[Cite as State v. Santana, 2011-Ohio-3685.]
Court of Appeals of Ohio
EIGHTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA
JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION
No. 95478
STATE OF OHIO
PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE
vs.
ANGEL SANTANA
DEFENDANT-APPELLANT
JUDGMENT:
AFFIRMED
Criminal Appeal from the
Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas
Case No. CR-531465
BEFORE: Stewart, P.J., Celebrezze, J., and Rocco, J.
RELEASED AND JOURNALIZED: July 28, 2011
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT
Michael K. Webster
800 Standard Building
1370 Ontario Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
William D. Mason
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor
BY: Lisa M. Stickan
Assistant County Prosecutor
The Justice Center
1200 Ontario Street, 8th Floor
Cleveland, OH 44113
MELODY J. STEWART, P.J.:
{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant, Angel Santana, appeals from the trial court’s findings
in a civil commitment hearing that he is a mentally ill person subject to hospitalization by
court order and that the least restrictive means of commitment is a hospital managed by
Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare. Santana complains that the state failed to demonstrate
that he represented a substantial risk of physical harm to himself or other members of
society, and that clear and convincing evidence of present mental illness was deficient
when viewed under the totality of the circumstances. Conversely, Santana argues that he
is a nondangerous individual that is not subject to confinement.
{¶ 2} On October 25, 2009, Santana displayed an accumulation of increasingly
bizarre behavior and disturbing thought patterns including, but not limited to, a
preoccupation with spiders; attempting to communicate via a computer with aliens as well
as celebrities Howard Stern and Megan Fox; peculiar drawings and writings involving
aliens, spiders, and of a sexual nature; and standing in the street while yelling at cars for no
apparent reason. Santana was thereafter taken to the emergency room at MetroHealth
Medical Center by his sister and stepmother who were assisted by police. He was
subsequently transferred to Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare.
{¶ 3} Santana was discharged from the hospital on November 13, 2009, and
shortly thereafter, arrived unannounced at the home of his stepmother. The bizarre
behavior continued, and on November 19, 2009, Santana’s behavior culminated in a
violent and aggressive episode directed toward family members; Santana displayed
forceful contact of a sexual nature directed toward his sister and also forcibly restrained
his stepmother in order to halt her intervention. Santana, after leaving, attempted to
reenter the now-secured premises and was arrested when police arrived on the scene.
{¶ 4} Santana’s sister and stepmother stated that his actions that morning were
atypical and inconsistent with his habitual personality. As a result, an indictment was
filed on December 9, 2009, and Santana was charged with kidnapping with sexual
motivation, gross sexual imposition, kidnapping, domestic violence, and resisting arrest.
Santana waived his right to a jury and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
{¶ 5} A bench trial commenced on June 11, 2010, with the following people
testifying: Santana’s sister, his stepmother, two police officers, mental health experts for
both sides, and Santana. Santana’s sister testified that Santana fondled her in a sexual
manner while simultaneously restraining her; she also recounted his physical assault on her
mother. The stepmother’s testimony reiterated her struggle with Santana, stating that he
aggressively restrained her by pulling her hair and also caused bruising to her arm.
Testimony by one of the arresting officers revealed that Santana, after aggressively
resisting arrest, was twice stunned by a taser in order to be subdued. The investigating
detective stated that when he interviewed Santana three days after the incident, Santana
could not recall any of the events that had taken place. Mental health expert Dr. Peter
Barach, of Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare, examined Santana and decided that he was
in fact afflicted by severe mental disease, but the disease did not cause him to not know
that his acts were wrong. Conversely, psychologist James Karpawich conducted a
forensic examination and came to the conclusion that Santana suffered from a delusional
disorder and did not know the wrongfulness of his actions. When the hearing concluded,
the trial court found Santana not guilty by reason of insanity.
{¶ 6} The trial court thereafter conducted a civil commitment hearing on June 28,
2010 in order to determine if the state could establish by clear and convincing evidence
that Santana was a mentally ill person subject to civil commitment. Dr. Barach, relying
upon an interview with Santana, medical records, expert reports, and Santana’s personal
writings, among other things, testified that under the totality of the circumstances, Santana
should be subjected to civil commitment. Santana then testified that he did not suffer
from a mental health disorder, that spider bites were the likely cause of behavior he could
not recall, and that he merely wished to secure employment and resume his normal life.
The trial court found that Santana was subject to hospitalization and also that the least
restrictive means of commitment was through the hospital operated by the Department of
Mental Health.
{¶ 7} Santana contends that the state failed to demonstrate by clear and convincing
evidence that he represents a substantial risk of physical harm to himself or to society. He
asserts in the alternative, that the record demonstrates the expert based his opinion on
harmful acts that occurred at the time of the alleged offenses, and therefore failed to offer
evidence concerning present risk. In support of his claim, Santana points out that when
the expert interviewed him on the day of the hearing, he told the expert that he had no
desire to harm anyone. Moreover, Santana asserts that the expert is in fact uncertain if
Santana suffers from continuing psychosis since he did not examine Santana’s pertinent
medical records that had accumulated during incarceration. Santana declares that the
expert is incapable of surmising if Santana has insight into his mental condition because of
the expert’s lack of knowledge of his medication or prescription treatment regimen while
incarcerated. Santana also points out that the expert offered no insight into his present
treatment routine and, as a result, could not testify whether continued therapy would be
necessary or beneficial. Finally, Santana asserts that the state has produced no adverse
criminal history beyond the previous indictment and no history of drug or alcohol abuse.
