State v. Bridges

Citations

• 2018 Ohio 1388

Syllabus

Manifest weight of evidence, allied offenses, ineffective assistance of counsel. The appellant's conviction for rape was not against the manifest weight of the evidence because the victim's testimony was consistent and credible. However, the trial court did err in failing to merge the rape and kidnapping counts because they were allied offenses in accordance with R.C. 2941.45. The appellant was not denied effective assistance of counsel. The decision to not testify at trial was a tactical decision, and the record does not demonstrate that the appellant was coerced to not testify.