State v. Jones

Citations

• 2026 Ohio 987

Syllabus

Sufficient Evidence; Manifest Weight; Self-Defense Instruction. To secure a jury instruction on self-defense, the Defense must produce evidence that tends to support the conclusion that he or she used force in self-defense. This involves producing evidence from which each of the elements of self-defense could be found. The elements of self-defense are cumulative; thus, the failure to establish one element means that this affirmative defense is not successfully raised. To establish a conviction for assault in violation of R.C. 2903.13(A), the State must prove that the defendant knowingly caused or attempted to cause physical harm to another. The slightest injury is sufficient to establish physical harm in this analysis.