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2025 Ohio 2776

State v. Cook

Ohio Court of Appeals

Decided August 7, 2025

Ohio Court of Appeals · decided 2025-08-07

Agreed-upon sentence; consecutive sentences; R.C. 2953.08(D)(1); subject to review; Crim.R. 32(C); App.R. 16(A)(7); Reagan Tokes notifications; R.C. 2929.19(B)(2)(c); invited error; postrelease control notifications; constitutionality of the Reagan Tokes Law. Pursuant to a plea agreement, the parties entered into an agreed-upon sentencing range. The trial court imposed a sentence that fell within the agreed-upon range. As such, the sentence is not subject to review pursuant to R.C. 2953.08(D)(1). Appellant claims the trial court's sentencing entry was insufficient since it failed to note that certain firearm specifications were dismissed as a result of the plea agreement. He presents no authority in support of his premise that the sentencing entry must include details of the plea agreement as required by App.R. (16)(A)(7). We decline to address his assignment of error. Even if we were to address his assignment of error, it would not be successful. Crim.R. 32(C) no longer requires the sentencing entry to include the manner of conviction. The trial court failed to advise the defendant of the Reagan Tokes notifications at the sentencing hearing as required under R.C. 2929.19(B)(2)(c). However, the trial court did fully advise the defendant of these provisions at the plea hearing. Defense counsel advised the trial court that the notifications at the plea hearing were sufficient and did not need to be repeated at the sentencing hearing. As such, the trial court's failure to repeat these notifications at the sentencing hearing, if error, was invited. When notifying the defendant of postrelease control at sentencing, the trial court failed to notify the defendant of the consequences he may face if he violated postrelease control. As a result, the trial court's notice of postrelease control is insufficient and the case is remanded back to the trial court for a limited resentencing hearing to properly notify the defendant of postrelease control. The defendant concedes that in State v. Hacker, 2023-Ohio-2535, the Supreme Court of Ohio affirmed the constitutionality of the Reagan Tokes Law on the same grounds raised by the defendant. As such, defendant's constitutional challenges to the Reagan Tokes Law are overruled.

Applies OH 2967 § 2967.271

Relies on State v. Campbell · Hal Artz Lincoln-Mercury, Inc. v. Ford Motor Co. · Davis v. Wolfe

Decided 2025-08-07

[Cite as State v. Cook, 
2025-Ohio-2776
.]


                                   COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO

                                  EIGHTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
                                     COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA


STATE OF OHIO,                                 :

                 Plaintiff- Appellee,          :
                                                            No. 114609
        v.                                     :

DAKAREE COOK,                                  :

                 Defendant-Appellant.          :

                 _______________________________________

                                    JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION

                 JUDGMENT: AFFIRMED IN PART, VACATED IN PART,
                           AND REMANDED
                 RELEASED AND JOURNALIZED: August 7, 2025


          Criminal Appeal from the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas
                             Case No. CR-24-688153-A


                                           Appearances:

                 Michael C. O’Malley, Cuyahoga County Prosecuting
                 Attorney, and Adrienne E. Linnick, Assistant Prosecuting
                 Attorney, for appellee.

                 Law Office of Timothy Farrell Sweeney and Timothy F.
                 Sweeney, for appellant.
MICHELLE J. SHEEHAN, P.J.:

             Defendant-appellant Dakaree Cook (“Cook”) appeals from the

judgment convicting and sentencing him for involuntary manslaughter, felonious

assault, and tampering with evidence pursuant to a plea agreement with the State

that included an agreed-upon sentencing range. On appeal, Cook challenges (1) the

sentences imposed by the trial court; (2) the sufficiency of the trial court’s

sentencing entry; (3) the sufficiency of the trial court’s notifications concerning

postrelease control and the imposition of non-life indefinite sentences (commonly

referred to as the “Reagan Tokes Law” and “S.B. 201”); and (4) the constitutionality

of the Reagan Tokes Law.

