Court Opinion

ID: 9929986
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-05 20:09:05.272084+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T10:57:39.232063
License: Public Domain

[Cite as State v. Jones, 2024-Ohio-398.]

                 IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO
                            ELEVENTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
                                 PORTAGE COUNTY

STATE OF OHIO,                                   CASE NOS. 2024-P-0003
CITY OF RAVENNA,                                           2024-P-0004

                 Plaintiff-Appellee,             Criminal Appeals from the
                                                 Municipal Court, Ravenna Division
        - vs -

RICHARD LEE JONES,                               Trial Court Nos. 2023 CRB 02161 R
                                                                  2023 TRD 08716 R
                 Defendant-Appellant.

                                           MEMORANDUM
                                             OPINION

                                     Decided: February 5, 2024
                                    Judgment: Appeals dismissed

Victor V. Vigluicci, Portage County Prosecutor, 241 South Chestnut Street, Ravenna,
OH 44266 (For Plaintiff-Appellee).

Richard Lee Jones, pro se, 6677 Garfield Road, Ravenna, OH 44266 (Defendant-
Appellant).

JOHN J. EKLUND, J.

        {¶1}     Appellant filed notices of appeal, pro se, on January 11, 2024, from the trial

court’s November 29, 2023 entry finding him guilty of count one, obstructing official

business, and count two, tail lights/license plate light, and ordering a presentence

investigation report. The entry further states “sentencing to be set forthwith.”

        {¶2}     The docket reflects that the trial court issued an entry on January 11, 2024

continuing the scheduled sentencing hearing due to the filing of the appeals.
      {¶3}   In criminal cases, pursuant to R.C. 2953.02, a court of appeals only

possesses jurisdiction to hear an appeal if it is from a “judgment or final order.”

Furthermore, the Supreme Court of Ohio has stated that “in a criminal case there must

be a sentence which constitutes a judgment or a final order which amounts ‘to a

disposition of the cause’ before there is a basis for appeal.” State v. Chamberlain, 177

Ohio St. 104, 106-107(1964); see also State v. Thompson, 11th Dist. Portage No. 2018-

P-0066, 2018-Ohio-4177; State v. Marbuery-Davis, 11th Dist. Lake No. 2016-L-001,

2016-Ohio-898.

      {¶4}   Here, there has been no disposition of the underlying matters i.e., appellant

has not been sentenced in his criminal cases. Moreover, the trial court has stayed

sentencing due to the pending appeals. The appeals are premature, and appellant has a

remedy to appeal after sentencing.

      {¶5}   Accordingly, the appeals are hereby dismissed, sua sponte.

EUGENE A. LUCCI, P.J.,

ROBERT J. PATTON, J.,

concur.

                                           2

Case Nos. 2024-P-0003 and 2024-P-0004