IN THE SUPREME COURT OF OHIO

STATE OF OHIO On Appeal from the Lucas CountyCourt of Appeals,Sixth Appellate

District

Appellee, in^ fe ^ ^ rf r^ iJJlj^ F k^ . 1'

V.

KEVIN JAMES Court of AppealsCase No. CL-12-1495

Appellant,

MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF JURISDICTION OF APPELLANT KEVIN JAMES

Kevin James #668278

Lebanon Correctional Institution

3791 State Route 63

P.O. BOX 56

Lebanon, OH 45036

PRO. SE.

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D:..C 2 32014

Evy M. Jarrett, #0062485

assistant prosecuting attorney

Appellate Division

Lucas County Courthouse

700 Adams St

Toledo, OH 43604

Phone:(419) 213 2001

fax:(419) 213 2011

W, t 4 1014'

CLERK OF COURT

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ivuv I L [ul4 UJ=1JPm11I1212014 16:06 4192134844 6TH DISTRICT COA PAGE 01{07

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OIIIO5IXTII APPELLATE DTSTRICT

LTJCA,S COUNTY

Sta.te of Ohio

^v.

EJOURNAL1ZED1. NOVIE lA l4

^- - =

t"`}

^ q (' { •^ ' "

g".

Appellee

Court of Appeals No, L-12-1284

Trial Court No, CR0201201495

1[^ee^in James AECISI(?N A," ,tUI}GMElY`.I'

Appellant Decided.NOV 1 ^ Z014

This tpattcr is beore the court on Kevin Jam..es' prn se agplacaticarr to reope^a ha.s

a.ppcal pursuant to App R^ ?6(B ), iaIneS a1l.cges ineffective assAstancc of appell.ate

counsel. For the followzng reaSt?ns, we deny the a.pplicaricjn,

On August 12, 2012; ajury fou:nd James guilty ofmurde r tn yiolation of R.C.

2903.02(B) and 2929.02, ari tdnspecifed fel.ony, with Iirearin'spccifcations pursuant to

R.C. 2941,145, and two couny:s of felonious assault in vi.olatio»i of R.C. 2903.1 l.(11.)(2),

bQth felonies in. thc second degree, with f:.ixcarm specifca9:i.orr )ursuant to R_C 2941.145.

I^^ ^rial court sentenced ,ia`rries to a prison te.rna of 15 years to iife for the rnurder

ncucivcu NOV 1L LU14 UJ=}3pM

11/12/2014 16:06 4192134844 6TH DISTRICT COA PAGE 02/07

conviction (Count I) and to terms of seven and five years, respectively, for the felonious

assault convictions (Counts III and IV). The court ordered that the sentences be served

consecutively. An additional rnandatory three-year term. for each of the firearTn

specifications was itrposed as to C'ounts T, III, and IV, to be ^crved consecutively to one

an.other, and to the teriTis of tlrre bnderlying coz^Ylctions.

Rccciatty, op June 2Q, 2014, this court a€fLrrmn.ed that judgment Ip Stale u^ctrrrres,

6th Dist. Lucas No. L- 12-1284, 2014-Mo-26$9. Tarries did n,ot apak the judgment to

the Supreme Court of Ohio.

On Septe.xnber, 23, 2014, James filed the following with the court of appeals:

(1) application for reopening of appeal; (2) affidavit in support of reopening appeal;

(3) xnotion f4r caunsel; (4) 4davit for incoxnp.lElc ,recoid, az3d' (5) altida^rit ofiiidigence.

'1'h.e state of Ohio opposed the applacati.on by meinorantium filed on Qctober 23, 201,4.

App.R. 26(B) prov ides that 4n application for reopenizig "sha#l be filed in the couq

of app®als where the appea} was decided, within ninety ziays frvaxi jaurnalizati.Qn; of the

appellate judgment unless :ihe applicaz^.t shows good cause foi ipling at a later time."

As stated, th1'J ^...^ affirmed Tarnes° conyion ar,d cct-A 7ce'^y d-:si,r: and. . jJE.t 6 . . . , . . . .- . - . .

judgineat. jou,r,n.ali?ed or ► ,lune 20 2014. T±o be considered titncl)-, ,1"Ines' appltca9.io4

wiqs due no later th^n Septem^laer 18, 2014, 1;iamcs did not f^le his application, until.

