State v. Ziegelhofer, Unpublished Decision (3-21-2003)
State v. Ziegelhofer, Unpublished Decision (3-21-2003)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} Appellant is Carolyn Ziegelhofer. On June 13, 2001, appellant's daughter arrived at their Perrysburg Township home to find her mother unconscious on the bathroom floor. The daughter also found a journal in her mother's handwriting which could have been construed as a suicide note.
{¶ 3} Perrysburg Township police and emergency medical service units responded to the daughter's call to 911. By the time the responders arrived, however, appellant was beginning to regain consciousness and it appeared that her condition was the result of alcohol consumption.
{¶ 4} Police and medical technicians spent some time with appellant, until she appeared coherent. They then advised appellant that, because of the possible suicide note, policy dictated that she be transported to a nearby hospital for observation. According to police, appellant appeared to understand this requirement and agreed to accompany the EMTs.
{¶ 5} As appellant was being escorted from the home, according to police, she became agitated and offered some resistance. At this point, police handcuffed her. Shortly thereafter, as emergency personnel were putting appellant in the EMS vehicle, a late arriving Perrysburg Township policewoman came and, seeing a female apparently in custody, asked if she should "pat down" appellant. According to witnesses, appellant then kicked her foot twice; once making contact with the female officer's hand, the second time with a medical technician's hand. Neither required medical attention.
{¶ 6} As a result of these kicks, police charged appellant with two counts of assaulting a police official/medical technician in violation of R.C.
{¶ 7} Appellant now appeals her conviction, setting forth the following two assignments of error:
{¶ 8} "First assignment of error
{¶ 9} "The verdict of the jury was not supported by sufficient probative evidence in that it could not have found all the essential elements of the offenses, as described in O.R.C. §
{¶ 10} "Second assignment of error
{¶ 11} "The verdict of the jury was against the manifest weight of the evidence in that it was not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that appellant violated O.R.C. §
{¶ 12} Because of the severity of these charges relative to the conduct which comprised the offenses, we must note that charging determinations rest first within the discretion of police, followed by a review and an additional charging discretion of the prosecutor. Unlike judicial discretion, which is reversible on its abuse, charging discretion is beyond the purview of our review so long as complaints and indictments are based on the statutory elements of the offense.
{¶ 13} In this matter, R.C.
{¶ 14} Appellant asserts that her conviction is not supported by the evidence and is against the manifest weight of the evidence.
{¶ 15} In a criminal context, a verdict or finding may be overturned on appeal if it is either against the manifest weight of the evidence or because there is an insufficiency of evidence. In the former, the appeals court acts as a "thirteenth juror" to determine whether the trier of fact lost its way and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the conviction must be overturned and a new trial ordered. State v. Thompkins (1997),
{¶ 17} Although there is some conflict among witnesses, the state here introduced several witnesses who testified that appellant kicked at and connected with a police officer and a medical technician. This testimony, if believed, would demonstrate that appellant knowingly attempted to cause harm to another. Accordingly, appellant's first assignment of error is not well-taken.
{¶ 19} On consideration whereof, the judgment of the Wood County Court of Common Pleas is affirmed. Costs to appellant.
JUDGMENT AFFIRMED.
Peter M. Handwork, P.J., Judith Ann Lanzinger, J., and Arlene Singer,J., CONCUR.
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