State v. McNichols, Unpublished Decision (11-12-2002)
State v. McNichols, Unpublished Decision (11-12-2002)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} In January 2002, McNichols lived with his girlfriend, Mary Quigley, and their eleven-year-old daughter, D.B. Quigley, who was suffering from a migraine headache, told her daughter to put her slippers on and to leave her alone because she had a headache. When D.B. refused, McNichols told D.B. to listen to her mother and to go to her room. McNichols then "came up" on D.B., grabbed her by the arm, shook her and pushed her to the floor. D.B. testified that although her dad shook and pushed her she faked the fall and was not hurt. Quigley testified that McNichols shook and pushed D.B. but "he didn't hurt her and he didn't do it very hard." However, Quigley also testified that after McNichols pushed D.B. she told him not to "grab her child" and McNichols replied "I'm going to kill somebody." McNichols first testified that he did not remember shaking D.B. and that he did not "recall pushing her hard enough to knock her to the floor." McNichols also claims that D.B. has a history of falling to the floor "when she gets mad." However, on cross-examination, McNichols stated, "I don't recall pushing her at all."
{¶ 3} When Quigley testified, she admitted that she called 911 after the incident. However, she explained that McNichols told her and D.B. to leave the house and since she had no car she called 911 for a ride to her mother's house. Deputy Justin Sartori, who responded to Quigley's 911 "domestic call", testified that when he arrived Quigley was at the end of her driveway, upset, crying and shaking. Further, Deputy Sartori testified Quigley told him there was an argument at the house and that McNichols had pushed her daughter down. He did not mention being asked for a ride to Quigley's mother's house. Moreover, Deputy Sartori observed no visible signs of a disturbance or an injury. But when he questioned D.B., she stated that there had been an argument and that her dad pushed her down. D.B. did not tell Deputy Sartori that she faked the fall. Sartori arrested McNichols and charged him with two counts of domestic violence, one count involving his daughter and one count involving Quigley.
{¶ 4} McNichols elected to waive a jury trial and the court found him guilty of domestic violence, in violation of R.C.
{¶ 5} We read McNichols's second assignment of error as arguing that his conviction is against the sufficiency of the evidence. Therefore, we will address both of his assignments of error together since they involve the related concepts of the sufficiency and the weight of the evidence. McNichols argues that his conduct cannot rise to domestic violence because it was only a parent's reasonable discipline of his daughter and cannot support his conviction for domestic violence. We do not agree.
{¶ 6} Our function when reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence to support a criminal conviction is to examine the evidence admitted at trial to determine whether such evidence, if believed, could convince the average mind of the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Statev. Jenks (1991),
{¶ 7} The Hocking County Municipal Court convicted McNichols of domestic violence under R.C.
{¶ 8} R.C.
{¶ 9} Here, Quigley, D.B. and even McNichols testified that he grabbed D.B. and pushed her. Quigley and D.B. testified that McNichols also shook his daughter. Moreover, immediately following the incident, Quigley and D.B. told Deputy Sartori that there was an argument and McNichols pushed D.B. down. Finally, Quigley testified that after McNichols pushed D.B. down, he stated, "I'm going to kill somebody."
{¶ 10} McNichols clings to the argument that D.B. sustained no visible injury. However, visible or actual injury is not required since the statute criminalizes attempted domestic violence. See R.C.
{¶ 11} Next, we address the weight of the evidence. The legal concepts of sufficiency and weight of the evidence are different. Statev. Thompkins,
{¶ 12} Here, an eleven-year-old girl refused to wear her slippers, go to her room and argued with her parents. In response, McNichols grabbed her by the arm, shook her and pushed her to the floor. Moreover, immediately following these actions McNichols stated, "I'm going to kill somebody." McNichols's statement indicates that he attempted to "discipline" his daughter while he was angry enough to "kill somebody." We cannot say that the trial court clearly lost its way because the state introduced substantial evidence to show that McNichols "knowingly * * * attempted to cause physical harm" to his daughter. Therefore, the court's finding that his attempted discipline was not reasonable is supported by the weight of the evidence. Both of McNichols's assignments of error are overruled.
JUDGMENT AFFIRMED.
The Court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this Court directing the Hocking County Municipal Court to carry this judgment into execution.
IF A STAY OF EXECUTION OF SENTENCE AND RELEASE UPON BAIL HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY GRANTED BY THE TRIAL COURT OR THIS COURT, it is temporarily continued for a period not to exceed sixty days upon the bail previously posted. The purpose of a continued stay is to allow Appellant to file with the Ohio Supreme Court an application for a stay during the pendency of proceedings in that court. If a stay is continued by this entry, it will terminate at the earlier of the expiration of the sixty day period, or the failure of the Appellant to file a notice of appeal with the Ohio Supreme Court in the forty-five day appeal period pursuant to Rule II, Sec. 2 of the Rules of Practice of the Ohio Supreme Court. Additionally, if the Ohio Supreme Court dismisses the appeal prior to expiration of sixty days, the stay will terminate as of the date of such dismissal.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute the mandate pursuant to Rule 27 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure. Exceptions.
Abele, P.J. Evans, J. Concur in Judgment and Opinion.
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