Title: State v. Pierce

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

The State of Ohio, Appellee, v. Pierce, Appellant. 
[Cite as State v. Pierce (1996), _____ Ohio St.3d _____.] 
Appellate procedure -- Application for reopening appeal from 
judgment and conviction based on claim of ineffective 
assistance of appellate counsel -- Application denied when 
applicant fails to establish good cause for failure to file the 
motion within ninety days after journalization of the court of 
appeals’ decision affirming the conviction, as required by 
App.R. 26(B). 
 
(No. 95-1830--Submitted October 24, 1995--Decided February 7, 
1996.) 
 
Appeal from the Court of Appeals for Lake County, No. 89-L-14-170. 
 
In 1989, appellant, Sherman Pierce, was convicted of kidnapping, 
rape, and felonious sexual penetration.  His convictions were affirmed on 
appeal.  State v. Pierce (Dec. 28, 1990), Lake App. No. 89-L-14-170, 
unreported, 1990 WL 222991.  In 1995, he filed an application in the court 
of appeals to reopen his appeal under App.R. 26(b), alleging ineffective 
assistance of appellate counsel.  He alleged as good cause for not filing his 
application within ninety days of journalization of the judgment sought to 
be reopened, as required by App.R. 26(B)(2)(B), that App.R. 26(B) was not 
 
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enacted until three years after his appeal was journalized, that “his brother 
retained counsel on his behalf,” that he had difficulty in obtaining access to 
the record, and that he lacked legal experience.  The court of appeals did not 
find good cause for the untimely filing and denied the application to reopen, 
citing, inter alia, State v. Reddick (1995), 72 Ohio St.3d 88, 90-91, 647 
N.E.2d 784, 786 (“applicant *** may not simply rely on the fact that App.R. 
26[B] did not exist within the ninety days following journalization” [since 
other procedures were previously available], and “[l]ack of effort or 
imagination, and ignorance of the law, *** do not automatically establish 
good cause ***”), and State v. Franklin (1995), 72 Ohio St.3d 372, 650 
N.E.2d 447.  Appellant appealed the denial to this court. 
 
Charles Coulson, Lake County Prosecuting Attorney, and Ariana E. 
Tarighati, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for appellee. 
 
Sherman Pierce, pro se. 
 
Per Curiam.  The judgment of the court of appeals is affirmed for the 
reasons stated in its opinion. 
Judgment affirmed. 
 
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MOYER, C.J., DOUGLAS, WRIGHT, RESNICK, F.E. SWEENEY, PFEIFER 
and COOK, JJ., concur.