State v. Cosgrove, 2-07-33 (6-30-2008)
State v. Cosgrove, 2-07-33 (6-30-2008)
Opinion of the Court
{¶ 2} On March 15, 2007, the Auglaize County Grand Jury indicted Cosgrove on one count of domestic violence, in violation of R.C.
{¶ 3} A jury trial was held on May 14, 2007. After the prosecution rested, Cosgrove made a Crim. R. 29 motion.2 The trial court denied the motion. (Tr. 5/14/07 at 195). The defense rested without presenting any witnesses, and then renewed the Crim. R. 29 motion. (Id. at 197). The trial court denied the motion. (Id.). The jury subsequently found Cosgrove guilty.
{¶ 4} On July 26, 2007, the trial court sentenced Cosgrove to four years imprisonment and ordered the sentence to run concurrent to Cosgrove's sentence in Mercer County. Cosgrove subsequently filed a motion for delayed appeal which was granted by this court on September 25, 2007. *Page 3
{¶ 5} It is from the trial court's judgment that Cosgrove appeals and asserts two assignments of error for our review. For clarity of analysis, we have combined Cosgrove's assignments of error.
The trial court violated John Cosgrove's rights to due process and a fair trial when the trial court found him guilty of domestic violence in the absence of sufficient evidence.Fifth andFourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and Section16 , ArticleI of the Ohio Constitution. (T. pp. 227-228; Judgment Entry Filed July 26, 2007).
The trial court violated John Cosgrove's rights to due process and a fair trial when it entered a judgment of conviction for domestic violence against the manifest weight of the evidence.Fifth andFourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, and Section16 , ArticleI of the Ohio Constitution. (T. pp. 227-228; Judgment Entry Filed July 26, 2007).
{¶ 6} In his first assignment of error, Cosgrove argues that the jury finding him guilty of domestic violence was not supported by sufficient evidence. Essentially, Cosgrove maintains that he did not have the specific intent of knowingly attempting to cause his mother physical harm when he kicked her. In addition, Cosgrove argues that even if he had the mens rea to commit domestic violence, the fact that he stopped kicking his mother and left her apartment indicates a voluntary renunciation of any potential criminal purpose. In his second *Page 4 assignment of error, Cosgrove argues that the jury lost its way when it convicted him of domestic violence.
{¶ 7} When reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence, "[t]he relevant inquiry is whether, after viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt."State v. Jenks (1991),
{¶ 8} By contrast, when determining whether a conviction is against the manifest weight of the evidence in a criminal case, a reviewing court must examine the entire record, "`[weigh] the evidence and all reasonable inferences, consider the credibility of witnesses and [determine] whether in resolving conflicts in the evidence, the [trier of fact] clearly lost its way and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the conviction must be reversed and a new trial ordered.'"State v. Thompkins (1997),
{¶ 9} Cosgrove was convicted of domestic violence under R.C.
{¶ 10} Cosgrove is not disputing the fact that Delores, the victim, is his mother. In addition, the prosecution stipulated that Delores did not suffer any physical harm. Thus, the only issue is whether there was sufficient evidence to find that Cosgrove knowingly attempted to cause physical harm to Delores. See R.C.
{¶ 11} Delores Cosgrove, Cosgrove's mother, testified that Cosgrove came over to visit her on February 25. (Tr. 5/14/07 at 106, 111). Cosgrove was using the computer, and Delores was sitting in her chair when he asked his mother for money. (Id. at 110-111). Delores told Cosgrove that she "didn't think [she] could give him any money at that time because it was near the end of the month and he had to wait until the 1st of the month" because that is when she gets one of her checks. (Id. at 111). Delores testified:
*Page 6A. * * * And so anyhow it made him angry and then he threw that chair over that was in front of the computer and he came over and kicked me and then he moved backwards and kicked up into the air a couple of times.
* * *
Q. When you say that he kicked you, where exactly did he kick you?
A. On the right knee.
Q. And did his foot make contact with your knee?
A. Yes.
* * *
A. Well when he left I locked the door because I was afraid that he would come back in and then I called my other children. I thought we should get together and confront him as a group but they thought he wouldn't accept anything from us and take us all on. That's the way they put it.
(Id. at 111-112). On cross-examination, Delores described the kick as a quick kick and stated that Cosgrove was "close enough so he could kick" but that "it wasn't like he was on top" of her. (Id. at 123, 124). Further, Delores testified that after Cosgrove kicked her "he moved back and kicked in the air some so I think he was thinking of the punishment he had before. He might have felt sorry that he did kick me." (Id. at 124). Delores was not treated for any injury and there was no bruise on her knee. (Id. at 127, 136). On redirect, Delores stated that she had been having problems with her knee and her knee "seemed like it was better after he kicked it." (Id. at 152).
{¶ 12} In addition, Delores testified that she had the door locked and Cosgrove kicked on the door. (Id at 112). Delores thought he was going to kick the door down and she was "very much afraid." (Id. at 113). On cross-examination, Delores testified that she did not look outside to see if it was Cosgrove but just assumed it was him. (Id. at 136).
{¶ 13} In this case, Delores testified that Cosgrove asked her for money, and when she said she did not think she could give him money until the first of the *Page 7
month, he kicked her. "A person acts knowingly, regardless of his purpose, when he is aware that his conduct will probably cause a certain result or will probably be of a certain nature. A person has knowledge of circumstances when he is aware that such circumstances probably exist." R.C.
{¶ 14} Cosgrove also argues that he voluntary renunciated the act, pointing to the Seventh District's case of City of Youngstown v.Osso (1996),
{¶ 15} In Osso, the appellant began kicking the front door of a residence that he and Michelle Osso owned and which was occupied by Michelle, Michelle's sister, and Michelle's mother. Id. at 417. The appellant stopped kicking the door and left the residence. Id. At the trial, the testimony indicated that the appellant damaged the door, and the appellant maintained that he *Page 8 "abandoned any alleged effort to commit an offense and thereby completely and voluntarily renunciated any criminal purpose." Id. at 418. The court found that, based upon the evidence at trial, the trial court could not have inferred that the appellant attempted to cause physical harm. Id.
{¶ 16} However, this case is clearly distinguishable fromOsso because Cosgrove actually kicked his mother. Furthermore, Cosgrove could not have voluntarily renunciated his criminal purpose when he stopped kicking and left because the offense had already been committed.
{¶ 17} Moreover, we cannot find that the jury clearly lost its way or created a manifest miscarriage of justice when it convicted Cosgrove of domestic violence. Thompkins,
{¶ 18} Cosgrove's first and second assignments of error are, therefore, overruled.
{¶ 19} Having found no error prejudicial to appellant herein, in the particulars assigned and argued, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Judgment Affirmed WILLAMOWSKI and ROGERS, J.J., concur.
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