Opinion ID: 2690026
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Selection of Three-Judge Panel

Text: {¶ 72} In his ninth proposition of law, Osie contends that the three-judge panel was selected by the judge presiding over the case, Judge Powers, rather than by the presiding judge of the common pleas court, Judge Sage, who should have chosen the panel under R.C. 2945.06. Accordingly, he claims, the panel lacked jurisdiction over his case, and he is entitled to a new trial. {¶ 73} On April 17, 2009, Judge Powers presided over a hearing at which two other judges for a proposed three-judge panel were selected, in case the defendant elected to waive a jury. Each of the other six judges of the Butler 18 January Term, 2014 County Common Pleas Court was assigned a number based on seniority. Six balls, numbered 1 through 6, were placed in a bottle. A member of the court’s staff pulled the balls randomly from the bottle. {¶ 74} Before this was done, Judge Powers stated: “[A]s each number is drawn sequentially, those will be the judges that are assigned to the case should the defense decide to waive a jury in this matter and proceed to a three-judge panel. Does anybody have an objection to that procedure?” Defense counsel said: “No, Your Honor.” Judges Patricia Oney and Charles Pater were the first two judges whose numbers were pulled from the bottle. {¶ 75} Nearly a year later, Osie decided to waive his right to a jury trial. He submitted a written, signed jury waiver on March 31, 2010. The trial court held a hearing that day, during which Judge Powers conducted a jury-waiver colloquy with Osie, and Osie signed another written waiver, this time in open court. Both jury waivers were filed. {¶ 76} Also on March 31, the trial court filed the following judgment entry: The Court, having accepted the Defendant’s Waiver of a Trial by Jury    and    having previously determined, by random draw, that JUDGE PATRICIA S. ONEY and JUDGE CHARLES PATER shall be assigned to sit as part of a three-judge [panel]    in the event that Defendant entered an appropriate waiver of trial by jury, it is ORDERED that a three-judge panel shall be empanelled,    to consist of JUDGE NOAH E. POWERS II, presiding, with JUDGES PATRICIA S. ONEY and CHARLES PATER acting as the balance of the three-judge panel   . 19 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO (Italics and capitalization sic.) This entry was signed by both Judge Powers, in his capacity as “Assigned Trial Judge,” and Judge Sage, in his capacity as “Current Presiding and Administrative Judge” of the Butler County Court of Common Pleas. {¶ 77} Osie contends that this selection procedure violated R.C. 2945.06, which governs the selection of three-judge panels in bench-tried capital cases, because Judge Powers was not the presiding judge of the common pleas court and was therefore not authorized by R.C. 2945.06 to choose the other members of the three-judge panel. Osie further contends that because Judge Powers lacked authority to choose the panel, the panel lacked jurisdiction to try this capital case. {¶ 78} R.C. 2945.06 provides: If the accused is charged with an offense punishable with death, he shall be tried by a court to be composed of three judges, consisting of the judge presiding at the time in the trial of criminal cases and two other judges to be designated by the presiding judge or chief