas and entered guilty pleas on October 24, 2018. Under CR-18-630435-A, Hawkins pleaded guilty to Count 1, breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony, in violation of
{¶ 6} Prior to Hawkins entering his guilty pleas during the October 24, 2018 plea hearing, defense counsel requested a PSI and a mental health evaluation. (Oct. 24, 2018 plea hearing, tr. 3.) The trial court denied defense counsel’s request and indicated the case would proceed to sentencing. (Oct. 24, 2018 plea hearing, tr. 3.)2
{¶ 7} Hawkins was sentenced on all five cases on October 30, 2018. The court imposed a 12-month sentence on each criminal case, with each sentence running concurrent to one another. Postrelease control was also imposed.
{¶ 8} Hawkins filed this appeal and presents these three assignments of error:
I. The trial court failed to substantially comply with Crim. Rule 11 when it failed to inquire into the [sic] Mr. Hawkins’[s] mental health and by holding a plea hearing with multiple defendants.
II. The trial court abused its discretion in failing to adequately consider the factors under R.C. 2929.11 in sentencing Mr. Hawkins.
III. Mr. Hawkins suffered from ineffective assistance of counsel when his counsel failed to raise the issue of Mr. Hawkins’[s] competency prior to the court accepting his plea despite the extensive evidence of Mr. Hawkins’[s] mental health issues.
{¶ 9} For the reasons that follow, we affirm.
A. Guilty Plea
{¶ 10} In his first assignment of error, Hawkins contends that his pleas were not made knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently because prior to accepting his pleas (1) the court did not inquire into Hawkins’s mental health, (2) the trial court utilized a group-plea hearing, and (3) Hawkins’s incompetency prevented him from entering a valid plea. The state argues the court substantially complied with
{¶ 11} The purpose of
{¶ 12} A trial court must strictly comply with the
{¶ 13} “The standard for reviewing whether the trial court accepted a plea in compliance with
{¶ 14} Hawkins first contends the trial court did not substantially comply with
{¶ 15} Courts have found that a defendant’s suffering from a mental illness or taking prescribed psychotropic medications at the time he entered a guilty plea “‘is not an indication that his plea was not knowing and voluntary, that the defendant lacked mental capacity to enter a plea or that the trial court otherwise erred in accepting the defendant’s guilty plea.’” State v. Carty, 2018-Ohio-2739, 116 N.E.3d 862, ¶ 22 (8th Dist.), quoting State v. McClendon, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 103202, 2016-Ohio-2630, ¶ 16, citing State v. Robinson, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 89136, 2007-Ohio-6831. “‘A defendant may be emotionally disturbed or even psychotic and still be capable of understanding the charges against him and of assisting counsel.’” Id. at ¶ 18, quoting State v. Harney, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 71001, 1997 Ohio App. LEXIS 1768 (May 1, 1997), quoting State v. Bock, 28 Ohio St.3d 108, 110, 502 N.E.2d 1016 (1986). A trial court may determine whether a defendant provided a knowing and voluntary plea by considering the surrounding circumstances such as the discussions between the court and the defendant and the defendant’s behavior. Carty at ¶ 22.
{¶ 16} A review of the plea colloquies on May 24, 2018, and October 24, 2018, demonstrates that Hawkins understood the trial court’s recitations of the
{¶ 17} Similarly, the trial court was not required to question Hawkins’s competency. A defendant is presumed competent to stand trial unless “the criminal defendant was unable to understand the nature of the proceedings and could not assist in his or her defense.” State v. Prettyman, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 79291, 2002 Ohio App. LEXIS 1112, 4 (Mar. 14, 2002), citing State v. Swift, 86 Ohio App.3d 407, 411, 621 N.E.2d 513 (11th Dist.1993). Courts have found a defendant suffering from psychosis “‘can still be capable of understanding the charges against him and assisting counsel in his defense.’” Prettyman at *4, quoting Bock at 110. “Therefore, a defendant’s emotional or mental instability does not establish incompetence for the purpose of negating a plea, which was otherwise voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently made.” Prettyman at *4-5, citing Swift at 411. A competency hearing is appropriate “where the record contains ‘sufficient indicia of incompetence,’ such that an inquiry into the defendant’s competency is necessary to ensure the defendant’s right to a fair trial.” State v. Grasso, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 98813, 2013-Ohio-1894, ¶ 71, quoting State v. Berry, 72 Ohio St.3d 354, 359, 650 N.E.2d 433 (1995), citing Drope v. Missouri, 420 U.S. 162, 95 S.Ct. 896, 43 L.Ed.2d 103 (1975).
