Opinion ID: 2691964
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Case Procedure

Text: {¶ 1} Appellant, Phillip E. Elmore, was convicted by a jury of aggravated murder with four death specifications, murder, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, and grand theft of a motor vehicle in the June 2002 death of Pamela Annarino. He was sentenced to death for the capital offense of aggravated murder. On the noncapital offenses, the trial court merged Count 2, SUPREME COURT OF OHIO murder, with Count 1, aggravated murder, and imposed a ten-year term of imprisonment for Counts 3, 4, and 5, and an 18-month term of imprisonment for Count 6. Count 3 was ordered to be served concurrently with all other counts, while Counts 4, 5, and 6 were ordered to run consecutively to one another and consecutively to the death sentence imposed for Count 1. Thus, Elmore’s total prison term for the noncapital offenses was 21 and 1/2 years. {¶ 2} Elmore’s convictions and death sentence were affirmed by this court on December 13, 2006. State v. Elmore, 111 Ohio St.3d 515, 2006-Ohio6207, 857 N.E.2d 547, ¶ 169. However, we held that the trial court’s fact-finding in support of maximum and consecutive sentences for the noncapital offenses violated State v. Foster, 109 Ohio St.3d 1, 2006-Ohio-856, 845 N.E.2d 470, which declared parts of Ohio’s felony-sentencing scheme unconstitutional. Elmore at ¶ 139. Consequently, this court remanded Elmore’s case to the trial court for a new sentencing hearing on the noncapital offenses in accordance with Foster. Elmore at ¶ 140. On remand, the trial court resentenced Elmore to exactly the same sentence. {¶ 3} Elmore then filed this appeal as a matter of right to challenge his resentencing. We hold that Elmore’s post-Foster resentencing was proper and therefore affirm the judgment of the Licking County Court of Common Pleas.