Title: State v. O'Neal

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

[Cite as State v. O’Neal, 88 Ohio St.3d 179, 2000-Ohio-281.] 
 
 
 
 
19922 
THE STATE OF OHIO, APPELLEE, v. O’NEAL, APPELLANT. 
[Cite as State v. O’Neal (2000), 88 Ohio St.3d 179.] 
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 demonstrate that appellate 
counsel performed in a deficient manner or that any alleged deficiency 
prejudiced the outcome of the appeal. 
(No. 98-1735 — Submitted January 11, 2000 — Decided March 8, 2000.) 
APPEAL from the Court of Appeals for Hamilton County, No. C-960392. 
 
Appellant, James Derrick O’Neal, was convicted of aggravated burglary and 
the aggravated murder of his wife, Carol O’Neal, and sentenced to death.  The 
court of appeals affirmed the convictions and sentence.  State v. O’Neal (Dec. 12, 
1997), Hamilton App. No. C-960392, unreported, 1997 WL 770162.  On direct 
appeal as of right, we also affirmed O’Neal’s convictions for aggravated murder 
and aggravated burglary, and we affirmed the death penalty.  State v. O’Neal 
(2000), 87 Ohio St.3d 402, 721 N.E.2d 73. 
 
Following the court of appeals’ decision in December 1997, O’Neal filed a 
timely application for reopening with the court of appeals pursuant to App.R. 
26(B) and State v. Murnahan (1992), 63 Ohio St.3d 60, 584 N.E.2d 1204, alleging 
 
 
2
ineffective assistance of appellate counsel before that court.  The court of appeals 
concluded that O’Neal failed to demonstrate “that appellate counsel performed in a 
deficient manner * * * or that any alleged deficiency prejudiced the outcome of the 
appeal.”  O’Neal now appeals that decision to this court. 
__________________ 
 
Michael K. Allen, Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney, and William E. 
Breyer, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for appellee. 
 
John J. Gideon, for appellant. 
__________________ 
 
Per Curiam.  We affirm the judgment of the court of appeals for the 
reasons set forth in its entry dated July 9, 1998. 
Judgment affirmed. 
 
MOYER, C.J., DOUGLAS, RESNICK, F.E. SWEENEY, PFEIFER, COOK and 
LUNDBERG STRATTON, JJ., concur.