State v. Rupp

In State v. Rupp, Butler App. No. CA2001-06-135, 2002 Ohio 1600. The appellant was charged with felony failure to comply following a slow speed chase. Id. The appellant argued that the trial court erred by not instructing the jury on reckless operation because, he claimed, reckless operation is a lesser included offense of failure to comply. Id. In affirming appellant's conviction, this court held that the trial court did not err by failing to instruct on reckless operation because reckless operation is not a lesser included offense of failure to comply and contains different statutory elements. Id at P27. In Rupp, this court stated: "The crime of 'willful and wanton disregard of safety on highways,' which appellant refers to as 'reckless operation' is not always and necessarily included within the third degree felony 'failure to comply.' R.C. 4511.20 reckless operation requires the state prove operation of a motor vehicle with 'willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.' R.C. 2921.331(B) failure to comply states that 'no person shall operate a motor vehicle so as willfully to elude or flee a police officer after receiving a visible or audible signal' to stop. A third degree felony conviction under R.C. 2921.331(B) requires proof that the defendant operated a motor vehicle so as to cause a 'substantial risk of serious physical harm to persons or property,' regardless of the defendant's mental state with respect to persons or property. Conceivably, a defendant could willfully fail to comply with a police officer's signal, and, without acting with 'willful or wanton disregard of the safety of persons or property,' cause 'a substantial risk of serious physical harm to persons or property.' Thus, it is possible to commit the third degree felony offense under R.C. 2921.331(B), without violating R.C. 4511.20." Id.