Case Title: State ex rel. Golson v. Moore

Citation: 2007-Ohio-6434

Docket Number: 20071324

State: ohio

Court: Ohio Supreme Court

Date: 2007-12-12T00:00:00Z

Document:
[Cite as State ex rel. Golson v. Moore, 116 Ohio St.3d 308, 2007-Ohio-6434.] 
 
 
THE STATE EX REL. GOLSON, APPELLANT, v. MOORE, WARDEN, APPELLEE. 
[Cite as State ex rel. Golson v. Moore, 116 Ohio St.3d 308, 2007-Ohio-6434.] 
Habeas corpus—Adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law—Writ denied. 
(No. 2007-1324 ─ Submitted November 28, 2007 ─ Decided  
December 12, 2007.) 
APPEAL from the Court of Appeals for Warren County, 
No. CA2007-04-054. 
__________________ 
 
Per Curiam. 
{¶ 1} This is an appeal from a judgment dismissing a petition for a writ 
of habeas corpus.  Because the appellant had an adequate remedy in the ordinary 
course of law to raise his claim, we affirm. 
{¶ 2} In 1999, the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court convicted 
appellant, Steven A. Golson, of two counts of aggravated robbery, one count of 
kidnapping, and firearm specifications for each count and sentenced him to an 
aggregate prison term of 29 years.  On appeal, the court of appeals affirmed.  
State v. Golson (Mar. 9, 2001), Montgomery App. No. 17707, 2001 WL 227372.  
We did not accept Golson’s further appeal for review.  State v. Golson, 98 Ohio 
St.3d 1463, 2003-Ohio-644, 783 N.E.2d 521. 
{¶ 3} In April 2007, Golson filed a petition in the Warren County Court 
of Appeals for a writ of habeas corpus to compel appellee, Lebanon Correctional 
Institution Warden Ernie Moore, to release him from prison.  Golson claimed that 
the trial court had improperly enhanced his sentence, relying on State v. Foster, 
109 Ohio St.3d 1, 2006-Ohio-856, 845 N.E.2d 470; Blakely v. Washington (2004), 
542 U.S. 296, 124 S.Ct. 2531, 159 L.Ed.2d 403; and Apprendi v. New Jersey 
(2000), 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435, among other cases.  
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 
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Moore filed a Civ.R. 12(B)(6) motion to dismiss Golson’s petition for failure to 
state a claim upon which relief can be granted.  The court of appeals granted the 
motion and dismissed the petition. 
{¶ 4} In his appeal as of right, Golson asserts that the court of appeals 
erred in dismissing his petition.  For the following reasons, Golson’s assertion 
lacks merit. 
{¶ 5} First, “ ‘[w]e have consistently held that sentencing errors are not 
jurisdictional and are not cognizable in habeas corpus.’ ”  State ex rel. Sneed v. 
Anderson, 114 Ohio St.3d 11, 2007-Ohio-2454, 866 N.E.2d 1084, ¶ 7, quoting 
Majoros v. Collins (1992), 64 Ohio St.3d 442, 443, 596 N.E.2d 1038.  Golson 
“has or had adequate remedies in the ordinary course of law, e.g., appeal and 
postconviction relief, for review of any alleged sentencing error.”  State ex rel. 
Jaffal v. Calabrese, 105 Ohio St.3d 440, 2005-Ohio-2591, 828 N.E.2d 107, ¶ 5. 
{¶ 6} Second, in Foster, 109 Ohio St.3d 1, 2006-Ohio-856, 845 N.E.2d 
470, at ¶ 104, we limited the application of our holding — that certain sentencing 
statutes were unconstitutional because they required judicial fact-finding before 
imposition of a more severe sentence — to cases pending on direct review. In 
those cases in which  Foster applied, we ordered new sentencing hearings rather 
than release from prison. We also did not hold that extraordinary relief in habeas 
corpus is available to rectify sentencing errors.  See also Wells v. Bradshaw, 
Richland App. No. 06CA35, 2006-Ohio-4636, ¶ 14-16 (Foster does not support 
habeas corpus claim).  The decisions Golson relies on do not apply retroactively 
to cases that are already final on direct review.  See generally In re Dean (C.A.11, 
2004), 375 F.3d 1287, 1290; Humphress v. United States (C.A.6, 2005), 398 F.3d 
855; State v. Robinson, Franklin App. No. 06AP-368, 2006-Ohio-6649, ¶ 9 
(“Blakely does not recognize a new federal or state right that applies 
retroactively”). 
January Term, 2007 
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{¶ 7} Finally, the fact that Golson has already unsuccessfully pursued a 
direct appeal of his sentence does not entitle him to the requested extraordinary 
relief.  Sneed, 114 Ohio St.3d 11, 2007-Ohio-2454, 866 N.E.2d 1084, at ¶ 9, 
citing Russell v. Mitchell (1999), 84 Ohio St.3d 328, 703 N.E.2d 1249. 
{¶ 8} Based on the foregoing, the court of appeals properly dismissed 
Golson’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus.  Therefore, we affirm the judgment 
of the court of appeals. 
Judgment affirmed. 
 
MOYER, 
C.J., 
and 
PFEIFER, 
LUNDBERG 
STRATTON, 
O’CONNOR, 
O’DONNELL, LANZINGER, and CUPP, JJ., concur. 
__________________ 
 
Steven A. Golson, pro se. 
 
Marc Dann, Attorney General, and Diane Mallory, Assistant Attorney 
General, for appellee. 
__________________