[Cite as Cleveland v. Krebs, 2018-Ohio-746.]
Court of Appeals of Ohio
EIGHTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA
JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION
No. 105814
CITY OF CLEVELAND
PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE
vs.
JOHN A. KREBS
DEFENDANT-APPELLANT
JUDGMENT:
AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART,
AND REMANDED
Criminal Appeal from the
Cleveland Municipal Court
Case No. 2017 TRD 008680
BEFORE: Boyle, J., E.A. Gallagher, A.J., and E.T. Gallagher, J.
RELEASED AND JOURNALIZED: March 1, 2018
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANT
Larry W. Zukerman
S. Michael Lear
Zukerman, Daiker & Lear Co., L.P.A.
3912 Prospect Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
Barbara A. Langhenry
Law Director
City of Cleveland
Bryan Fritz
Assistant City Prosecutor
601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 106
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
MARY J. BOYLE, J.:
{¶1} Defendant-appellant, John Krebs, appeals from a judgment of the Cleveland
Municipal Court convicting him of several misdemeanor traffic offenses stemming from
an alleged illegal right-hand turn. He raises three assignments of error for our review:
1. The trial court failed to obtain a valid jury waiver from the Appellant
prior to conducting a bench trial in the instant matter, thus violating
appellant’s constitutional rights under the Sixth and Fourteenth
Amendments to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 10 of
the Ohio Constitution.
2. The trial court’s judgments of conviction against appellant are based
upon insufficient evidence and in violation of appellant’s state and federal
due process rights.
3. The judgments of conviction as to all counts are against the manifest
weight of the evidence, in violation of appellant’s right to a fair trial and
due process of law, as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment of the
United States Constitution and Article I, Section 16 of the Ohio
Constitution.
{¶2} After careful review of the record, we agree with Krebs’s first assignment
of error in part, i.e., we agree that the trial court failed to obtain a valid jury waiver on the
failure to comply charge. The trial court did, however, have jurisdiction to conduct a
bench trial on the two minor misdemeanor offenses: failure to yield to a public safety
vehicle and driving on the sidewalk.
{¶3} We further agree with Krebs’s second assignment of error that the city failed
to present sufficient evidence of failure to comply and failure to yield to a public safety
vehicle.
{¶4} Thus, while we would normally remand Krebs’s conviction for failure to
comply with a lawful order of police due to the trial court’s failure to obtain a valid jury
waiver, that is not necessary in this case because the state failed to present sufficient
evidence of this charge.
{¶5} Finally, we disagree with Krebs that his conviction for driving on a
sidewalk is against the manifest weight of the evidence.
{¶6} We, therefore, vacate Krebs’s convictions for failure to comply with a lawful
order of police and failure to yield to a public safety vehicle, and affirm his conviction for
driving on the sidewalk.
I. Procedural History and Facts
{¶7} In March 2017, Krebs was cited for (1) failure to comply with a lawful
police order in violation of Cleveland Codified Ordinances (“CCO”) 403.02(A), a
first-degree misdemeanor offense, (2) failure to yield to a public safety vehicle in
violation of CCO 431.21, a minor misdemeanor offense, and (3) driving on the sidewalk,
street, lawn, or curbs in violation of CCO 431.37, a minor misdemeanor offense.
{¶8} At his arraignment, Krebs pleaded not guilty to the charges and also signed
and filed a written jury demand. On April 26, 2017, the trial court convened for a bench
trial. The trial transcript establishes that at the outset of the proceeding the judge gave
all parties notice of the previously filed jury demand and asked Krebs if he wanted to
proceed to a bench trial. After consulting with his attorney, Krebs stated that he did.
There is no indication in the record that Krebs ever executed a written jury waiver before
his trial commenced or at any point thereafter. The following facts were presented to the
bench.
