Case Title: State v Laguta

Citation: 1995-Ohio-12

Docket Number: 19942411

State: ohio

Court: Ohio Supreme Court

Date: 1995-05-24T00:00:00Z

Document:
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Thomas J. Moyer.                                                                 
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The State of Ohio, Appellee, v. Laguta, Appellant.                               
[Cite as State v Laguta (1995),      Ohio St. 3d       .]                        
Appellate procedure -- Application for reopening appeal from                     
     judgment and conviction based on claim of ineffective                       
     assistance of trial and appellate counsel -- Application                    
     denied when issues raised are res judicata.                                 
     (No. 94-2411--Submitted February 7, 1995 -- Decided                         
May 24, 1995.)                                                                   
     Appeal from the Court of Appeals for Cuyahoga County, No.                   
63469.                                                                           
     According to the court of appeals' opinion, appellant,                      
George A. Laguta, was convicted of felonious assault and rape.                   
He appealed, and the court of appeals affirmed the                               
convictions.  State v. Laguta (Sept. 16, 1993), Cuyahoga App.                    
No. 63469, unreported.  He subsequently attempted to reopen                      
that judgment pursuant to App. R. 26 (B), according to the                       
court of appeals, arguing that both his trial and appellate                      
counsel were ineffective.  The court of appeals denied the                       
motion to reopen the appeal, holding that the issues appellant                   
raised were res judicata.                                                        
                                                                                 
     Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Cuyahoga County Prosecuting                          
Attorney, and Diane Smilanick, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney,                   
for appellee.                                                                    
     George A. Laguta, pro se.                                                   
                                                                                 
     Per Curiam.  The judgment of the court of appeals is                        
affirmed for the reasons stated in its opinion.                                  
                                       Judgment affirmed.                        
     Moyer, C.J., Douglas, Wright, Resnick, F.E. Sweeney,                        
Pfeifer and Cook, JJ., concur.