            Upon a thorough review of the record and applicable law, we affirm in

part the sentences imposed by the trial court. We vacate the portion of Cook’s

sentence insufficiently notifying him of postrelease control and remand this case

back to the trial court for a limited resentencing hearing for the sole purpose of

properly advising Cook of postrelease control and to include that notice in the

sentencing entry. We also order the trial court to issue a nunc pro tunc entry to

correct a clerical error in its sentencing entry. The remaining portions of Cook’s

sentences are affirmed.
I. Procedural History and Relevant Facts

      A. Indictment

             In January 2024, Cook was charged in an eight-count indictment in

connection with the murder of Anthony Hairston, Jr. The indictment charged Cook

with the following offenses:

      1. Aggravated murder, in violation of R.C. 2903.01(A), an undefined
      felony, with one- and three- year firearm specifications;

      2. Murder, in violation of R.C. 2903.02(A), an undefined felony, with
      one- and three-year firearm specifications;

      3. Murder, in violation of R.C. 2903.02(B), an undefined felony, with
      one- and three- year firearm specifications;

      4. Felonious assault, in violation of R.C. 2903.11(A)(1), a felony of the
      second degree, with one- and three-year firearm specifications;

      5. Felonious assault, in violation of R.C. 2903.11(A)(2), a felony of the
      second degree, with one- and three-year firearm specifications;

      6. Tampering with evidence, in violation of R.C. 2921.12(A)(1), a
      felony of the third degree;

      7. Receiving stolen property, in violation of R.C. 2913.51(A), a felony
      of the fourth degree; and

      8. Carrying a concealed weapon, in violation of R.C. 2923.12(A)(2), a
      felony of the fourth degree, with a furthermore clause noting that the
      weapon involved was a firearm that was either loaded or for which the
      offender had ammunition ready at hand.

      B. Plea Agreement

             On October 9, 2024, Cook entered into a plea agreement with the State.

As consideration for the plea, the State amended Count 3 of the indictment to

involuntary manslaughter, a felony of the first degree, with a three-year firearm
specification.   The one-year firearm specification was deleted.         Count 4 was

amended with the one- and three-year firearm specifications being deleted. Cook

pleaded guilty to Counts 3, 4, and 6 as amended. Counts 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8 were nolled.

As part of the plea agreement, the parties agreed that these offenses are not allied

and would not merge for the purposes of sentencing. The parties also agreed to a

jointly recommended sentencing range on the underlying felonies of 18 to 25 years

in prison, plus the tail pursuant to Reagan Tokes. The details of this plea were

journalized in the trial court’s judgment entry filed October 9, 2024.

             Prior to entering his plea, the trial court advised Cook of the maximum

sentences that could be imposed on each offense, as well as an explanation of the

Reagan Tokes notifications set forth in R.C. 2929.19(B)(2)(c). The trial court also

advised Cook that since the parties agreed the offenses were not allied, the court

could order the sentences run consecutively to one another. With respect to the

agreed recommended sentence, the trial court advised Cook that the court was not

bound to the agreed recommended sentence, but that in these types of cases, the

trial court typically does accept the agreed recommended sentence.

      C. Sentencing

             Sentencing occurred on November 6, 2024. The trial court imposed an

aggregate sentence within the recommended agreed-upon range of 25 years, plus

the Reagan Tokes tail. Cook was sentenced to 11 years on Count 3, with a tail of 5½

years, plus three years on the mandatory firearm specification; 8 years on Count 4;
and 36 months on Count 6. The offenses were ordered to run consecutively for a

total aggregate sentence of 25 years, with a tail of 5½ years.

             The trial court advised Cook that upon his release he would be subject

to postrelease control for a mandatory minimum of two years up to five years. The

trial court did not orally advise him of the consequences he faced if he violated the

terms of postrelease control, despite this notification’s inclusion in the journal entry.

      D. Appeal

             Cook filed a notice of appeal from the trial court’s sentencing entry. He

presents four assignments of error for our review:

      1. The trial court erred when it sentenced Cook to maximum sentences
      on all counts and further erred when it ordered the sentences to be
      served consecutively.

      2. The court’s judgment entry of sentence fails to accurately reflect
      Cook’s offense of conviction and sentence; the court’s judgment entry
      of sentence must be vacated and a corrected entry issued.

      3. The trial court’s advisements of and notifications to Cook about
      both postrelease control and the Reagan Tokes law — which the court
      provided during the sentencing hearing and in the sentencing journal
      entry — were deficient and contrary to law, thereby mandating
      resentencing.

