State v. LightnerState v. Lightner
{¶1} Defendant-Appellant, Steven Lightner, Jr. (“Lightner“) appeals from the December 17, 2008 Judgment Entry of the Court of Common Pleas, Hardin County, Ohio. Lightner was convicted of one count of Receiving Stolen Property, in violatiоn of
{¶2} These charges arise from an incident occurring on August 27-28, 2008. It appears that sometimes during the late evening hours of August 27, 2008, Lightner, his brother Jesse Lightner, John Byers, and JJ Kougher were involved in the theft of a four year old utility dump trailer from a residence in Hancock, County, Ohio. After stealing the trailer, they moved it to a residence in Hardin County, Ohio, and parked it behind the residence.
{¶3} After storing the trailer in Hardin County, the Lightner brothers tried to find a buyer for the stolen trailer. The Lightners approached several people concerning purchasing the trailer, but were unable to find a buyer.
{¶4} At the same time, JJ Kougher was doing remodeling work on the bathroom of Rusty Ohler. JJ Kougher told Ohler he could borrow the trailer, and
{¶5} Once Ohler picked up the dump trailer, he was subsequently stopped by the police because the trailer did not have a license plate. After the traffic stop, it was determined that the VIN numbers on the trailer being towed, by Ohler, without a license plate matched those of the stolen Hancock County trailer.
{¶6} On July 8, 2008 Lightner was indicted on one count of Receiving Stolen Property, in violation of
{¶7} Lightner was arraigned on July 17, 2008 and entered a plea of not guilty to each count of the indictment.
{¶8} A jury trial was held on December 15, 2008. At trial, the first count of Breaking and Entering was dismissed for insufficient evidence at the State‘s concession. After deliberation, the jury found Lightner not guilty of the charge of
{¶9} On December 17, 2008 Lightner was sentenced. The trial court found that the counts of Receiving Stolen Property and Grand Theft were allied offenses and proceeded to sentencing only on the charge of Grand Theft. Lightner was sentenced to a prison term of ten months on his conviction for Grand Theft to run consecutively to a prison term of seven years on his conviction for of Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity.
{¶10} Lightner now appeals, asserting two assignments of error.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR I
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN DENYING THE DEFENDANT‘S CRIMIMAL [SIC] RULE 29 MOTION FOR ACQUITTAL, AS THE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT A CONVICTION UNDER SECTION 2923.32 OF THE OHIO REVISED CODE WAS INSUFFICIENT TO PROVE BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT THE “ESSENTIAL ELEMENT” OF TWO PREDICATE OFFENSES AND THE EXISTENCE OF AN “ENTERPRISE.”
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR II
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY NOT INSTRUCTING THE JURY THAT THE PREDICATE ACTS REQUIRED FOR A CONVICTION AS TO A VIOLATION OF SECTION 2923.32
OF THE OHIO REVISED CODE MUST ALSO BE PROVEN BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT AND THAT UN-INDICTED OFFENSE MAY BE USED AS PREDICATE OFFESES.
{¶11} In his first assignment of error, Lightner argues that the trial court erred in denying his
{¶12}
The court on motion of a defendant or on its own motion, after the evidence on either side is clоsed, shall order the entry of a judgment of acquittal of one or more offenses charged in the indictment, information, or complaint, if the evidence is insufficient to sustain a conviction of such offense or offenses.
{¶13} A trial court should not grant a
{¶14} Specifically, Lightner argues that evidence introduced at trial with respect to the charge of Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity was insufficient to prove two predicate offenses and the existence of an enterprise. Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity is defined by
(A)(1) No person employed by, or associated with, any entеrprise shall conduct or participate in, directly or indirectly, the affairs of the enterprise through a pattern of corrupt activity or the collection of an unlawful debt.
* * * any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, limited partnership, corporation, trust, union, government agency, or other legal entity, or any organization, association, or group of persons associated in fact although not a legal entity. ‘Enterprise’ includes illicit as well as licit enterprises.
Finally,
two or more incidents of corrupt activity, whether or not there has been a prior conviction, that are related to the affairs of the same enterprise, are not isolated, and are not so closely related to each other and connected in time and place that they constitute a single event.
{¶15}
{¶16} Although the predicate acts in
{¶17} In the indictment, the State offered the following to establish the pattern of corrupt activity:
§2913.51(A),(C), Receiving Stolen Property[F4]; §2921.12(A)(1),(B), Tampering with Evidence[F3]; §2911.13(A), Breaking and Entering[F5]; § R.C. 2911.13(B), Breaking and Entering[F3]; §2913.02(A)(1),(B)(2), Grand Theft[F4], Theft offensеs in municipal courts of Ohio; thefts [sic] of Motor Scooter on or about May 4, 2003, and Receiving Stolen
Property, namely, ATV‘s on or about March 2, 2007 through and including March 31, 2007
{¶18} Therefore, we find that Lightner was provided notice, in the indictment, that the State would attempt to use both a 2003 incident involving the theft of motor scooters and a 2007 incident involving the theft of ATVs as predicate offenses. Moreover, Lightner concedes that the theft of the dump trailer was a single instance of corrupt activity. However, Lightner contends that the State failed to establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, a second instance of corrupt activity sufficient to support his conviction for Engaging in a Pattern of Corrupt Activity.