{¶9} On the evening of March 14, 2017, there was a Cleveland Cavaliers game
in downtown Cleveland. The game was sold out, and at around 5:30 p.m. there were
many pedestrians and vehicles in downtown Cleveland. Rafael Mercado, a Cleveland
police officer, was instructed by his supervisor to block the intersection of Prospect
Avenue and Huron Road so that vehicles traveling on Prospect Avenue could not drive
onto Huron Road.
{¶10} Officer Mercado testified that he parked his police vehicle, a sports utility
vehicle, in the middle of Prospect Avenue, parallel to the crosswalk on Huron Road, and
faced his car forward (east) on Prospect Avenue. In doing so, he said that he blocked
cars from turning onto Huron Road from Prospect Avenue. He also activated the lights
on his police vehicle. Officer Mercado, who was in his police uniform and wearing a
green vest, got out of his vehicle and began directing traffic from all directions away from
Huron Road.
{¶11} At around 5:30 p.m., Krebs, who was going to the game, was driving east on
Prospect Avenue and turned right onto Huron Road to get to the “east garage” to park for
the Cavaliers game. Officer Mercado testified that when he saw Krebs’s vehicle begin
to make the right-hand turn, he was about 15 feet away from Krebs, and he signaled
Krebs to stop and began walking toward Krebs’s car. Officer Mercado said that Krebs
ignored his command, continued turning right onto Huron Road, and that to do so Krebs
had to drive onto the sidewalk to “squeeze right through” and avoid hitting Officer
Mercado’s police vehicle.
{¶12} Officer Mercado immediately got into his vehicle, followed Krebs and
effectuated a traffic stop. He then issued Krebs the three citations.
{¶13} Krebs testified that he saw the police vehicle, but did not see a police
officer. He thought that a police officer must be directing traffic on the other side of the
police vehicle. Krebs further stated that he did not hear Officer Mercado’s command to
stop because he had his windows rolled up and his radio on in his car. Krebs stated that
when he turned right, he could see that he had “adequate room to get by,” make the turn
onto Huron Road and that he did not have to drive on the sidewalk to do so. Krebs felt
his tires brush the edge of the curb, but he did not drive onto the sidewalk.
{¶14} The trial court found Krebs guilty on all counts and sentenced him to a
suspended jail term of ten days, with fines amounting to $275 and court costs. It is from
this judgment that Krebs now appeals.
II. Jury Waiver
{¶15} In his first assignment of error, Krebs argues that the trial court erred in
conducting a bench trial instead of a jury trial. We agree in part.
{¶16} Under the Ohio Rules of Criminal Procedure, a defendant has the right to be
tried by a jury for certain petty offenses, which are generally considered to be
misdemeanor offenses carrying up to a six-month term of imprisonment. Crim.R. 23(A),
(C) (D).
{¶17} Relevant to this appeal, Crim.R. 23(A) states:
In petty offense cases, where there is a right of jury trial, the defendant
shall be tried by the court unless he demands a jury trial. Such demand
must be in writing and filed with the clerk of court not less than ten days
prior to the date set for trial, or on or before the third day following receipt
of notice of the date set for trial, whichever is later. Failure to demand a
jury trial as provided in this subdivision is a complete waiver of the right
thereto.
(Emphasis added.)
{¶18} Although a defendant has a right to a jury trial for certain petty offenses if
properly invoked by the dictates of Crim.R. 23(A), the right does not extend to minor
misdemeanor offenses. R.C. 2945.17(B)(1).
{¶19} Once a defendant has invoked his or her right to a jury trial on applicable
petty offenses, R.C. 2945.05 governs how a defendant may go about waiving the
previously invoked right. It states:
In all criminal cases pending in courts of record in this state, the defendant
may waive a trial by jury and be tried by the court without a jury. Such
waiver by a defendant, shall be in writing, signed by the defendant, and
filed in said cause and made a part of the record thereof. It shall be
entitled in the court and cause, and in substance as follows: “I ____,
defendant in the above cause, hereby voluntarily waive and relinquish my
right to a trial by jury, and elect to be tried by a Judge of the Court in which
the said cause may be pending. I fully understand that under the laws of
this state, I have a constitutional right to a trial by jury.”
