Court Opinion

ID: 6780536
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-07-21 00:55:34.793178+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:02:51.574680
License: Public Domain

Cook, J.,
concurring in judgment only. I disagree with the majority’s decision to address the applicability of R.C. 3103.04, since Lilly waived the issue by failing to raise it in the trial court. The court of appeals, on the strength of “plain error,” allowed the defendant to introduce, on appeal, the concept that he had a spousal privilege to enter his wife’s dwelling. The appellate court held that “[cjonvicting Lilly of a burglary offense, where, because of the operation of R.C. 3103.04, the trespass element of that offense had not been established, constituted a miscarriage of justice * * * [and] Lilly’s burglary conviction upon insufficient evidence was plain error.”
Appellate courts may only invoke the plain error doctrine “with the utmost caution, under exceptional circumstances.” State v. Long (1978), 53 Ohio St.2d 91, 97, 7 O.O.3d 178, 181, 372 N.E.2d 804, 808. Plain error is “obvious error prejudicial to a defendant, neither objected to nor affirmatively waived by him, which involves a matter of great public interest having substantial adverse impact on the integrity of and the public’s confidence in judicial proceedings. The error must be obvious on the records, palpable, and fundamental, and in addition it must occur in exceptional circumstances where the appellate court acts in the public interest because the error affects ‘the fairness, integrity or public reputation of judicial proceedings.’ ” State v. Craft (1977), 52 Ohio App.2d 1, 7, 6 O.O.3d 1, 4, 367 N.E.2d 1221, 1225-1226, quoting United States v. Atkinson (1936), 297 U.S. 157, 160, 56 S.Ct. 391, 392, 80 L.Ed. 555, 557. I would find that this was not plain error. Even if R.C. 3103.04 would have obviated the element of trespass so as to aid Lilly’s defense, the failure to raise the issue decides the case.