{¶19} At trial, the following testimony was offered by Detective Coffman of the Kenton City Police department.
Bailey: [D]id you specifically investigate a case of stolen motor scooters involving Steve Lightner, Jr. and his brother Jesse Lightner?
Coffman: I was not the lead investigator on it, I did assist in that case.
Bailey: Alright. And you are familiar, though, with it, correct?
Coffman: That is correct.
Bailey: And that occurred on or about May 4th, 2003?
Coffman: Yes
Bailey: And is that date of any necessary, specific importance to the Lightners?
Coffman: Jesse‘s eighteenth birthday.
Bailey: So on his eighteenth birthday he and his brother Stevie, Jr. were stealing motor scooters, correct?
Coffman: Correct.
Bailey: They were, I think, ultimately convicted of that, correct?
Coffman: Yes.
Bailey: Additionally, were you one of the detectives assisting Detective Baum on what I call the ATV cases on or about March 2nd, 2007 up through and including March 31st, 2007.
Coffman: Yes.
Bailey: And you assisted the Hardin County Sheriff‘s Department in that case?
Coffman: That is correct.
Bailey: And who all was involved in stealing some ATVS?
Coffman: That was Jesse Lightner, Stevie Lightner, Bubba,1 and Ben Fowler.
Bailey: Alright. And when you say Stevie Lightner, you‘re talking about Stevie Lightner, Jr.?
Coffman: Yes.
Bailey: And specifically, also in the current case which is what we call, I guess, the trailer case stemming from August 27th and August 28th of 2007, who was your investigation, what did it entail as far as who was all involved in this?
Coffman: Investigation from sources involved in the crimes said it was Jeremy Wyomic, Bubba, Jess, and Stevie Lightner, Jr.. Bailey: Alright. And the same Stevie Lightner, Jr. that you interviewed the one that‘s involved in all these prior crimes, is he in the courtroom today?
[Detective Coffman identifies Steven Lightner.]
(Tr.p.173-175).
{¶20} Lightner argues that the State was required to submit certified copies of his convictions to prove either the 2003 or 2007 incidents as predicate offenses. However, Lightner misconstrues this Court‘s statement in State v. Lightner, 2009-Ohio-544. In Lightner, this Court did not find it dispositive that a copy of the defendant‘s conviction was not introduced. Failure to introduce a copy of the defendant‘s conviction was one of many factors at issue in Lightner. Moreover, in Lightner, the predicate offense that the State attempted tо rely upon was not mentioned in the indictment and the jury was not instructed that it could consider such offense as a predicate offense.
{¶21} In the present case, Lightner was informed though the indictment that the State was prepared to use both the 2003 and the 2007 incidents to establish predicate offenses. Moreover, when viewing the testimony in a light mоst favorable to the prosecution, the proper standard when reviewing a
{¶22} In his second assignment of error, Lightner argues that the trial court did not properly instruct the jury as to the standard of proof for the predicate acts required to find a violation of
{¶23} As an initial matter, we note that Lightner did not object to the instructions when they were given by the trial court. “The failure to object to a jury instruction constitutes a waiver of any claim of error relative thereto, unless, but for the error, the outcome of the trial clearly would have been otherwise.” State v. Underwood (1983), 3 Ohio St.3d 12, 444 N.E.2d 1332, at syllabus. Absent plain error, the failure to object to improprieties in jury instructions, as required by
{¶24} Pursuant to
First, there must be an error, i.e., a deviation from a legal rule. Second, the error must be plain. To bе “plain” within the meaning of
Crim.R. 52(B) , an error must be an “obvious” defect in the trial proceedings. Third, the error must have affected “substantial rights.” We have interpreted this aspect of the rule to mean that the trial court‘s error must have affected the outcome of the trial.
Barnes, 94 Ohio St.3d at 27 (internal citations omitted).
{¶25} Thus, “[o]nly extraordinary circumstances and the prevention of a miscarriage of justice warrant a finding of plain error.” State v. Brown, 3rd Dist. No. 8-02-09, 2002-Ohio-4755 citing State v. Long (1978), 53 Ohio St.2d 91, 372 N.E.2d 804, at paragraph three of the syllabus.
