Case Title: State v. Mullins

Citation: 1996-Ohio-35

Docket Number: 19960316

State: ohio

Court: Ohio Supreme Court

Date: 1996-07-24T00:00:00Z

Document:
The State of Ohio, Appellee, v. Mullins, Appellant. 
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[Cite as State v. Mullins (1996), _____ Ohio St.3d _____.] 
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Appellate procedure -- Application for reopening appeal from 
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judgment and conviction based on claim of ineffective 
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assistance of appellate counsel -- Application denied when 
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issue was reviewed in applicant’s direct appeal and found to 
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be without merit. 
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(No. 96-316--Submitted May 21, 1996--Decided July 24, 1996.) 
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Appeal from the Court of Appeals for Pickaway County, No. 
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89CA27. 
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Appellant, Herbert E. Mullins, was convicted in August 1989 on 
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charges of felonious assault and carrying a concealed weapon.  Appellant 
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was thereafter sentenced to an indefinite term of imprisonment.  Upon 
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appeal, the convictions were affirmed.  State v. Mullins (Jan. 9, 1991), 
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Pickaway App. No. 89CA27, unreported. 
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On September 25, 1995, appellant filed an application for reopening 
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his appeal before the court of appeals pursuant to App.R. 26(B), alleging 
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ineffective assistance of appellate counsel.  Appellant asserted that appellate 
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counsel failed to raise specific instances of trial counsel’s ineffectiveness.  
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However, the court of appeals denied the application on several grounds, 
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including its finding that the issue of ineffective assistance of trial counsel 
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was reviewed in appellant’s direct appeal and was found to be without 
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merit.  Therefore, the court of appeals held its prior decision to be res 
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judicata on the issue of ineffective assistance of trial counsel.  The court of 
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appeals then reviewed the merits of appellant’s claim of ineffective 
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assistance of appellate counsel, and denied the claim under the tests 
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established in Strickland v. Washington (1984), 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 
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2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674, and State v. Bradley (1989), 42 Ohio St.3d 136, 538 
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N.E.2d 373.  Appellant appeals that denial to this court. 
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Alan F. Sedlak, Pickaway County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for 
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appellee. 
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Ralph S. Silvestri, Jr., for appellant. 
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Per Curiam.  We affirm the judgment of the court of appeals for the 
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reasons stated in its decision and judgment entry. 
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Judgment affirmed. 
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MOYER, C.J., DOUGLAS, RESNICK, F.E. SWEENEY, PFEIFER, COOK 
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and STRATTON, JJ., concur. 
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