      4. S.B. 201 (Reagan Tokes) violates the Sixth Amendment right to trial
      by jury and Fourteenth Amendment due process and the associated
      provision of the Ohio Constitution, Article I, Sections 5, 10, and 16.
II. Law and Analysis

      A. First Assigned Error for Review

             In his first assigned error for review, Cook challenges the sentences

imposed by the trial court, including the trial court’s decision to run the sentences

consecutively to one another. Since the aggregate sentence imposed by the trial

court falls within the jointly recommended sentence agreed to by the parties, Cook’s

sentence is not subject to review.

               R.C. 2953.08(D)(1) provides that “[a] sentence imposed upon a

defendant is not subject to review under this section if the sentence is authorized by

law, has been recommended jointly by the defendant and the prosecution in the

case, and is imposed by a sentencing judge.” “‘It does not matter if the jointly

recommended sentence is a range or a specific term, as long as the sentence is

authorized by law, the sentence is not reviewable.’” State v. Curry, 
2023-Ohio-1571, ¶ 16
 (8th Dist.), quoting State v. Grant, 
2018-Ohio-1759, ¶ 29
 (8th Dist.).

             Cook argues that this provision should not apply for three reasons.

Cook claims that his sentence is reviewable because (1) the plea colloquy does not

include a waiver with respect to the trial court’s obligations when imposing

consecutive sentences; (2) the trial court attempted to justify the imposition of

consecutive sentences at the hearing but failed to include its justifications in its

journal entry; and (3) the sentences within the agreed range were capable of being

reached in this case without the need for consecutive sentences. He fails to direct

this court to any authority in support of his arguments.
               This court has recognized that “‘[a] trial court’s imposition of

nonmandatory consecutive sentences within an agreed sentencing range is a jointly

recommended sentence that is authorized by law and not reviewable on appeal

under R.C. 2953.08(D)(1).’” 
Curry at ¶ 16
, quoting 
Grant at ¶ 29
. Here, Cook

challenges the trial court’s findings with respect to the imposition of consecutive

sentences. However, this court has recognized that “[i]n the context of a jointly

recommended sentence that includes nonmandatory consecutive sentences, a trial

court    is   not   required     to   make     the    consecutive     sentence findings

under R.C. 2929.14(C)(4) or include those in the sentencing entry.”             State v.

Coleman, 
2022-Ohio-4013, ¶ 19
 (8th Dist.), citing State v. Sergent, 2016-Ohio-

2696, ¶ 43.

               The sentences imposed by the trial court included terms of

nonmandatory consecutive sentences. The aggregate length of the sentences fell

within the agreed recommended sentence contemplated by the parties as a result of

a plea agreement.      As such, the sentence and the trial court’s imposition of

consecutive sentences are not subject to review pursuant to R.C. 2953.08(D)(1).

Accordingly, Cook’s first assignment of error is overruled.

        B. Second Assigned Error for Review

               In his second assigned error for review, Cook alleges that the trial

court’s sentencing entry fails to accurately reflect Cook’s conviction and sentence

and therefore must be vacated and a corrected entry issued. Specifically, Cook

argues that the trial court’s sentencing entry fails to note that as a result of the plea
agreement, the one-year firearm specification on Count 3 was deleted, along with

the one- and three-year firearm specifications attached to Counts 1, 2, 4, and 5. Cook

does not direct us to any authority in support of his claim.

               App.R. 16(A)(7) requires an appellant to include in its brief “[a]n

argument containing the contentions of the appellant with respect to each

assignment of error presented for review and the reasons in support of the

contentions, with citations to the authorities, statutes, and parts of the record on

which appellant relies.” As such, pursuant to App.R. 12(A)(2), “an appellate court

may decline to address an assignment of error if an appellant fails to cite any legal

authority to support his argument.” Walsh v. Walsh, 
2023-Ohio-1675, ¶ 9
, citing

Thornhill v. Thornhill, 
2009-Ohio-5569
, ¶ 11 (8th Dist.) (court declined to address

assignments of error when appellant failed to cite any supporting case law or

statute); Capital One Bank USA, N.A. v. DeRisse, 
2016-Ohio-648, ¶ 10
 (7th Dist.)

