State v. Stackhouse

Citations

• 2025 Ohio 5464

Syllabus

Manifest Weight of the Evidence; Drug Possession; Constructive Possession; Admission and Exclusion of Evidence; Motion in Limine; Third-Party Guilt; Consecutive Sentences; R.C. 2929.14(C)(4)(c). The defendant-appellant's convictions for drug possession are not against the manifest weight of the evidence where his constructive possession of the drugs was supported by their discovery in plain view, his on-scene admission of ownership, and his statement about recent cocaine use. The trial court did not abuse its discretion by excluding evidence of a third party's prior criminal conviction because it was too remote and failed to sufficiently connect her to the crimes at issue. The trial court's imposition of consecutive sentences is supported by the record, as the defendant-appellant's lengthy criminal history and the seriousness of the offenses demonstrate that the sentences are necessary to protect the public.