Title: State v. Smith

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

OPINIONS OF THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO                               
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Thomas J. Moyer.                                                                 
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The State of Ohio, Appellee, v. Smith, Appellant.                                
[Cite as State v. Smith (1994),     Ohio St.3d      .]                           
Motion for delayed reconsideration of appeal denied.                             
     (No 90-1433 -- Submitted October 24, 1994-- Decided                         
December 14, 1994)                                                               
     On Motion for Delayed Reconsideration.                                      
                                                                                 
     Joseph T. Deters, Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney,                     
and Christian J. Schaefer, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for                   
appellee.                                                                        
     David H. Bodiker, Ohio Public Defender, William S. Lazarow                  
and Kevin L. Fahey, Assistant Public Defenders, for appellant.                   
                                                                                 
     Defendant-appellant, William H. Smith, was convicted of                     
rape, aggravated robbery and aggravated murder, and sentenced                    
to death.  On direct appeal as of right, the court of appeals                    
affirmed the conviction and sentence.  State v. Smith (June 6,                   
1990), Hamilton  App. No. C-880287, unreported, 1990 WL 73974.                   
We also affirmed when he appealed to this court.  State v.                       
Smith (1991), 61 Ohio St.3d 284, 574 N.E.2d 510, certiorari                      
denied (1992), 503 U.S.     , 112 S.Ct. 1211, 117 L.Ed.2d 449.                   
Defendant then petitioned the trial court for postconviction                     
relief under R.C. 2953.21, and we granted a stay.  See State v.                  
Smith (1992), 65 Ohio St.3d 1452, 602 N.E.2d 249.  Next,                         
defendant filed an application for delayed reconsideration of                    
his direct appeal in the court of appeals, pursuant to App.R.                    
26(B), claiming he had been denied effective assistance of                       
appellate counsel when that court first considered his case in                   
1990.  (See State v. Murnahan [1992], 63 Ohio St.3d 60, 584                      
N.E.2d 1204.)  The court of appeals denied that application for                  
reconsideration, State v. Smith (June 30, 1993), Hamilton App.                   
No. C-880287, unreported,     WL    , and we affirmed that                       
judgment, (1993), 68 Ohio St.3d 1404, 623 N.E.2d 562,                            
certiorari denied (1994), 512 U.S.     , 114 S.Ct. 2768, 129                     
L.Ed.2d 882.  Defendant now claims that he lacked effective                      
assistance of appellate counsel in his 1991 direct appeal to                     
this court, and therefore asks us to reconsider his direct                       
appeal under S.Ct.Prac.R. XI(1)(B).                                              
     We deny the motion.  Defendant's 1991 appeal to this court                  
was not a first appeal as of right on the merits of his                          
criminal case; therefore, he had no constitutional right to                      
counsel, and hence no constitutional right to effective                          
assistance.  See State v. Buell (1994), 70 Ohio St.3d 1211, 639                  
N.E.2d 110.                                                                      
                                      Motion denied.                             
     Moyer, C.J., A.W. Sweeney, Douglas, Resnick, F.E. Sweeney                   
and Pfeifer, JJ., concur.                                                        
     Wright, J., dissents.