State v. Stevens

Citations

• 2025 Ohio 4405

Syllabus

Appellant's conviction for domestic violence is supported by the manifest weight of the evidence. During the bench trial, the trial court heard testimony from the victim and a responding police officer. The victim testified that appellant backed her into a bedroom, screamed at her, slapped the phone she was holding, and threatened to \send [her] to heaven today.\ She further testified that she was frightened and that appellant's behavior was uncharacteristic, describing him as \really angry\ and saying \It wasn't even [like] him.\ Most notably, she testified \I thought he was going to really hurt me.\ While appellant argues differently, the trial court, as trier of fact, was in the best position to evaluate the evidence and assess witness credibility.