{¶ 8} The state argues that Santana suffers from a psychiatric illness that is chronic
in nature and is an ongoing risk to self and others since he continues to suffer from
delusions. The state also contends that Santana exhibits no remorse for his past unlawful
actions and continues to deny the presence of mental illness.
{¶ 9} Santana’s sole assignment of error maintains that the trial court erred in
finding him to be a mentally ill person subject to hospitalization.
{¶ 10} “Mental illness” is defined as “a substantial disorder of thought, mood,
perception, orientation, or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to
recognize reality, or ability to meet the ordinary demands of life.” See R.C. 5122.01(A).
A “[m]entally ill person subject to hospitalization by court order” means a mentally ill
person who, because of the person’s illness: (1) Represents a substantial risk of physical
harm to self as manifested by evidence of threats of, or attempts at, suicide or serious
self-inflicted bodily harm; (2) Represents a substantial risk of physical harm to others as
manifested by evidence of recent homicidal or other violent behavior, evidence of recent
threats that place another in reasonable fear of violent behavior and serious physical harm,
or other evidence of present dangerousness; (3) Represents a substantial and immediate
risk of serious physical impairment or injury to self as manifested by evidence that the
person is unable to provide for and is not providing for the person’s basic physical needs
because of the person’s mental illness and that appropriate provision for those needs
cannot be made immediately available in the community; or (4) Would benefit from
treatment in a hospital for the person’s mental illness and is in need of such treatment as
manifested by evidence of behavior that creates a grave and imminent risk to substantial
rights of others or the person.” R.C. 5122.01(B).
{¶ 11} In determining whether an individual is mentally ill subject to
hospitalization, the trial court considers the totality of the circumstances related to the
alleged illness, including but not limited to: examining the risk of physical harm;
psychiatric and medical testimony; insight; the grounds the state advances for
commitment; past history of acting in conformity with the law; and any considerations of
remission. See In re Burton (1984), 11 Ohio St.3d 147, 149, 464 N.E.2d 530. Factors to
be considered include: “(1) whether, in the court’s view, the individual currently
represents a substantial risk of physical harm to himself or other members of society; (2)
psychiatric and medical testimony as to the present mental and physical condition of the
alleged incompetent; (3) whether the person has insight into his condition so that he will
continue treatment as prescribed or seek professional assistance if needed; (4) the grounds
upon which the state relies for the proposed commitment; (5) any past history which is
relevant to establish the individual’s degree of conformity to the laws, rules, regulations
and values of society; and (6) if there is evidence that the person’s mental illness is in a
state of remission, the court must also consider the medically suggested cause and degree
of the remission and the probability that the individual will continue treatment to maintain
the remissive state of his illness should he be released from commitment.” Id. at 149-50.
{¶ 12} When reviewing a trier of fact’s finding that is premised on clear and
convincing evidence, the determination must be upheld so long as there is competent,
credible evidence present by which the reviewing court can form a firm belief or
conviction that the elements necessary to support such a finding have been proven. See
C.E. Morris v. Foley Constr. Co. (1978), 54 Ohio St.2d 279, 280, 376 N.E.2d 578,
syllabus; Cross v. Ledford (1954), 161 Ohio St. 469, 120 N.E.2d 118, at paragraph three of
the syllabus.
{¶ 13} The trial court is permitted to consider all relevant evidence, including
psychiatric reports and any “history of the person that is relevant to the person’s ability to
conform to the law.” R.C. 2945.40(D). If, after such a hearing, the trial court finds by
clear and convincing evidence that an individual is mentally ill and subject to
hospitalization, the court is directed to order appropriate commitment in “the least
restrictive commitment alternative available that is consistent with public safety and the
welfare of the person.” R.C. 2945.40(F).
{¶ 14} “[A]n individual whose mental illness is in a state of remission is subject to
hospitalization pursuant to R.C. 5122.01(B) if there is a substantial likelihood that his
freedom will result in physical harm to himself or other members of society.” In re
Burton, at 150. Moreover, “a person subject to hospitalization must represent a
substantial risk of physical harm to himself or other members of society at the time of the
commitment hearing. The individual’s present mental state must be evaluated upon
current or recent behavior as well as prior dangerous propensities of the person.” Id. at
149.
{¶ 15} Although Santana testified that he does not have any thoughts or desires to
hurt himself or others, the totality of the facts and circumstances on the record are
nevertheless competent and sufficiently credible to establish that he poses a substantial
risk of physical harm to himself and to other members of society. Santana has been
diagnosed as suffering from a severe and chronic form of paranoid schizophrenia. At the
civil commitment hearing, Santana refuted this diagnosis and denied the presence of any
mental illness. The court apparently found that Santana does not demonstrate the
requisite “*** insight into his condition so that he will continue treatment as prescribed or
seek professional assistance if needed.” In re Burton, at 149-50.
{¶ 16} Expert testimony concerning Santana’s present mental condition establishes
that he currently shows no remorse and does not comprehend the harmful nature of his
past acts. The trial court could reasonably find, in fact, that his previous unprovoked
attacks on family members make future behavior unpredictable. Furthermore, the
evidence presented supports a finding that Santana poses a risk of harming others based on
persistent ongoing delusions. Santana’s history of psychiatric illness is indicative of a
chronic affliction; this, in combination with his noncompliance with taking prescribed
medications, makes his future behavioral inclinations an uncertainty at best.
Judgment affirmed.
It is ordered that appellee recover of appellant its 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 Cuyahoga
County Court of Common Pleas to carry this judgment into execution.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27 of the
Rules of Appellate Procedure.
MELODY J. STEWART, PRESIDING JUDGE
FRANK D. CELEBREZZE, JR., J., and
KENNETH A. ROCCO, J., CONCUR