Such waiver of trial by jury must be made in open court after the defendant
has been arraigned and has had opportunity to consult with counsel. Such
waiver may be withdrawn by the defendant at any time before the
commencement of the trial.
{¶20} In interpreting R.C. 2945.05, Ohio courts have been very clear that “to be
valid, a waiver [under Section 2945.05] must meet five conditions. It must be (1) in
writing, (2) signed by the defendant, (3) filed, (4) made part of the record, and (5) made
in open court.” State v. Lomax, 114 Ohio St.3d 350, 2007-Ohio-4277, 872 N.E.2d 279,
¶ 9; State v. Fisher, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 101365, 2015-Ohio-597, ¶ 21. “Absent
strict compliance with the requirements of R.C. 2945.05, a trial court lacks jurisdiction to
try the defendant without a jury.” State v. Pless, 74 Ohio St.3d 333, 658 N.E.2d 766
(1996), paragraph one of the syllabus.
{¶21} In this case, Krebs validly invoked his right to a jury trial on the failure to
comply with a lawful police order — a first-degree misdemeanor violation — when he
filed a written jury demand that complied with the dictates of Crim.R. 23(A). There is
no indication in the record, however, that Krebs ever validly waived his right to be tried
by a jury on this charge by signing a written waiver pursuant to R.C. 2945.05.
Accordingly, his conviction for failure to comply must be vacated. See State v. Riggins,
9th Dist. Summit No. 28080, 2017-Ohio-80; State v. White, 5th Dist. Muskingum No.
CT2013-0039, 2013-Ohio-5858; State v. Grier, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 23662,
2010-Ohio-5751.
{¶22} With respect to the two minor misdemeanor offenses, however, we find that
the court had jurisdiction to conduct a bench trial on them (failure to yield to a public
safety vehicle and driving on a sidewalk or curb), because there is no right to a jury trial
for minor misdemeanors. R.C. 2945.17(B)(1); see also State v. Elder, 11th Dist. Lake
No. 2014-L-001, 2014-Ohio-4312, ¶ 67 (finding no error where a trial was bifurcated into
a bench trial on minor misdemeanor offenses and a jury trial on applicable petty
offenses).
{¶23} We, therefore, vacate Krebs’s conviction for failure to comply in violation
of CCO 403.02(A). While we would normally remand for a new trial on this charge, it
is not necessary in this case (due to a lack of sufficient evidence for failure to comply as
discussed in the next assignment of error).
{¶24} Krebs’s first assignment of error is sustained in part and overruled in part.
III. Sufficiency of the Evidence
{¶25} In his second assignment of error, Krebs argues that there was insufficient
evidence to sustain two of his convictions: failure to comply with a lawful police order
and failure to yield to a public safety vehicle. Although we vacated Krebs’s failure to
comply conviction and remanded for a new trial, we must still address the sufficiency of
the evidence argument due to double jeopardy concerns. State v. Willis, 8th Dist.
Cuyahoga No. 98847, 2013-Ohio-2531, ¶ 26; State v. Fussell, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No.
95875, 2011-Ohio-4950, ¶ 42. We will, therefore, address both of Krebs’s sufficiency
arguments.
{¶26} “‘[S]ufficiency’ is a term of art meaning that legal standard which is applied
to determine whether the case may go to the jury or whether the evidence is legally
sufficient to support the jury verdict as a matter of law.” State v. Thompkins, 78 Ohio
St.3d 380, 386, 678 N.E.2d 541 (1997), citing Black’s Law Dictionary 1433 (6th
Ed.1990). When an appellate court reviews a record upon a sufficiency challenge, “the
relevant inquiry is whether, after viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the
prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime
proven beyond a reasonable doubt.” State v. Jenks, 61 Ohio St.3d 259, 574 N.E.2d 492
(1991), paragraph two of the syllabus.