(the absence of relevant Ohio case law was grounds to disregard an assignment of

error). It is “[t]he appellant, rather than the appellate court, [who] bears the burden

to construct necessary legal arguments [to] support the designated assignments of

error.” 
Walsh at ¶ 10
, citing Doe v. Cuyahoga Cty. Community College, 2022-Ohio-

527, ¶ 26 (8th Dist.).

               Cook fails to direct us to any legal authority in support of his claim.

Accordingly, we need not address his second assignment of error. However, even if

we were to address his claims, we would overrule his second assignment of error.
               In State v. Lester, 
2011-Ohio-5204
, the Supreme Court of Ohio set

forth the four elements that must be included for a judgment of conviction. The four

substantive elements include “(1) the fact of the conviction, (2) the sentence, (3) the

judge’s signature, and (4) the time stamp indicating the entry upon the journal by

the clerk.” Id. at ¶ 14. The Court explained that while Crim.R. 32(C) required the

entry to include the manner of conviction, such as a plea or finding of guilt, it is not

a substantive element and may be corrected by a nunc pro tunc entry. See id. at ¶ 20.

               Shortly after Lester was decided, Crim.R. 32(C) was amended

removing the requirement that the judgment of conviction specify the manner of

conviction. Crim.R. 32(C) currently provides that

      [a] judgment of conviction shall set forth the fact of conviction and the
      sentence. Multiple judgments of conviction may be addressed in one
      judgment entry. If the defendant is found not guilty or for any other
      reason is entitled to be discharged, the court shall render judgment
      accordingly. The judge shall sign the judgment and the clerk shall
      enter it on the journal. A judgment is effective only when entered on
      the journal by the clerk.

               The Staff Notes for the amendment explains the purpose of the

amendment as follows:

      Rule 32(C) sets forth the four essential elements required for a
      judgment of conviction as defined by the Supreme Court of Ohio.
      See State v. Lester, 
2011-Ohio-5204
. The previous rule arguably
      required the judgment to specify the specific manner of conviction,
      e.g., plea, verdict, or findings upon with the conviction is based. The
      amendment to the rule allows, but does not require, the judgment to
      specify the specific manner of conviction. When a judgment of
      conviction reflects the four substantive provisions, as set forth by the
      Supreme Court of Ohio, it is a final order subject to appeal.
2013 Staff Note, Crim.R. 32. Thus, under the current version of Crim.R. 32(C),

“[t]here is no longer any requirement that the judgment entry specify the specific

manner of conviction.” State v. Howe, 
2021-Ohio-1676, ¶ 15
 (6th Dist.).

               Crim.R. 32(C) does not require the sentencing entry to recite the

specifics of the plea agreement with respect to each count, nor the amendments

made to each count as a result of the plea agreement. Since the trial court was not

required to include a statement regarding the deletion of each firearm specification

as result of the plea agreement into its sentencing entry, we find no error with

respect to this claim.

               The trial court’s sentencing entry, however, does contain a clerical

error with respect to Cook’s conviction for felonious assault as set forth in Count 4.

The trial court’s sentencing entry states, “On a former day of court the defendant

pleaded guilty to felonious assault R.C. 2903.11(A)(1) F2 as charged in Count(s) 4

of the indictment.” (Emphasis added.) This is incorrect. The record indicates that

prior to pleading guilty to Count 4, felonious assault, it was amended by deletion of

the one– and three–year firearm specifications. Cook did not plead guilty to Count

4 “as charged,” but rather he plead guilty to Count 4 “as amended.” As such, we

remand the case back ordering the trial court to issue a nunc pro tunc entry to

correct this clerical error in its sentencing entry.

      C. Third Assigned Error for Review

               In his third assigned error for review, Cook contends that at the

sentencing hearing, the trial court (1) failed to properly notify Cook of postrelease
control and (2) failed to provide Cook with the required Reagan Tokes notifications.

We will address each claim below.

Postrelease Control

              The Supreme Court of Ohio has recognized that when a trial court is

imposing a sentence that includes a term of postrelease control, the trial court “‘is

duty-bound to notify [the] offender at the sentencing hearing about postrelease

control and to incorporate postrelease control into its sentencing entry.’” State v.