S lepter^be.r, 23, 2014; fve cia}^^s Past the dead.line

10 days 9'emai.ni.ng in Jiune -f 31 rlays in July +$eptembcr = 90 elays, i.c. S^pteznber 18, 2014.

31 d.a.^s in Aogust + 18 days in

2.

Kecesveb Nov 12 2014 03:13pm11/12/2014 16:06 4192134844 6TH DISTRICT COA PAGE 03/07

James states, erroneously, that the application was timely. We note that while the

certificate of service indicates that Jatnes served the application before the deadline

expired, "mailing is not the equivalent of filing f.or docufnents sucb as this [Alrp<R. 26]

application." ,State v. Weaver, 7th Dist. Belmont No. 12 BE 21, 2013-Ohio-898,T, 3.

App.R. 13(A) specifies that "[fJiling may be accomplished by znail addressed to the clez:k,

but filing shall not be timely unless the docuXnents are receivqd^by the clerk wi:th.in the

tirrte fxed for filing." Ipdeeci; rnail is not deem.ed "filed" wlit-n it is delivered to the

prsoD. mail roorn Stale 4^ el. Tyler v. Alexrander, 52 ®5'fA $4, $5, 555 N.E.2d. 966

(094

The 9®-day d®adtine for ffling inust be strictly enforced. State v .Gat^f.ar", 1020111 o

St.3d 467, 20n4-O.llio-3976, 812 N.E.2d 970, ^j 7; State"v. trurrlm, 103 Obio St.3d 162,

2044 Qb.ioR4755, 814 N.E.2d 861z T 7. See also State v, Agesto, gtin Vist. ^uyahoga No,

$7M, 2(1®77Ollto 848, T- 3 pp).acataon to reopen denied as untimely because it Was

flled ozto day late and nt^ ,explaaxattgn to show good causc vva,^ I,rovicled.)

In. State v. Quinrz, btl•b Dzst: Lucas No. X,-06-1003, 2U{?8-O11io-3579, this court

de.nied an application, filed'211 da.ys late, find.i.ng that the de#'c a{ant's ina.bil..i.ty tn obt.arra

legal counsel and his liinited, access to the prison law lib.rary +.tO ^fiot con.stitute good

cause for the its untimely fj iirfg. See also State v, HubUard, Qch Dist. Fra.nk(in No.

11AP-945, 2014-Ohi^,122, °^'7; (Application filed two days iaie denied, in part, where

defendant failed to deinonstrate good cause for its untimely f^ling_) Because ,Tames'

applica.tiorz was untim.ely, it .'r:s denied.,.<.x

. _...;

^.

Received Nov 12 2014 03:14pm11/12/2014 16:06 4192134844 6TH DISTRICT COA PAGE 04/07

James' application also fails on the merits. An application for reopening must set

forth "[o]ne or more assignments of error or argwments in support of assignments of error

that previously were not considered on the merits in the case by any appellate court or

that were considered on an incoinplete record because of appellate counsel's deficient

representation." App.R. 26(.B)(2)(c). The application must also contain a swom

statement setting forth the basis of the claim alleging that appellate counsel's

representation was deficient and the manner in which the d.ef2ciency prejudiced the

outcome of the appeal. App.R. 26(B)(2)(d). The application "shall be granted if there is

a genuine issue as to whether the applicant was deprived of the effective assistance of

cun.scl pn a]Ppeal,7, i?:^1 PR.

i^za support o^'k^i:^ appticatioxz? 3aines brings or^c a.ssignx^^ent of crrc^r.

04 nt c,f wrrolr i''h^ t.raii [^i^] ^c^^rt porr%r^yt^,d [siol

prcjudi:caal .eqa?r wher^ it abused its dcscret.ion (szcl by adiTnlttiz^g irrelevant

and i.nadmiss%ble cvidencc over defense objections, which is a violation pf

appcllauts s.tpt^ arid fedcral constitutional rights to due process of law arXd0

t°Aght 60 a Wtas guaran*Oed by the 5th, 5th. a^d 14th amer,d±rcnt [siy1,

to thc U^a^t^d ^tat^s Ccnstit^iti^nn aaYd Article 1, ^ection 16 of t^rq

Constitution of the Sta(® of Ohio.

Tamcs cam^it,aSns that yertain photos were itmprope.rly 4rd1nitted at trial over his t^ia.l

coun.sei.s objection. In turrr, ixe claims that his appellate courlsI el pzav.ide,d "deFcient

pes^f®rmancc" by faLiling to rsiim= io.s arrcar 1:he erial c4u,zt"e

4.

