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IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO
SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
STATE OF OHIO :
: Appellate Case No. 24033
Plaintiff-Appellee :
: Trial Court Case No. 09-CR-1526
v. :
:
RODNEY HERRON : (Criminal Appeal from
: Common Pleas Court)
Defendant-Appellant :
:
..........
OPINION
Rendered on the 30th day of September, 2011.
...........
MATHIAS H. HECK, JR., by LAURA M. WOODRUFF, Atty. Reg. #0084161, Montgomery
County Prosecutor’s Office, Appellate Division, Montgomery County Courts Building, P.O.
Box 972, 301 West Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45422
Attorney for Plaintiff-Appellee
GLEN H. DEWAR, Atty. Reg. #0042077, Cicero Law Office, LLC, 500 East Fifth Street,
Dayton, Ohio 45402
Attorney for Defendant-Appellant
.............
FAIN, J.
{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant Rodney Jay Herron appeals from his conviction and
sentence on two counts of Murder (proximate result and purposeful), with firearm
specifications; two counts of Felonious Assault (deadly weapon and serious physical harm),
2
with firearm specifications; and one count of Possession of Heroin. The victim of the Murder
and Felonious Assault offenses was Kasey Fairman. Herron pled guilty to all charges.
{¶ 2} Herron’s assigned counsel initially filed a brief under the authority of Anders v.
California (1967),
, indicating that counsel could
not find any potential assignments of error having arguable merit. We rejected the Anders
brief by entry filed herein on November 19, 2010, concluding that: “[T]here is an arguable
assignment of error arising out of the fact that the two Murder convictions, involving the same
victim, were not merged, and the two Felonious Assault convictions, involving the identical,
same victim, were not merged in the sentencing entry.” New appellate counsel was assigned.
I
{¶ 3} Herron’s sole assignment of error is as follows:
{¶ 4} “THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY FAILING TO MERGE ALL MURDER
AND FELONIOUS ASSAULT CHARGES AS ALLIED OFFENSES OF SIMILAR IMPORT
WHERE THE APPELLANT AT ONE TIME COMMITTED A SINGLE ACT FOR A
SINGLE PURPOSE AGAINST A SINGLE VICTIM WITH A SINGLE RESULT.”
{¶ 5} The trial court ordered the firearm specification three-year sentences to merge
into a single three-year sentence to be served consecutively with, and prior to, the sentences
for the principal offenses. The sentences for the two Murder convictions, the two Felonious
Assault convictions, and the one Possession of Heroin conviction were ordered to be served
concurrently. But the convictions themselves were not merged.
{¶ 6} The State concedes that under the law in effect at the time of the sentencing
3
hearing, the two Murder convictions should have been merged as allied offenses of similar
import under R.C. 2941.25, and the two Felonious Assault convictions should have merged as
allied offenses, as well. The State further concedes that after State v. Johnson,
, the surviving Felonious Assault conviction should have been
merged with the surviving Murder conviction. In the filing the State has made pursuant to
our Local App. R. 2.24, the State: “ … gives notice of its agreement for remand of this case
to the trial court for election and merger.”
{¶ 7} We agree with Herron and the State that after State v. Johnson, the two Murder
convictions must merge; the two Felonious Assault convictions must merge; and the surviving
Felonious Assault conviction must merge with the surviving Murder conviction.
{¶ 8} Herron’s sole assignment of error is sustained.
II
{¶ 9} Herron’s sole assignment of error having been sustained, his convictions for
Murder and for Felonious Assault are Reversed, and this cause is Remanded for the merger of
those convictions, with the State making its election of which conviction shall survive, and for
re-sentencing for the surviving conviction. In all other respects, the judgment of the trial
court is Affirmed.
.............
GRADY, P.J., and FROELICH, J., concur.
Copies mailed to:
Mathias H. Heck
4
Laura M. Woodruff
Glen H. Dewar
Hon. Dennis J. Adkins