Grimes, 
2017-Ohio-2927, ¶ 11
, quoting State v. Jordan, 
2004-Ohio-6085
, ¶ 22. In

order to validly impose postrelease control as part of a defendant’s sentence, “the

trial court must orally provide all the required advisements at the sentencing

hearing and it must incorporate those advisements into the sentencing entry.” State

v. Bates, 
2022-Ohio-475, ¶ 12
.

              Relevant to this appeal, “[t]he trial court must advise the offender at

the sentencing hearing of the term of supervision, whether postrelease control is

discretionary or mandatory, and the consequences of violating postrelease control.”

Bates at ¶ 11
, citing 
Grimes at ¶ 11
. “Among other consequences, an offender’s

violation of a postrelease-control sanction or condition may result in the [Adult

Parole Authority] imposing a prison term on the offender.” 
Bates at ¶ 11
, citing

R.C. 2967.28(F)(3). When a trial court fails to properly inform an offender of

postrelease control, the imposition of postrelease control must be vacated and

remanded to the trial court for a limited hearing on the imposition of postrelease

control. See State v. Gray, 
2022-Ohio-939, ¶ 15
 (8th Dist.) (vacating the postrelease
control portion of the defendant’s sentence and remanding for a limited hearing on

postrelease control).

               Here, it is undisputed that while the trial court’s sentencing entry

does purport to have advised Cook of postrelease control, a thorough review of the

sentencing transcript demonstrates that the trial court failed to notify Cook of the

consequences should he violate the conditions of postrelease control. As such, the

trial court’s notification of postrelease control is insufficient, rendering the sentence

“‘clearly and convincingly contrary to law.’” 
Gray at ¶ 12
, quoting State v. Fischer,

2010-Ohio-6238, ¶ 29
.

               Accordingly, we vacate the judgment as it relates to the trial court’s

notification of postrelease control and remand this case back to the trial court for

the limited purpose of resentencing to properly notify Cook of postrelease control.

See State v. Kelley, 
2024-Ohio-157, ¶ 87
 (8th Dist.).

Reagan Tokes Notifications

      1. Failure to Repeat the Reagan Tokes Notifications at Sentencing

               Pursuant to R.C. 2929.19(B)(2)(c), when imposing a non-life felony

indefinite prison term, the trial court is required to inform the defendant of the

following:

      (i) That it is rebuttably presumed that the offender will be released
      from service of the sentence on the expiration of the minimum prison
      term imposed as part of the sentence or on the offender’s presumptive
      earned early release date, as defined in section 2967.271 of the
      Revised Code, whichever is earlier;
      (ii) That the department of rehabilitation and correction may rebut
      the presumption described in division (B)(2)(c)(i) of this section if, at
      a hearing held under section 2967.271 of the Revised Code, the
      department makes specified determinations regarding the offender’s
      conduct while confined, the offender’s rehabilitation, the offender’s
      threat to society, the offender’s restrictive housing, if any, while
      confined, and the offender’s security classification;

      (iii) That if, as described in division (B)(2)(c)(ii) of this section, the
      department at the hearing makes the specified determinations and
      rebuts the presumption, the department may maintain the offender’s
      incarceration after the expiration of that minimum term or after that
      presumptive earned early release date for the length of time the
      department determines to be reasonable, subject to the limitation
      specified in section 2967.271 of the Revised Code;

      (iv) That the department may make the specified determinations and
      maintain the offender’s incarceration under the provisions described
      in divisions (B)(2)(c)(i) and (ii) of this section more than one time,
      subject to the limitation specified in section 2967.271 of the Revised
      Code;

      (v) That if the offender has not been released prior to the expiration
      of the offender’s maximum prison term imposed as part of the
      sentence, the offender must be released upon the expiration of that
      term.

“A trial court need not use the precise wording of the statute, but it must convey the

required information at the time of sentencing.” State v. Warr, 
2025-Ohio-1935, ¶ 6
 (8th Dist.), citing State v. Bradley, 
2022-Ohio-2954, ¶ 13
 (8th Dist.).