A. Failure to Comply with Lawful Police Order
{¶27} To prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Krebs failed to comply with a
lawful order of police under CCO 403.02(A), the prosecution had to establish that Krebs
“fail[ed] to comply with any lawful order or direction of any police officer invested with
authority to direct, control or regulate traffic.” This provision is identical to R.C.
2921.331(A) and, thus, we will use case law interpreting this statute as well.
{¶28} CCO 403.02(A), like R.C. 2921.331(A), does not specify a mens rea
required to impose criminal liability. When statutes do not specify a mens rea for an
offense, courts are guided by R.C. 2901.21, which states in subsection (B):
When the language defining an offense does not specify any degree of
culpability, and plainly indicates a purpose to impose strict criminal liability
for the conduct described in the section, then culpability is not required for
a person to be guilty of the offense.
{¶29} This statute further states in subsection (C)(1):
When language defining an element of an offense that is related to
knowledge or intent or to which mens rea could fairly be applied neither
specifies culpability nor plainly indicates a purpose to impose strict liability,
the element of the offense is established only if a person acts recklessly.
{¶30} This court has adopted the holding in State v. Brewer, 96 Ohio App.3d 413,
645 N.E.2d 120 (2d Dist.1994), which held that R.C. 2921.331(A) is not a strict liability
offense, but rather requires the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the
defendant acted recklessly. State v. Elliott, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 91999,
2009-Ohio-5816, ¶ 64-65, citing Brewer. In Brewer, the trial court dismissed the
complaint against the defendant because the state failed to include a mens rea in the
complaint for R.C. 2921.331(A). The state argued on appeal that the offense was a strict
liability offense.
{¶31} The Second District explained that “the rule of law emerging” from cases
when a statute does not identity a particular mental state nor does it plainly indicate strict
liability, is that the statute “may nevertheless plainly indicate a legislative intent to impose
strict liability if the statute is structured so as to proscribe an act with ‘expressly
differentiated degrees of culpability.’” Id. at 415-416, quoting State v. Parrish, 12 Ohio
St.3d 123, 465 N.E.2d 873 (1984). The court explained:
For example, in State v. Wac [68 Ohio St.2d 84, 86, 428 N.E.2d 428
(1981)], the court found a “plain indication” that the crime of bookmaking
as defined in R.C. 2915.02(A)(1) was meant to be a strict liability offense.
R.C. 2915.02(A)(1) provides, “No person shall engage in bookmaking, or
knowingly engage in conduct that facilitates bookmaking.”
{¶32} The Second District applied the reasoning in Parrish and Wac to failure to
comply with a lawful order of police under R.C. 2921.331(A). It held that because R.C.
2921.331(A) does not prescribe different culpabilities within the subsection, as R.C.
2915.02(A)(1) does, and R.C. 2921.331(B) was a separate offense (requiring the state to
prove that the defendant acted willfully), there was “no plain indication in R.C. 2921.331
of an intent to impose strict liability.”
{¶33} The Second District further stated that there was another reason it would not
find R.C. 2921.331(A) to be a strict-liability offense. Id. at 416. It explained that R.C.
2901.21 was enacted in 1974 to implement various principles of the Model Penal Code,
which “advocates the view that offenses [that] constitute moral condemnation or for
which imprisonment may be imposed should not be strict liability offenses.” Id.
According to the Model Penal Code, strict liability is reserved “only for offenses
punishable by a fine, forfeiture, or similar civil penalty and are not likely to give rise to
any additional legal disadvantage as does a ‘prior conviction.’” Id.
