[Cite as State v. Hipsher, 2016-Ohio-5877.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO 

THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT 

HARDIN COUNTY 

 

STATE OF OHIO, 

 CASE NO. 6-16-01 

 PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE, 

 v. 

CRAIG W. HIPSHER, O P I N I O N 

 DEFENDANT-APPELLANT. 

 

Appeal from Hardin County Common Pleas Court 

Trial Court No. 20122303 CRI 

Judgment Affirmed 

Date of Decision: September 19, 2016 

 

APPEARANCES: 

Howard A. Elliott for Appellant 

Jason M. Miller for Appellee 

 
Case No. 6-16-01 

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WILLAMOWSKI, J. 

{¶1} Defendant-appellant Craig W. Hipsher (“Hipsher”) brings this appeal 

from the judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Hardin County denying 

Hipsher’s motion to vacate his sentence. Hipsher claims that the offenses were 

allied offenses of similar import. For the reasons set forth below, the judgment is 

affirmed. 

{¶2} On December 26, 2012, the Hardin County Grand Jury indicted Hipsher 

on 29 Counts. Doc. 1. Hipsher was arraigned on January 7, 2013, and entered pleas 

of not guilty to all counts. Doc. 7. On July 23, 2013, Hipsher withdrew his pleas 

of not guilty as to Count 2, Burglary in violation of R.C. 2911.12(A)(2), a felony of 

the second degree; Count 4 with a firearm specification, Grand Theft in violation of 

R.C. 2913.02(A)(1),(B)(4), a felony of the third degree; and Count 6 with a firearm 

specification, Grand Theft in violation of R.C. 2913.02(A)(1),(B)(4), a felony of the 

third degree. Doc. 29. Hipsher then entered pleas of guilty to these counts and 

specifications. Id. The trial court accepted the guilty pleas. Doc. 30. A sentencing 

hearing was held on September 10, 2013. Doc. 34. The trial court then sentenced 

Hipsher to an aggregate prison term of nine years with two years mandatory. Id. 

The remaining charges in the indictment were then dismissed. Id. No timely appeal 

was taken from this judgment. 

{¶3} On August 1, 2014, Hipsher filed a notice of appeal. Doc. 40. The 

request for a delayed appeal was denied. Doc. 46. On November 6, 2014, Hipsher 
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filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea. Doc. 48. The basis for the motion was 

that the convictions for burglary and grand theft were allied offenses of similar 

import. Id. The State filed a response to the motion on November 17, 2014. Doc. 

49. On January 2, 2015, the trial court denied the motion on the grounds that the 

offenses were two separate offenses as the burglary occurred on December 7, 2012, 

and the grand theft charges occurred on November 19, 2012. Id. Since the offenses 

occurred at two separate times, they were not allied offenses of similar import. Id. 

Hipsher then appealed from that judgment. Doc. 52. The appeal was dismissed as 

being untimely. Doc. 57. 

{¶4} On December 21, 2015, Hipsher filed a motion to vacate a void 

sentence. Doc. 62. Hipsher alleges in this motion that he was sentenced on allied 

offenses of similar import for the two grand theft convictions. Id. The State filed 

its response on December 28, 2015. Doc. 63. On January 6, 2016, the trial court 

overruled Hipsher’s motion. Doc. 64. Hipsher then filed a timely notice of appeal 

from that judgment. Doc. 66. On appeal, Hipsher raises the following assignment 

of error. 

The trial court committed reversible error in failing to grant 

[Hipsher’s] motion to vacate sentence as to counts four and six of 

the indictment, both theft charges arising out of the same act of 

burglary. They were allied offenses of similar import and as such, 

the court failed to merge them in imposing sentence and this 

created a void sentence. 
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{¶5} Hipsher’s argument is that his sentence was void because he was 

sentenced on two counts which were allied offenses of similar import. The Ohio 

Supreme Court has held that merger of allied offenses of similar import is not of 

such fundamental importance that it cannot be waived or forfeited by a defendant. 

See State v. Comen, 50 Ohio St.3d 206, 211, 553 N.E.2d 640 (1990). The failure to 

merge allied offenses of similar import at sentencing merely makes the sentence 

“voidable”, not “void”. State v. Guevara, 6th Dist. Lucas No. L-12-1218, 2013-

Ohio-728, ¶ 8. While a court has continuing jurisdiction to address a void sentence, 

the doctrine of res judicata applies to sentencing errors that are merely voidable. 

State v. Currie, 5th Dist. Stark No. 2013 CA 00155, 2013-Ohio-5223. The doctrine 

of res judicata bars consideration of issues that could have been raised on direct 

appeal. State v. Saxon, 109 Ohio St.3d 176, 2006-Ohio-1245, 846 N.E.2d 824, ¶ 

16-17. This court has previously held that allied offenses of similar import are nonjurisdictional and may be barred by the doctrine of res judicata. State v. Nava, 3d 

Dist. Wyandot No. 16-15-07, 2015-Ohio-5053, ¶14. See also, State v. Townsend, 

8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 97214, 2012-Ohio-496; State v. Williams, 2d Dist. Greene 

No. 2012-CA-43, 2014-Ohio-725; State v. Pemberton, 4th Dist. Gallia No. 13CA8, 

2014-Ohio-1204; and State v. Pearson, 5th Dist. Licking No. 13-CA-59, 2013-Ohio5690. 

{¶6} In this case, Hipsher did not challenge the issue of allied offenses on 

direct appeal. He could have done so as all of the necessary information was before 
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him at the time of sentencing. Thus, the issue is barred from consideration by the 

doctrine of res judicata. The assignment of error is overruled. 

{¶7} Having found no prejudicial errors in the particulars assigned and 

argued, the judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Hardin County is affirmed. 

Judgment Affirmed 

SHAW, P.J. and ROGERS, J., concur. 

/hls