{¶26} Generally, a trial court has broad discretion to decide how to fashion jury instructions. The trial court must not, however, fail to “fully and completely give the jury all instructions which are relevant and necessary for the jury to weigh the evidence and discharge its duty as the fact finder.” State v. Comen (1990), 50 Ohio St.3d 206, 553 N.E.2d 640, paragraph two of the syllabus.
{¶27} In the present cаse, Lightner argues that the trial court erred by failing to instruct the jury as to whether it could consider an unindicted offense as a basis for a conviction under
{¶28} This Court has stated that the only way to ensure that the State has satisfied its burden in proving the predicate acts occurred beyond a reasonable doubt is with the trial court‘s jury instructions. State v. Lightner, 2009-Ohio-544, ¶17. See also, State v. Reyes, 6th Dist. No. WD-03-059, 2005-Ohio-2100, ¶ 29, citing State v. Stacy, 12th Dist. No. CA2002-03-073, 2003-Ohio-3695, ¶ 7.
{¶29} In the present case, the jury was instructed, in pertinent part, as follows:
Count six: Steven Lightner, Jr., from on or about May 4th, 2003 through on or about March 31st, 2008, in a continuing course of criminal conduct between Hancock County and Hardin County, Ohio, while employed by or associated with an enterprise, did conduct or participate in, directly or indireсtly, the affairs of the enterprise through a pattern of corrupt activity, to wit: receiving stolen property, tampering with evidence, breaking and entering, breaking and entering, grand theft, theft offenses in municipal courts of Ohio, thefts of motor scooters on or about May 4th, 2003, receiving stolen property, namely ATVs on or about March 2nd, 2007 through and including March 31st, 2007 in violаtion of Ohio Revised Code Section 2923.32A1B1, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
***
The Defendant is charged in count six of the indictment with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. Before you can find the Defendant guilty, you must find beyond a reasonable doubt that the Defendant, from on or about May 4th, 2003 through on or about March 31st, 2008, and in a continuing course of criminal conduct between Hardin County and Hancock County
in Ohio, while employed by or associated with an enterprise, conducted or participated in, directly or indirectly, the affairs of the enterprise through a pattern of corrupt activity. ***
A finding of a pattern of corrupt activity requires proof of a least two incidents of corrupt activity within six years of each other. . . Corrupt activity means engaging in, attempting tо engage in, conspiring to engage in, soliciting, coercing or intimidating another person to engage in theft, receiving stolen property, grand theft of a motor vehicle, tampering with evidence, breaking and entering, and intimidation of an attorney, victim, or witness in a criminal case.
***
If you find that the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt all of the essential elements of the offense of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, your verdict must be guilty.
(Tr.p. 233-244).2
{¶30} Viewing these jury instructions, we note that the trial court specifically instructed that the unindicted offenses could be considered as predicate offenses. The trial court gave the specific dates of the offenses, and then stated that offenses found to be predicate offenses, occurring within a certain time period, had to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Even if properly objected to, this court would be unable to find error in these instructions. Accordingly, Lightner‘s second assignment of error is overruled.
{¶31} Based on the foregoing, the December 17, 2008 Judgment Entry of the Court of Common Pleas, Hardin County, Ohio is affirmed.
Judgment Affirmed
PRESTON, P.J., concurs.
/jlr
ROGERS, J., dissents.
{¶32} I respectfully dissent from the opinion of the majority. I would first find that there was insufficient evidence of two predicate offenses. It is my position that either the State had to offer evidence as to the facts of each prior offense sufficient for this jury to find beyond a reasonable doubt that Appellant was guilty of the two prior оffenses, or the State must prove the prior convictions by providing certified copies of the judgments in those cases. The State did neither in this case. The only evidence offered by the State was that a detective said he investigated two prior offenses. The State failed to prove the facts of each prior casе. The detective then claimed that Appellant was convicted of those offenses.
{¶33}
Whenever in any case it is necessary to prove a prior conviction, a certified copy of the entry of judgment in such prior conviction together with evidence sufficient to identify the defendant named in the entry as the offender in the сase at bar, is sufficient to prove such prior conviction.
Here, the detective‘s conclusory statement that Appellant was convicted was insufficient for purposes of proving a prior conviction pursuant to
{¶34} Howevеr, because the majority addressed the second assignment of error, I will also comment. It appears that the instructions to the jury generally included the necessary considerations,3 but that the trial court erred when it read the indictment to the jury. While this may not be error in every case, it was error here because the indictment contained allegations of other crimes or bad acts which were not proven and were unfairly prejudicial to Appellant. Furthermore, the trial court‘s definition of corrupt activity was not limited to the two specific predicate activities upon which the majority relies. Instead, the trial court included references to other crimes such as soliciting and intimidation which had no relevance in this trial, and were again unfairly prejudicial to Appellant.