State v. Bonnell (Slip Opinion)

{¶ 1} This court has now come full circle on the question of whether a trial court must engage in judicial fact-finding prior to imposing consecutive sentences on an offender.

{¶ 2} In 1996, the General Assembly limited trial court discretion to impose consecutive sentences by directing courts to make statutorily enumerated findings and to give supporting reasons for doing so at the time of sentencing. Am.Sub.S.B. No. 2, 146 Ohio Laws, Part IV, 7136. However, in accordance with decisions from the United States Supreme Court, this court held in State v. Foster, 109 Ohio St.3d 1, 2006-Ohio-856,…