City of Cleveland v. Wanzo

Kaepinski, Judge.

Defendant-appellant, Alvin Wanzo, appeals his conviction for domestic violence rendered upon his plea of no contest with a consent to a finding of guilt in the Cleveland Municipal Court. On appeal, defendant argues that (1) the trial court had no authority to accept a no contest plea on behalf of the defendant without first advising him of his constitutional and statutory rights as set forth in Ohio Crim.R. 11(E), and (2) the trial court should have allowed him to withdraw his plea pursuant to his oral motion to vacate. For the reasons that follow, we find merit in the first…