              Neither party disputes that at Cook’s change-of-plea hearing, the trial

court thoroughly provided Cook with the above notifications.                  However,

R.C. 2929.19(B)(2)(c) requires these notifications to be given at the sentencing

hearing. See State v. Gates, 
2022-Ohio-1666, ¶ 25
 (8th Dist.); State v. Bradley,

2022-Ohio-2954, ¶ 14
 (8th Dist.).
              The State concedes that these advisements were not provided at the

sentencing hearing but argues that Cook waived the requirement that the trial court

repeat the notifications at sentencing. With respect to the challenged advisement,

the following exchange occurred between the trial court and defense counsel at

sentencing:

      THE COURT: [Counsel], we discussed at the time of the plea the
      application of the Reagan Tokes Law. Do you believe I ought to
      instruct your client again as to that, or are you satisfied by the Court’s
      earlier recitation?

      DEFENSE COUNSEL: Your Honor, we are satisfied with the prior
      recitation. Thank you very much.

              The invited-error doctrine “‘is a branch of the waiver doctrine that

estops a party from seeking to profit from an error that the party invited or

induced.’” O’Malley v. Laborers’ Internatl. Union of N. Am. Local 860, 2024-Ohio-

3103, ¶ 17 (8th Dist.), quoting Koch v. Rist, 
89 Ohio St.3d 250, 256
 (2000). It

provides that a party “may not ‘take advantage of an error which he himself invited

or induced.’” State v. Grate, 
2020-Ohio-5584, ¶ 197
, quoting Hal Artz Lincoln-

Mercury, Inc. v. Ford Motor Co., Lincoln-Mercury Div., 
28 Ohio St.3d 20
 (1986),

paragraph one of the syllabus.

              Here, the record demonstrates that Cook affirmatively consented to

the trial court not repeating the Reagan Tokes notifications at the sentencing

hearing. Invited error may be found “when a party has asked the court to take some

action later claimed to be erroneous, or affirmatively consented to a procedure the

trial judge proposed.” (Emphasis added.) State v. Campbell, 
90 Ohio St.3d 320, 324
 (2000). As such, any error that occurred as a result of the trial court failing to

repeat the above Reagan Tokes notifications at sentencing was affirmatively

consented to by Cook at sentencing.

               We recognize that the invited-error doctrine is inapplicable with

respect to issues that cannot be waived, such as issues concerning subject-matter

jurisdiction. See Davis v. Wolfe, 
92 Ohio St.3d 549, 552
 (2001). See also State v.

Taogaga, 
2002-Ohio-5062
, ¶ 31 (8th Dist.). While a court is required to provide the

Reagan Tokes notifications at sentencing, its failure to do so does not divest the trial

court of jurisdiction. As such, the invited-error doctrine is applicable here. Cook’s

argument that the trial court erred in failing to repeat the notifications at sentencing

is not well taken.

      2. The Sentencing Entry’s Recitation of the Reagan Tokes
      Notifications

               Cook also contends that the trial court’s sentencing entry with respect

to the Reagan Tokes notifications is deficient and inaccurate in two ways.

Particularly, Cook takes issue with part of trial court’s sentencing entry that reads,

in relevant part:

      The court has notified the offender that pursuant to R.C.
      2929.19(B)(2)(c):

      Offender is eligible for earned reduction of 5 to 15 percent of the
      minimum prison term imposed for exceptional conduct while
      incarcerated or adjustment to incarceration, and advised of the basis
      for rebutting early release pursuant to R.C. 2967.271(F)(4).

      If the defendant is not recommended for, or denied earned early
      release, there is a presumption of release after service of any
      specifications and the minimum term. Offender is advised of the
      bases for the Department of Corrections (DRC) to rebut the
      presumption at a hearing, and may maintain offender’s incarceration
      for the length of time DRC determines to be reasonable, or through
      the maximum term if DRC makes the specified determinations under
      R.C. 2967.271(C).

      DRC may make the specified determinations and maintain the
      offender’s incarceration more than one time, but the offender must be
      released upon the expiration of the offender’s maximum term.

               First, Cook argues that the entry is inaccurate since Cook was never

notified of these advisements at the sentencing hearing. However, the entry does

not say that Cook was notified of these advisements at the sentencing hearing.