Received Nov 12 2014 03:14pm11/12/2014 16:06 4192134844 6TH DISTRICT COA PAGE 05/07

At issue were images of a. bullet-ridden notebook that was fnund near the

apartment belongizzg to Tamikka Allen. Ms.ltillen was an eyewitness to the shootings.

She testified that she felt it was a"anessage * * * for me not to say nothing [sic] about

what ha.ppened." Ms. Allen=t'iuth.er testified that two individ.ua.ls, whom she identified as:R

"Clay" arnd Eltonio Williams, intcnded to threaten. her by placi.rag the notebook n.ear her

apaz-ttment door.

Trr his application, ,T,a!n.ps argues that bccause there was bo evidence linking him tcz

the potebook, the adinission o^ such .pvid:ence was unfairly przjudipiat and constitutcs

reversible erxor.

To prQvail ori an apph^at.ton tct Teopen, Ja?nes must anake; "a colorable claun" o^

ineqsctive'assista.nce of ap^aellat^ cs^tnsel under the standard esta,blishecl ?n Stricklancl ir..' ' . ' . . . ' . .. . . . .: 1 . . , ' . .. ..

Tashilagton, 466 U.S, 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 T.E2d 674 (1984) SOate v. Sanders, 75

Ohio 5t,3d 607, 665 N.E.2d 199 (1996). Under Stric^rlan,d, the aPplicant must

demonstrate that "counsel vs as d.efieient for failing to iraise th,u ssue he now presents and

that there was a reasonable probabziity of success had that ^ssu^ bcEn presented on

a,ppeal." State v. Lee, 10th Pist. FraYAklin No. 06AP2Z6, 200`r' a^iaio- 1594, ¶ 2.

Jaanes argues that M^ffior.d v, State, 13 Ohio A.pp, 106 (lst Dist.1920), cornpels this

cotxrL` to grant his appli.catioji< in Mefford, the court held,

Attempts by persons other than the accused to b1ibe witnesses, or

oth.erwise to suppress or tnatZ.ufacture evidence, are evidence against the

accused whera, but only vvhena it is proven thwt k,® vv"a r-7nn^ate4 witke suela

:S. r._ _

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Nov 12 2014 03=14vm6TH DISTRICT COA PAGE 06/07

attempts, Acts and statements of third persons, not known or authorized

by him., are inadmissible. (Emphasis added.) Id at 107. See also State v.

Smith, 49 Ohio St,3d 137, 143, 551 N.E.2d 190 ( 1990) (Recognizing rule

announced in Meffora'.).

In this case, both individuals identi .fzed by 1'vls. Allen were known to Ja.mes.

According to the portions of the transcript provided by James with his application, "Clay"

is James' cousin., and Eltoni^-Villiarr.ls and James met up at Ms. Allen's apartment

minutes,after the shootings Xher.efore, Mefford does mot coiizpel exclusion of the

evidenoe.

Tl1is court further nc►tcs that two witnesses offered 41 rcct testimony at tzia.l that

Ja,mnes w,#s the shonter. State v, James, 6th Dist, lLucas No. L-12 _12843 ^Q14-C^hio-26$^,

3, 7, 17. Thus, the cprcu^stanti3l evidence of the bu,llet-ridden tic?teboolc, as z'elatz9g to

James'. gutxlt, was Merely cumulative of other, tmore probative evidertce of guilt that was

a1s.4 befaxe the jvry. Thczcfore, this court does not find that James ti ad areasoana^il^

probability of succcss ift1w evidcntiaiy issue had bee.1i presentcd on appeaZ,

James' proposed assignment of error is not well.-taken A.ccordingl,y, he has.fai.led.^

to meet his burden to demonstrate that there is a. genuine issue as to whether he was

deprived of the effective assi^stance of appellate counsel. Tht:rw,fore, we deny James'

,A,pp.R. 26(B) application to i-eopen his appeal. .Any costs as:qciated witb. this application

are assessed to appellant>

6.

Received Nov 12 2014 03=14pm11l12f2014 16:06 4192134844 6TH DISTRICT COA PAGE 07/07

State v. JamesC.A. No. L-12-1284

1Vlark L. Pict ,rykowski,_J,T

Stephen A. Xarbrough, PJ_,

James D. Jensen, J.CONCUR.

7.