Title: State v. Benner

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

The State of Ohio, Appellee, v. Benner, Appellant. 
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[Cite as State v. Benner (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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applicant fails to establish good cause for failing to file his 
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application within ninety days after journalization of the court 
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of appeals’ decision affirming the conviction. 
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(No. 95-2552--Submitted May 21, 1996--Decided July 24, 1996.) 
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APPEAL from the Court of Appeals for Summit County, No. 12664. 
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Appellant, Glenn L. Benner II, was convicted of the aggravated 
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murders of two persons with death-penalty specifications, the attempted 
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aggravated murders of two others, as well as six counts of rape, three counts 
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of kidnapping, aggravated burglary, gross sexual imposition, and attempted 
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rape.  The trial court sentenced Benner to death for the aggravated murders, 
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and the court of appeals affirmed the convictions and sentence.   State v. 
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Benner (July 29, 1987; July 22, 1987), Summit App. No. 12664, unreported, 
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1987 WL 15103, 15078.  On direct appeal as of right, we also affirmed.  
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State v. Benner (1988), 40 Ohio St.3d 301, 533 N.E.2d 701, certiorari 
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denied sub nom. Benner v. Ohio (1990), 494 U.S. 1090, 110 S.Ct. 1834, 108 
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L.Ed.2d 962. 
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On June 30, 1993, Benner filed an application for delayed 
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reconsideration with the court of appeals pursuant to State v. Murnahan 
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(1992), 63 Ohio St.3d 60, 584 N.E.2d 1204, alleging ineffective assistance 
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of appellate counsel.  The court of appeals noted that Benner’s “application 
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was not filed until approximately six years after this court affirmed his 
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conviction and sentence.”  Further, the court of appeals found that Benner 
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“has failed to demonstrate good cause why his application was not timely 
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filed.  Inasmuch as appellant failed to articulate ‘particular circumstances’ 
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establishing good cause for the delay ***, his application is denied.”  
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Benner now appeals that denial to this court. 
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____________________________ 
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Maureen O’Connor, Summit County Prosecuting Attorney, and 
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William D. Wellemeyer, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for appellee. 
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David H. Bodiker, Ohio Public Defender, Randall L. Porter and 
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Stephen Hardwick, Assistant Public Defenders, for appellant. 
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____________________________ 
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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 journal 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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