Rather, the entry states that “[t]he court has notified the offender” of the

advisements set forth in 2929.19(B)(2)(c). It is undisputed that at the plea hearing,

the trial court fully and adequately advised Cook of the Reagan Tokes notifications

set forth in R.C. 2929.19(B)(2)(c). The entry, on its face, is not inaccurate.

               Second, Cook claims that the entry is incomplete because it does not

include a list of all the Reagan Tokes notifications that were provided him. In doing

so, he fails to direct this court to any authority requiring the trial court to incorporate

all the Reagan Tokes notifications into its sentencing entry.              Rather, other

jurisdictions that have addressed this issue have held that while “trial courts are

required to provide all five R.C. 2929.19(B)(2)(c) Reagan Tokes Law notifications to

defendants during the sentencing hearing, there is no statutory requirement that

those five notifications also be incorporated into the sentencing entry.” State v.

Miller, 
2025-Ohio-1920
, ¶ 81 (4th Dist.). See also State v. Rasheed, 2024-Ohio-
3424, ¶ 102 (2d Dist.) (finding that the trial court did err when it included some, but

not all, of the Reagan Tokes notifications in the sentencing entry).

                 Accordingly, we find no merit to Cook’s claim that the trial court’s

sentencing entry was insufficient for failing to include each of the Reagan Tokes

notifications set forth in R.C. 2929.19(B)(2)(c).

                 Cook’s third assignment of error is sustained in part with respect to

postrelease control and overruled in part with respect to the Reagan Tokes

notifications.

      D. Fourth Assigned Error for Review

                 In his fourth and final assigned error for review, Cook challenges the

constitutionality of the Reagan Tokes Law, as set forth in R.C. 2967.271. Cook

argues that the indefinite sentencing aspect of the Reagan Tokes Law violates due

process and a defendant’s right to trial by jury.

                 We begin by noting that the trial court adopted the jointly

recommended agreed sentence as part of the plea agreement. As discussed above,

R.C. 2953.08(D)(1) generally precludes review of agreed sentences. Nonetheless,

“the [S]upreme [C]ourt has held that constitutional challenges are not within the

scope of R.C. 2953.08, and therefore, the statute ‘does not preclude an appeal of a

sentence on constitutional grounds.’” State v. Castro, 
2022-Ohio-4327, ¶ 12
 (12th

Dist.), quoting State v. Patrick, 
2020-Ohio-6803, ¶ 22
. Since Cook’s constitutional

challenge to his sentence is not barred by R.C. 2953.08(D)(1), we may consider it

with respect to the constitutionality of the Reagan Tokes Law.
               Cook concedes that the constitutional challenges he makes in his brief

have previously been rejected by the Supreme Court of Ohio in State v. Hacker,

2023-Ohio-2535
. In Hacker, the Supreme Court determined that the Reagan Tokes

Law does not violate due process, the separation-of-powers doctrine, or the right to

jury trial. Id. at ¶¶ 13, 28, 40. These are the same constitutional claims Cook

advances now.

               The Supreme Court’s decision in Hacker is controlling. Cook agrees

that Hacker controls, but nonetheless disagrees with the Supreme Court’s decision

in Hacker. Accordingly, Cook’s fourth and final assignment of error is overruled.

III. Conclusion

               We affirm, in part, the sentences imposed by the trial court. We

vacate the portion of Cook’s sentence notifying him of postrelease control and

remand to the trial court for a limited resentencing hearing to properly advise Cook

of postrelease control and to include that notice in the sentencing entry. We also

order the trial court to issue a nunc pro tunc entry to correct the clerical error in its

sentencing entry regarding Count 4.

      It is ordered that the parties share equally the costs herein taxed.

      The court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.

      It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this court directing the

common pleas court to carry this judgment into execution.              The defendant’s

convictions having been affirmed, any bail pending appeal is terminated. Case

remanded to the trial court for resentencing
      A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27

of the Rules of Appellate Procedure.


_________________________________
MICHELLE J. SHEEHAN, PRESIDING JUDGE

LISA B. FORBES, J., and
KATHLEEN ANN KEOUGH, J., CONCUR

/2025/ohio/2776 · .json · Public domain