Case Title: State v. DePew

Citation: 1994-Ohio-7

Docket Number: 19871334

State: ohio

Court: Ohio Supreme Court

Date: 1994-11-09T00:00:00Z

Document:
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Thomas J. Moyer.                                                                 
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The State of Ohio, Appellee,  v. DePew, Appellant.                               
[Cite as State v. DePew (1994),       Ohio St.3d      .]                         
Motions for delayed reinstatement of appeal and for delayed                      
     reconsideration denied.                                                     
     (No. 87-1334 -- Submitted August 17, 1994 -- Decided                        
November 9, 1994.)                                                               
     On Motions for Delayed Reinstatement of Appeal and for                      
Delayed Reconsideration.                                                         
     Appellant, Rhett G. DePew, was convicted of three                           
aggravated murders and sentenced to death.  On direct appeal as                  
of right, the court of appeals affirmed the conviction and                       
sentence.  State v. DePew (June 29, 1987), Butler App. No.                       
CA85-07-075, unreported, 1987 WL 13709.  We also affirmed when                   
he appealed to this court.  State v. DePew (1988), 38 Ohio                       
St.3d 275, 528 N.E.2d 542, certiorari denied (1989), 489 U.S.                    
1042, 109 S.Ct. 1099, 103 L.Ed.2d 241.  DePew then petitioned                    
the trial court for postconviction relief under R.C. 2953.21;                    
that petition was dismissed, and the court of appeals affirmed                   
the dismissal.  State v. DePew (Aug. 10, 1992), Butler App. No                   
CA90-09-187, unreported, 1992 WL 193691, jurisdictional motion                   
overruled (1992), 65 Ohio St.3d 1475, 604 N.E.2d 167.  Next,                     
DePew filed a motion for delayed reinstatement of his appeal as                  
of right in this court.  Next, DePew filed a motion for delayed                  
reconsideration of his direct appeal in the court of appeals,                    
pursuant to App.R. 26(B), claiming that he had been denied                       
effective assistance of counsel when that court first                            
considered his case in 1987.  (See State v. Murnahan [1992], 63                  
Ohio St.3d 60, 584 N.E.2d 1204.)  The court of appeals granted                   
that motion in part, State v. DePew (Sept. 7, 1993), Butler                      
App. No. CA85-07-075, unreported, and on reconsideration                         
reaffirmed its original decision, State v. DePew (May 9, 1994),                  
Butler App. No. CA85-070-75, unreported, 1994 WL 178405.  DePew                  
appealed that judgment and we affirmed.  State v. DePew (1994),                  
70 Ohio St.3d 1435,      N.E.2d     .    DePew now separately                    
claims that he lacked effective assistance of counsel in his                     
1988 direct appeal to this court, and therefore asks us to                       
reconsider his direct appeal under S.Ct.Prac. R. XI(1)(B).                       
                                                                                 
     John F. Holcomb, Butler County Prosecuting Attorney, and                    
Daniel G. Eichel, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for appellee.                  
     David H. Bodiker, Ohio Public Defender, Jane P. Perry and                   
Richard J. Vickers, Assistant Public Defenders, for appellant.                   
                                                                                 
     Per Curiam.  We deny the motions.  DePew's 1988 appeal to                   
this court was not a first appeal as of right; therefore, he                     
had no constitutional right to counsel, hence no constitutional                  
right to effective assistance.  See State v. Buell (1994), 70                    
Ohio St.3d 1211, 639 N.E.2d 110.                                                 
                                    Motions denied.                              
     Moyer, C.J., A.W. Sweeney, Douglas, Resnick, F.E. Sweeney                   
and Pfeifer, JJ., concur.                                                        
     Wright, J., dissents.