{¶34} The Second District concluded that the potential imprisonment contemplated
for violation of R.C. 2921.331(A) lends support to its conclusion that the General
Assembly could not have intended for the subsection to impose strict liability. Id. at
416-417. It further stated that “it is axiomatic that ‘statutes are to be construed strictly
against the state and in favor of the accused.’” Id. at 417. We note that several other
districts have also adopted the holding in Brewer that R.C. 2921.331(A) is not a
strict-liability offense; rather, it requires the state to prove that the defendant acted
recklessly. See State v. Millik, 11th Dist. Trumbull No. 2005-T-0003, 2006-Ohio-202;
State v. Shafer, 3d Dist. Hardin No. 6-05-15, 2006-Ohio-4189; State v. Malcolm, 5th Dist.
Licking Nos. 03CA09 and 03CA10, 2003-Ohio-5629; and State v. Odorizzi, 7th Dist.
Belmont No. 98-BA-5, 2001 Ohio App. LEXIS 1209 (Mar. 14, 2001).
{¶35} Therefore, to present sufficient evidence that Krebs violated CCO 403.02(a),
the prosecution had to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Krebs acted recklessly in
“fail[ing] to comply with any lawful order or direction of any police officer invested with
authority to direct, control or regulate traffic.”
{¶36} The culpability level of reckless is defined in R.C. 2901.22(C), which
provides:
A person acts recklessly when, with heedless indifference to the
consequences, he perversely disregards a known risk that his conduct is
likely to cause a certain result or is likely to be of a certain nature. A
person is reckless with respect to circumstances when, with heedless
indifference to the consequences, he perversely disregards a known risk that
such circumstances are likely to exist.
{¶37} Here, the city argues that Krebs’s own admission that he saw the police
SUV parked in the street with it lights activated and decided to go around it was sufficient
evidence to establish the elements of failure to comply with a lawful order of police.
We disagree. Seeing a police vehicle with its lights on and deciding to drive around it is
not tantamount to failing to comply with a lawful order. Indeed, under just these facts,
there is no failure to comply with anything nor is there even an order, let alone a lawful
one.
{¶38} In this case, Officer Mercado testified that when he saw Krebs begin to
make a right-hand turn onto Huron Road, he was “right in the middle of the intersection,”
about 15 feet away from Krebs’s car, directing traffic from all directions. Officer
Mercado testified that Krebs “maybe saw” that Officer Mercado “turned [his] back for a
moment,” and took that opportunity to turn. Officer Mercado said that when he saw
Krebs beginning to make the turn, he “signaled to” Krebs and “started to go toward his
car.” Yet Krebs continued to turn onto Huron Road.
{¶39} Krebs, however, testified that he saw the police vehicle with its lights
flashing, but he did not see Officer Mercado. He assumed that there was probably a
police officer directing traffic on the other side of the vehicle, but that he did not believe
Huron Road was closed. In fact, he said that he could see cars with brake lights on
Huron Road, so he believed it to be open.
{¶40} After review, we find that these facts simply do not establish that Krebs
violated a lawful order of police. He could not have been reckless in violating an order
that he did not see.
{¶41} When Officer Mercado was asked on cross-examination if it was possible
that Krebs saw Officer Mercado’s police vehicle, but did not see Officer Mercado.
Officer Mercado responded, “I don’t know where he was looking, but he needs to pay
attention to pedestrians too.” If we were to find Krebs’s violated a lawful order of
police based on this, however, it would amount to strict liability. Yes, Krebs should
have been paying attention to pedestrians too, but there is no evidence that he was not
doing so. Indeed, Krebs testified that although there were many pedestrians that he
could see on Ninth Street and the east side of Huron Road, there were “no pedestrians in
the intersection when [he] turned” from Prospect onto Huron. Moreover, even if Krebs
was not paying attention to pedestrians, that would not establish that Krebs violated
Officer Mercado’s order.
{¶42} In the city’s closing arguments, it argued that when there is a police vehicle
in the street with its lights activated, Krebs had to have seen the officer directing traffic.
Notably, however, Officer Mercado never testified that he saw Krebs looking at him or
make eye contact with him before he turned right onto Huron Road.
