Court Opinion

ID: 9486014
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 11:35:54.192457+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:51:29.454949
License: Public Domain

SILER, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent, for I believe that once the appeal was taken in the middle of trial, pursuant to Ohio Crim.R. 12(J), the trial court was without jurisdiction to take further action, so any dismissal was null and void.
Although this procedure under Rule 12(J) was apparently not utilized until this case, nevertheless, the Supreme Court of Ohio has approved this interlocutory appeal. See State v. Malinovsky, 60 Ohio St.3d 20, 573 N.E.2d 22, 25 cert. denied, — U.S. -, 112 S.Ct. 582, 116 L.Ed.2d 607 (1991). Therefore, because such an appeal was authorized, even if it was the first ever effected, that divested the trial court of its jurisdiction to dispose of the case. See Yee v. Erie County Sheriff’s Dep’t, 51 Ohio St.3d 43, 553 N.E.2d 1354, 1355 (1990); State v. Watson, 48 Ohio App.2d 110, 355 N.E.2d 883, 885-86 (1975). The majority opinion has stated that the trial court is not completely divested of jurisdiction once an appeal has been perfected. Nevertheless, its jurisdiction is limited to those matters which do not directly affect the ability of the appellate court to decide the case. Thus, the dismissal of the case and the discharge of the jury would be acts which would prevent the appellate court from taking action on the issues before it. This is similar to the rule in the federal court system, which precludes the district court from taking any action disposing of a case while it is pending on appeal. See, e.g., Showtime v. Covered Bridge Condominium Ass’n, 895 F.2d 711, 713 (11th Cir.1990).
The factual situation in United States v. Scott, 437 U.S. 82, 98 S.Ct. 2187, 57 L.Ed.2d 65 (1978), is different, because there the defendant filed motions to dismiss both before and after the jury had been empaneled, and the court granted the motion at the close of all the evidence. In the case at bar, the defendant sought a judgment of acquittal, not a dismissal. Nevertheless, Scott stands for the proposition that where a case has been terminated without any determination of factual guilt or innocence, there may be situations in which the reproseeution of the defendant is not in violation of the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Constitution.
In this case, I would find that the action of the trial court after the interlocutory appeal was taken was a nullity. Therefore, the dismissal of the case and the discharge of the jury were void and the trial court should notify the jurors to return to try the case. If they had been “tainted,” in the meantime, by discussion of the ease with others or in some other way, then the parties could have the choice of proceeding under the circumstances or moving for a mistrial. If a mistrial is granted, it likely would be due to “manifest necessity,” see Arizona v. Washington, 434 U.S. 497, 509, 98 S.Ct. 824, 832, 54 L.Ed.2d 717 (1978), and the trial court could then begin the trial anew. Therefore, I would reverse the action of the district court in granting the writ of habeas corpus.