[Cite as State v. Heddleson, 2011-Ohio-6875.]

COURT OF APPEALS 

STARK COUNTY, OHIO 

FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT 

STATE OF OHIO, : JUDGES: 

 : Hon. William B. Hoffman, P.J. 

Plaintiff-Appellee, : Hon. Sheila G. Farmer, J. 

 : Hon. Julie A. Edwards, J. 

v. : 

 : 

SCOTT EDWARD HEDDLESON, : Case No. 2011CA00178 

 : 

Defendant-Appellant. : O P I N I O N

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Appeal from the Court of Common 

 Pleas, Case No. 86-6271 

JUDGMENT: Affirmed 

DATE OF JUDGMENT: December 30, 2011 

APPEARANCES: 

For Plaintiff-Appellee For Defendant-Appellant 

JOHN D. FERRERO SCOTT E. HEDDLESON, PRO SE 

Prosecuting Attorney Inmate No. 195-167 

 Marion Correctional Institution 

By: RONALD MARK CALDWELL P.O. Box 57 

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Marion, OH 43302-0057 

110 Central Plaza South, Suite 510 

Canton, OH 44702 
Farmer, J. 

{¶1} On February 6, 1987, appellant, Scott Heddleson, pled guilty to one count 

of aggravated murder in violation of R.C. 2903.01, two counts of aggravated robbery in 

violation of R.C. 2911.01, and one count of grand theft in violation of R.C. 2913.02. On 

same date, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with parole eligibility after thirty 

years. Appellant did not file an appeal. 

{¶2} In 1990, appellant filed with this court a motion for delayed appeal and a 

writ of mandamus. Both were denied. See, State v. Heddleson (1990), Stark App. No. 

CA-8191, appeal denied, 56 Ohio St.3d 711; State v. Heddleson (1990), Stark App. No. 

CA-8240. 

{¶3} On March 3, 1997, appellant filed a petition for postconviction relief, 

challenging the fact that a single judge accepted his guilty plea as opposed to a threejudge panel. The trial court denied the petition. This court affirmed the denial. See, 

State v. Heddleson (August 4, 1997), Stark App. No. 1997CA00113, appeal denied, 

(1997), 80 Ohio St.3d 1466. 

{¶4} On December 31, 1998, appellant filed a Crim.R. 32.1 motion to withdraw 

his guilty plea, again challenging the single judge issue. The trial court denied the 

motion. This court affirmed the denial. See, State v. Heddleson (September 7, 1999), 

Stark App. No. 99-CA-00074, appeal denied, (1999), 87 Ohio St.3d 1476. 

{¶5} On February 24, 2011, appellant filed a motion to take judicial notice of 

new case law on the single judge issue, to wit: Pratts v. Hurley, 102 Ohio St.3d 81, 

2004-Ohio-1980, and State v. Parker, 95 Ohio St.3d 524, 2002-Ohio-2833. By 

judgment entry filed July 20, 2011, the trial court denied the motion. 
{¶6} Appellant filed an appeal and this matter is now before this court for 

consideration. Assignment of error is as follows: 

I 

{¶7} "THE TRIAL COURT ABUSED THEIR DISCRETION WHEN DENYING 

MOTION TO TAKE JUDICIAL NOTICE WHEN SUCH NOTICE INVOLVED 

MANDATED LAW AND RELATES TO DEFENDANTS CASE." 

I 

{¶8} Appellant claims the trial court erred in not granting his motion to take 

judicial notice. The basis of appellant's motion was case law that developed subsequent 

to his plea, conviction, and sentence on February 6, 1987, and his numerous 

postconviction relief filings. In particular, appellant cites to Parker, supra, which 

mandates in capital cases, when a defendant waives the right to trial by jury, the case 

shall be heard by a three-judge panel, even if the state agrees that it will not seek the 

death penalty. 

{¶9} Appellant has previously filed with this court his plea, conviction, and 

sentence via a motion for delayed appeal which was denied as cited supra. The single 

judge issue was not raised in this filing. 

{¶10} Thereafter, appellant filed a petition for postconviction relief and a Crim.R. 

32.1 motion to withdraw his plea. Both filings included Parker arguments. Both filings 

were denied as cited supra. 

{¶11} Because appellant's motion for judicial notice was predicated upon the 

same arguments advanced in his postconviction relief petition and Crim.R. 32.1 motion, 

we find the issue to be res judicata. Res judicata is defined as "[a] valid, final judgment 
rendered upon the merits bars all subsequent actions based upon any claim arising out 

of the transaction or occurrence that was the subject matter of the previous action." 

Grava v. Parkman Twp., 73 Ohio St.3d 379, 1995-Ohio-331, syllabus. 

{¶12} We note the single judge issue was available on direct appeal, but 

appellant did not file an appeal, nor did he raise the issue in his motion for delayed 

appeal. Appellant should have raised the single judge issue on direct appeal, not 

collaterally via a motion for judicial notice. State ex rel. Rash v. Jackson, 102 Ohio 

St.3d 145, 2004-Ohio-2053 (the single judge issue is not a proper subject for habeas 

corpus relief and may be remedied only in a direct appeal from a criminal conviction). 

{¶13} As to the vehicle appellant used once his appeals were over to attempt to 

have his matter reviewed, we find the motion to take judicial notice fails to conform to 

proper procedure and fails as a substantive basis under Evid.R. 201. We concur with 

appellee that such a request was a legal nullity. 

{¶14} Upon review, we find the trial court did not err in denying appellant's 

motion to take judicial notice. 

{¶15} The sole assignment of error is denied. 

{¶16} The judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Stark County, Ohio is 

hereby affirmed. 

Judgment affirmed. 

Hoffman, P.J. and Edwards, J. concur. 
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS FOR STARK COUNTY, OHIO 

FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT 

STATE OF OHIO, : 

 : 

 Plaintiff-Appellee, : 

 : 

v. : JUDGMENT ENTRY 

 : 

SCOTT EDWARD HEDDLESON, : 

 : 

 Defendant-Appellant. : CASE NO. 2011CA00178 

For the reasons stated in our accompanying Memorandum-Opinion, the 

judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Stark County, Ohio is affirmed. Costs to 

appellant. 

 s/ Sheila G. Farmer_______________ 

 

 s/ William B. Hoffman______________ 

 s/ Julie A. Edwards _______________ 

 JUDGES