{¶43} The city further argued in its closing arguments that even if Krebs did not
see the officer, he is still guilty of failure to comply with a lawful order of police because
Krebs was either not paying attention or he should have seen the officer. The city’s
argument, however, would only have merit if CCO 403.02(a) was strict liability offense.
As we previously stated, failure to comply is not a strict liability offense.1
{¶44} We have reviewed other cases where there was sufficient evidence of failure
to comply with a lawful order of police. In each of them, the evidence established that
the defendant was aware of the police order. See Millick, 11th Dist. Trumbull No.
2005-T-0003, 2006-Ohio-202 (defendant argued with the officer’s need for the order and
thus, there was sufficient evidence that he was aware that the officer had ordered him to
stop); State v. Boyle, 11th Dist. Portage No. 2012-P-0003, 2012-Ohio-5581 (defendant
admitted that he saw the officer’s lights and sirens but chose to continue to his house);
Cleveland v. Benjamin, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 74660, 1999 Ohio App. LEXIS 3700
(Aug. 12, 1999) (officer told defendant to move her car but defendant refused); Shafer, 3d
Dist. Hardin No. 6-05-15, 2006-Ohio-4189 (circumstantial evidence established that
defendant knew that he was being pursued by police when defendant accelerated his
speed once the officer activated his lights and continued to ignore the officer’s order to
pull over for over two blocks).
Failure to yield to a public safety vehicle (discussed in the next section), however, is a strict
1
liability offense. See State v. Taylor, 7th Dist. Mahoning No. 14MA5, 2015-Ohio-745; State v.
Pottenger, 4th Dist. Highland No. 602, 1986 Ohio App. LEXIS 9037 (Nov. 4, 1986); Mt. Vernon v.
Holton, 41 Ohio App.3d 201, 535 N.E.2d 339 (5th Dist.1987).
{¶45} When the Cleveland Cavaliers have a home game in downtown Cleveland at
Quicken Loans Arena, there are typically a lot of police vehicles on the streets in
downtown. There are many police officers directing traffic on those streets as well.
Yet despite there being a lot of police officers, traffic, and pedestrians, people driving to
the game can — and do — get through the traffic to their designated parking lot. While
we acknowledge that the Cleveland Police Department’s presence in downtown is
certainly welcomed — especially when it is extremely busy due to an event — that does
not change the fact that in this case, the city failed to establish that Krebs was aware of
Officer Mercado’s order and recklessly failed to comply with it.
{¶46} Accordingly, after a thorough review of the facts in this case, we find that
the city failed to present sufficient evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Krebs failed
to comply with a lawful order of police. We, therefore, vacate his conviction for failure
to comply.
B. Failure to Yield to a Public Safety Vehicle
{¶47} To be convicted of CCO 431.21, failure to yield to a public safety vehicle,
the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that:
Upon the approach of a public safety vehicle or coroner’s vehicle, equipped
with at least one (1) flashing, rotating or oscillating light visible under
normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to
the front of such vehicle and the driver is giving an audible signal by siren,
exhaust whistle, or bell, no driver of any other vehicle shall fail to yield the
right-of-way, immediately drive, if practical, to a position parallel to, and as
close as possible to, the right edge or curb of the highway clear of any
intersection, and stop and remain in that position until the public safety
vehicle or coroner’s vehicle has passed, except when otherwise directed by
a police officer.
{¶48} Krebs maintains that he could not have been convicted of CCO 431.21
because the police vehicle was parked, did not have a driver, and was not giving an
“audible signal by siren, exhaust whistle, or bell.” He further maintains that he could
not have been guilty of this provision because he “never failed to yield” to the police
vehicle’s “right-of-way.”
{¶49} After review, we agree with Krebs that the city failed to prove that he
violated CCO 431.21. The city failed to prove that “a driver” of the public safety
vehicle gave an “audible signal by siren, exhaust whistle, or bell” because there was no
driver of the police vehicle (the officer was standing in the street) nor was there an
audible signal (the police vehicle had it lights activated, but not an audible signal).
