State v. Justice

Citations

• 2025 Ohio 2235

Syllabus

Judgment of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas is affirmed in part and reversed in part. Trial court did not violate appellant's constitutional right to counsel when she was not represented by counsel at her arraignment, first pre-trial hearing and through the competency hearings as appellant repeatedly refused counsel. Trial court went to great lengths to balance appellant's right to self-representation and its need to determine her competency to stand trial and substantially complied with the requirements of Crim.R. 44. Trial court also did not abuse its discretion in not ordering another competency evaluation and allowing appellant to continue representing herself. Trial court failed to inform appellant of the five mandatory advisements under R.C. 2929.19(B)(2)(c) and we remand for a limited resentencing hearing.