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Date: 05-21-2020
Case Style:
STATE OF OHIO -vs- GERALD D. FIELDS
Case Number: CT2020-0001
Judge: Patricia A. Delaney
Court: COURT OF APPEALS
MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO
FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
Plaintiff's Attorney: DENNIS M. HADDOX
TAYLOR P. BENNINGTON
Defendant's Attorney:
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A statement of the facts underlying appellant’s criminal convictions is not
necessary to our resolution of this appeal. Appellant was charged by indictment with a
number of drug possession and drug trafficking counts, along with illegal manufacture of
drugs (cocaine). The matter proceeded to trial by jury; appellant was found guilty as
charged; and the trial court imposed an aggregate prison term of 10 years.
{¶3} Appellant filed a direct appeal of his conviction and sentence in 5th Dist.
Muskingum No. CT2019-0073, on September 9, 2019. That appeal remains pending.
{¶4} On December 18, 2019, appellant filed a petition for post-conviction relief
in the trial court. Appellant made a number of claims in the petition: he received ineffective
assistance of trial counsel because counsel should have filed a motion to suppress and
a motion in limine to exclude the testimony of a probation officer. Appellant argues the
probation search of his residence was in concert with law enforcement and a pretext to
investigate complaints of drug dealing at appellant’s residence. Attached to the petition
is a transcript of the testimony of the probation officer.
{¶5} Appellee responded with a memorandum in opposition.
{¶6} On December 30, 2019, the trial court overruled the petition for postconviction relief and request for evidentiary hearing.
{¶7} Appellant now appeals from the trial court’s entry of December 30, 2019.
{¶8} Appellant raises two assignments of error:
Muskingum County, Case No. CT2020-0001 3
ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR
{¶9} “I. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN FAILING TO ISSUE
FINDINGS & CONCLUSIONS ON APPELLANT’S TIMELY PETITION FOR POSTCONVICTION RELIEF.”
{¶10} “II. THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED ITS DISCRETION IN NOT HOLDING AN
EVIDENTIARY HEARING ON APPELLANT’S PETITION.”
ANALYSIS
I., II.
{¶11} Appellant’s two assignments of error are related and will be considered
together. Appellant argues the trial court should have issued findings of fact and
conclusions of law in response to his petition for post-conviction relief, and should have
permitted an evidentiary hearing. We disagree.
{¶12} In his assignments of error, appellant argues the trial court erred in denying
his petition for post-conviction relief and in denying his request for an evidentiary hearing.
We disagree.
{¶13} The appropriate standard for reviewing a trial court's decision to dismiss a
petition for post-conviction relief, without an evidentiary hearing, involves a mixed
question of law and fact. State v. Durr, 5th Dist. Richland No. 18CA78, 2019-Ohio-807.
This Court must apply a manifest weight standard in reviewing a trial court's findings on
factual issues underlying the substantive grounds for relief, but we must review the trial
court's legal conclusions de novo. Id.
{¶14} On appeal, appellant re-asserts his argument before the trial court: the
probation officer’s testimony should have been suppressed due to alleged improprieties
Muskingum County, Case No. CT2020-0001 4
with the search of appellant’s residence. Appellant fails to address the trial court’s key
finding: his petition for post-conviction relief is not supported by materials outside the
record. In fact, appellant submits a transcript of trial testimony in support of his allegation
of ineffective assistance of counsel. Appellant does not address if his claims require any
materials outside the record, or why the allegations of ineffective assistance cannot be
raised in the contemporaneous appeal from his conviction and sentence.
{¶15} A defendant may only seek post-conviction relief for violations of his State
and Federal Constitutional rights. Both the United States Constitution and the Ohio
Constitution provide for the right to effective assistance of counsel. Counsel's
performance will not be deemed ineffective unless and until counsel's performance is
proved to have fallen below an objective standard of reasonable representation and, in
addition, prejudice arises from counsel's performance. Strickland v. Washington, 466
U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). To show a defendant has been
prejudiced by counsel's deficient performance, the defendant must demonstrate, but for
counsel's errors, the result of the trial court would have been different. State v. Bradley,
42 Ohio St.3d 136, 538 N.E.2d 373 (1989).
{¶16} In order for a petitioner to be entitled to an evidentiary hearing in a postconviction relief proceeding on a claim that he was denied effective assistance of counsel,
the two-part Strickland test is to be applied. Lockhart v. Fretwell, 506 U.S. 364, 113 S.Ct.
838, 122 L.Ed.2d 180 (1993). The petitioner must therefore prove that: (1) counsel's
performance fell below an objective standard of reasonable representation; and (2) there
exists a reasonable probability that, were it not for counsel's errors, the result of the trial
would have been different. Id.
Muskingum County, Case No. CT2020-0001 5
{¶17} Finally, and most significantly in the instant case, before a hearing is
granted in proceedings for post-conviction relief upon a claim of ineffective assistance of
trial counsel, the petitioner bears the initial burden to submit evidentiary material
containing sufficient operative facts that demonstrate a substantial violation of any
defense counsel's essential duties to his client and prejudice arising from counsel's
ineffectiveness. State v. Calhoun, 86 Ohio St.3d 279, 714 N.E.2d 905 (1999); State v.
Jackson, 64 Ohio St.2d 107, 413 N.E.2d 819 (1980).
{¶18} Appellant asserts improprieties with the probation search of his residence.
However, he has failed to provide any credible evidence outside of the record to support
these contentions. See, State v. McGee, 5th Dist. Muskingum No. CT2019-0063, 2019-
Ohio-4569, ¶ 19.
{¶19} The Ohio Supreme Court has recognized “[i]n post-conviction cases, a trial
court has a gatekeeping role as to whether a defendant will even receive a hearing.” State
v. Gondor, 112 Ohio St.3d 377, 2006-Ohio-6679, 860 N.E.2d 77. Under R.C. 2953.21, a
petitioner seeking post-conviction relief is not automatically entitled to an evidentiary
hearing. State v. Calhoun, 86 Ohio St.3d 279, 714 N.E.2d 905 (1999). The Ohio Supreme
Court has held that the proper basis for dismissing a petition for post-conviction relief
without holding an evidentiary hearing include: (1) the failure of the petitioner to set forth
specific operative facts to establish substantive grounds for relief, and (2) the operation
of res judicata to bar the constitutional claims raised in the petition. Id.; State v. Lentz, 70
Ohio St.3d 527, 639 N.E.2d 784 (1994).
Muskingum County, Case No. CT2020-0001 6
{¶20} As discussed supra, appellant has failed to set forth sufficient operative
facts to establish substantive grounds for post-conviction relief, thus the trial court did not
commit error in overruling appellant's petition without an evidentiary hearing.
{¶21} The portion of transcript attached as appellant’s exhibit does not
demonstrate appellant set forth sufficient operative facts to establish substantive grounds
for relief. Accordingly, the trial court properly denied appellant's petition for postconviction relief without holding an evidentiary hearing.
{¶22} Based on the foregoing, appellant's assignments of error are overruled.
Outcome: Appellant’s two assignments of error are overruled and the judgment of the
Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas is affirmed.
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Defendant's Experts:
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