Further, the city did not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Krebs failed to “yield
the right-of-way” to a public safety vehicle and “stop and remain in such a position until
the public safety vehicle” passed him — because there was no public safety vehicle
attempting to pass him. This ordinance simply does not apply to the facts in this case.
{¶50} Accordingly, we also vacate Krebs’s conviction for failure to yield to a
public safety vehicle. Krebs’s second assignment of error is sustained.
IV. Manifest Weight of the Evidence
{¶51} Lastly, Krebs contends that his convictions for all three counts were against
the manifest weight of the evidence. Because we already vacated two of his convictions,
we will only focus our analysis on his conviction for driving on the sidewalk.
{¶52} Unlike sufficiency of the evidence, a challenge to the manifest weight of the
evidence attacks the credibility of the evidence presented. Thompkins, 78 Ohio St.3d at
387, 678 N.E.2d 541 (1997). Because it is a broader review, a reviewing court may
determine that a judgment of a trial court is sustained by sufficient evidence, but
nevertheless conclude that the judgment is against the weight of the evidence. Id., citing
State v. Robinson, 162 Ohio St. 486, 487, 124 N.E.2d 148 (1955).
{¶53} In determining whether a conviction is against the manifest weight of the
evidence, the court of appeals functions as a “thirteenth juror.” Id. In doing so, it must
review the entire record, weigh the evidence and all reasonable inferences, consider the
credibility of witnesses, and determine “‘whether in resolving conflicts in the evidence,
the jury clearly lost its way and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the
conviction must be reversed and a new trial ordered.’” Thompkins at 387, quoting State
v. Martin, 20 Ohio App.3d 172, 485 N.E.2d 717 (1st Dist.1983). Reversing a conviction
as being against the manifest weight of the evidence and ordering a new trial should be
reserved for only the “exceptional case in which the evidence weighs heavily against the
conviction.” Id.
{¶54} To be convicted of driving upon sidewalks, streets, or lawns, the prosecution
must prove that the defendant violated the provisions of CCO 431.37, which states:
(a)(1) No person shall drive any vehicle, other than a bicycle, upon a
sidewalk or sidewalk area except upon a permanent or duly authorized
temporary driveway or without first obtaining a permit from the Director of
Public Service.
(b) No person shall drive a vehicle on a street lawn area or the curb of a
street, except upon a permanent or duly authorized temporary driveway or
when otherwise lawfully authorized.
{¶55} At the trial in this case, the officer who cited Krebs testified that he had
placed his police vehicle in the middle of the road to prevent traffic from turning right
onto the street. The officer testified that he witnessed Krebs drive onto the curb and
sidewalk in order to avoid the police vehicle blocking the road. Although Krebs took
the witness stand and testified that he did not drive on the curb or sidewalk, the trial court
was free to believe the officer over Krebs. The trier of fact is best able “to view the
witnesses and observe their demeanor, gestures, and voice inflections, and use these
observations in weighing the credibility of the proffered testimony.” State v. Wilson,
113 Ohio St.3d 382, 2007-Ohio-2202, 865 N.E.2d 1264, ¶ 24.
{¶56} Accordingly, we do not find that Krebs’s conviction for driving upon
sidewalks, streets, or lawns was against the manifest weight of the evidence. Krebs’s
third assignment of error is therefore overruled.
V. Conclusion
{¶57} We affirm Krebs’s conviction for driving on the sidewalk, but vacate his
convictions for failure to comply with a lawful police order and failure to yield to a public
safety vehicle.
{¶58} Judgment affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded for the trial court
to issue a new judgment reflecting the holding in this case.
It is ordered that appellant and appellee share 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 Cleveland
Municipal Court 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.
