State v. Baker

Citations

• 2018 Ohio 3925
• 119 N.E.3d 987

Syllabus

The record reflects that the appellant understood the nature of a kidnapping charge against him when he entered his guilty plea. Based on the appellant's statements at a plea hearing, the indicted offenses, and information provided by a bill of particulars, the record reflects that appellant adequately understood the charge. The appellant's indictment was not fatally defective for failing to specify the predicate felony underlying the kidnapping charge. Defense counsel did not provide ineffective assistance by failing to seek dismissal of the kidnapping charge. The trial court did not impermissibly involve itself in plea negotiations when it initially assented to a plea agreement containing an agreed three-year sentence and later allowed the appellant to waive the agreed sentence aspect of the plea deal so appellant could argue that he should receive community control instead. The appellant's five-year prison sentence is not contrary to law. Judgment affirmed. (Donovan, J., dissenting.)