State v. Howard

Citations

• 2025 Ohio 273

Syllabus

Not guilty by reason of insanity plea; ineffective assistance of counsel; failure to file written plea; plain error; Crim.R. 11; R.C. 2943.03; manifest weight of the evidence; affirmative defense; preponderance of the evidence; R.C. 2901.01; conflicting expert witness testimony; credibility; sentencing; Reagan Tokes Law; indefinite sentence; mandatory sentence; attempted aggravated murder of a peace officer; R.C. 2903.01(E)(2); R.C. 2923.02; required statutory advisements; R.C. 2929.19(B)(2)(c). Appellant failed to demonstrate that his counsel was ineffective for failing to file a written plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, and the court did not commit plain error by considering his not guilty by reason of insanity defense. Appellant's convictions were not against the manifest weight of the evidence, and the court properly imposed an indefinite sentence under the Reagan Tokes Law. However, the court failed to provide the required statutory advisements regarding the indefinite sentence, and the matter is remanded for stating the proper notifications.