MARY J. BOYLE, JUDGE
EILEEN A. GALLAGHER, A.J., CONCURS;
EILEEN T. GALLAGHER, J., DISSENTS WITH SEPARATE OPINION
EILEEN T. GALLAGHER, J., DISSENTING:
{¶59} I concur with the majority’s resolution of Krebs’s first and third
assignments of error. I further concur with the majority’s determination that Krebs’s
failure to yield conviction was not supported by sufficient evidence. However, I
respectfully dissent from the majority’s holding that Krebs’s conviction for failure to
comply with a lawful police order was not supported by sufficient evidence.
{¶60} In this case, Krebs was convicted of failure to comply with a lawful order of
a police officer, in violation of CCO 403.02(A). The ordinance provides:
No person shall fail to comply with any lawful order or direction of any
police officer invested with authority to direct, control, or regulate traffic.
{¶61} I agree with the majority that CCO 403.02(A) mirrors the language
contained in R.C. 2921.331(A). As the majority states, this court has held that R.C.
2921.331(A) is not a strict liability offense and requires the state to prove recklessness.
State v. Elliott, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 91999, 2009-Ohio-5816, ¶ 63-65. R.C.
2901.22(C) provides the following definition for recklessness:
[a] person acts recklessly when, with heedless indifference to the
consequences, the person disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that
the person’s conduct is likely to cause a certain result or is likely to be of a
certain nature. A person is reckless with respect to circumstances when,
with heedless indifference to the consequences, the person disregards a
substantial and unjustifiable risk that such circumstances are likely to exist.
{¶62} In this case, Officer Mercado testified that he parked his police vehicle near
the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Huron Road in order to block access to Huron
Road. The police vehicle was parked parallel with the crosswalk on Huron Road and its
emergency lights were activated in order to bring attention to the closed roadway. While
directing traffic, Officer Mercado observed Krebs drive his vehicle around the parked
police vehicle in order to access the blocked roadway. Officer Mercado stated that when
he observed Krebs begin to turn onto the blocked roadway, he immediately walked
towards Krebs’s vehicle and unsuccessfully “signaled” for him to stop. According to
Officer Mercado, Krebs had to drive onto the sidewalk in order to “squeeze” past the
police vehicle.
{¶63} Based on the foregoing testimony, I would find the state presented sufficient
evidence that Krebs recklessly failed to comply with a lawful order or direction of a
police officer who was invested with authority to direct, control, or regulate traffic.
Collectively, the evidence presented at trial establishes that Officer Mercado was lawfully
regulating traffic by blocking access to Huron Road for public safety at the time Krebs
ignored Officer Mercado’s order to stop and accessed Huron Road. In short, I believe
Krebs disregarded substantial and justifiable risks by driving around the carefully
positioned police vehicle, over the sidewalk, and onto the blocked roadway.
{¶64} I recognize that Krebs testified that he did not observe Officer Mercado
directing traffic or see Officer Mercado’s commands to stop until after he turned onto
Huron Road. However, whether Krebs saw Officer Mercado directing traffic or saw his
command to stop goes to the weight of the evidence and is a matter left to the sound
discretion of the trier of fact. While Krebs contends that he did not see Officer Mercado,
he admits that he observed the police vehicle parked in the middle of the intersection
before he decided to drive around the police vehicle and onto Huron Road. Furthermore,
Officer Mercado testified that he was just 15 feet, or five yards, away from Krebs’s
vehicle when he signaled for him to stop. Under the totality of these circumstances, I
would defer to the trial court’s assessment of credibility and find that a reasonable trier of
fact could conclude that Krebs was aware of Officer Mercado’s presence and disregarded
his lawful order to not turn onto the blocked roadway.
{¶65} Furthermore, I am not convinced the state was required to prove that Krebs
saw Officer Mercado directing traffic in order to prosecute the failure to comply offense.
I believe a reasonable person would understand that a roadway is not accessible, pursuant
to a lawful order or direction of a police officer, when an officer activates his or her
vehicle’s emergency lights and parks the vehicle in such a manner so as to intentionally
block access to that roadway.
{¶66} Accordingly, I would affirm Krebs’s failure to comply conviction.