{¶ 19} Hawkins also argues the group-plea setting prevented him from entering knowing, intelligent, and voluntary pleas. During the May 24, 2018 plea hearing, the trial court obtained pleas from Hawkins and two additional, unrelated defendants in a group-plea setting. The trial court began the hearing by positioning the defendants in a specific order. The trial court questioned the defendants in that same order throughout the proceeding. The trial court directed questions to all of the defendants and then elicited responses from each defendant, individually. There is no prohibition on a trial court conducting a group-plea hearing. State v. Strimpel, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 106129, 2018-Ohio-1628, ¶ 12. A group plea is common practice in the trial courts and does not impact whether a defendant’s guilty plea is entered knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily so long as the court’s actions comply with
{¶ 20} Based upon a review of the record, we find the totality of the circumstances demonstrates that Hawkins subjectively understood the implications
B. Felony Sentencing
{¶ 21} In his second assignment of error, Hawkins contends that the trial court abused its discretion and failed to consider the overriding purposes of felony sentencing under
{¶ 22} The standard of review on this issue is not abuse of discretion, but the standard set forth in
{¶ 24} Here, the trial court stated at the sentencing hearing that it considered the purposes and principles of the Ohio Revised Code regarding sentencing. (Tr. 24.) The sentencing journal entry states the trial court “considered all required factors of the law” and “found prison consistent with the purposes of
{¶ 25} Hawkins argues that sending him to prison, as has been done in the past, does not address his mental health and substance abuse issues that contribute to his criminality. Hawkins argues he should have been rehabilitated
I just say first of all, I’d like to apologize to the Court as far as me being here back and forth numerous times due to my mental health and my drug addiction and alcohol. And I’d also like to say at the time of these cases I was mentally unstable, I was not on my medication and I was obeying audio voice commands. And when I’m not stable on my medication, I started — well, I started getting shots —first, I was just taking pills so sometimes I would forget to the take the pills, and therefore, it wouldn’t be consistent so it was not working, so I started getting shots. And in the process of all of this that was going on, I did take time out, I went to school to become a[n] Ohio Peer Recovery Supporter. I was in the process when I was going to court to get my certification with Ohio Peer Recovery Supporter at the academy and I did do my 40 hours in-person training.
(Tr. 23.)
{¶ 26} The trial court has the discretion to assign what weight it finds appropriate to each statutory factor, so long as the sentencing is not contrary to law. Switzer, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 102175, 2015-Ohio-2954, at ¶ 12. The trial court weighed the sentencing factors and choose to send Hawkins to prison rather than transfer his case to the drug or mental health court. Our review is limited to whether the sentence was contrary to law. State v. Stovall, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 104787, 2017-Ohio-2661, ¶ 31. The fact that Hawkins disagrees with the manner in which the court weighed each factor does not make the sentence contrary to law. Id.
{¶ 27} For the foregoing reasons, we find that the trial court considered the relevant sentencing factors and Hawkins has not demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that the record does not support the sentence. Marcum, 146 Ohio St.3d 516, 2016-Ohio-1002, 59 N.E.3d 1231, at ¶ 23. We find Hawkins’s sentence is not contrary to law and overrule his second assignment of error.
C. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
{¶ 28} In his third assignment of error, Hawkins argues that his counsel was ineffective for failing to request a competency hearing prior to the plea hearing. Specifically, Hawkins argues his mental health history provided a basis for a competency hearing. This assignment of error lacks merit.
{¶ 29} The Ohio Supreme Court has provided this standard for reviewing claims of ineffective assistance of counsel:
Reversal of convictions for ineffective assistance of counsel requires that the defendant show, first, that counsel’s performance was deficient and, second, that the deficient performance prejudiced the defense so as to deprive the defendant of a fair trial. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984).
State v. Linder, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 106600, 2018-Ohio-3951, ¶ 35, quoting State v. Hanna, 95 Ohio St.3d 285, 2002-Ohio-2221, 767 N.E.2d 678, ¶ 109. To establish deficient performance, “a defendant must demonstrate that counsel’s performance fell below an objective standard of reasonable representation.” (Citations omitted.) State v. Bell, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 105000, 2017-Ohio-7168, ¶ 23. Further, prejudice is found where “there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different.” Strickland at 694.
Incompetency is defined in Ohio as the defendant’s inability to understand “* * * the nature and objective of the proceedings against him or of presently assisting in his defense.”
R.C. 2945.37(A) . Incompetency must not be equated with mere mental or emotional instability or even with outright insanity. A defendant may be emotionally disturbed or even psychotic and still be capable of understanding the charges against him and of assisting his counsel.
Bock, 28 Ohio St.3d at 110, 502 N.E.2d 1016. Absent indicia of incompetence, the record does not support Hawkins’s argument that defense counsel’s failure to request a competency hearing fell below an objective standard of reasonable representation.
{¶ 31} Even if the failure to request a competency hearing was deficient, Hawkins cannot establish how a motion by defense counsel requesting a competency hearing would create a reasonable probability of a different outcome. Hawkins’s argument that a competency hearing would have resulted in a transfer of his case to the mental health docket and that would have led to a different sentence than the one imposed is pure speculation.
{¶ 32} Because Hawkins is unable to meet either prong of the Strickland test, we cannot conclude that he received ineffective assistance of counsel. Therefore, Hawkins’s third assignment of error is overruled.
{¶ 33} Judgment affirmed.
It is ordered that appellee recover from appellant costs herein taxed.
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 is terminated. Case remanded to the trial court for execution of sentence.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure.
RAYMOND C. HEADEN, JUDGE
ANITA LASTER MAYS, P.J., and KATHLEEN ANN KEOUGH, J., CONCUR