State v. Stroud

Citations

• 2023 Ohio 1395

Syllabus

ABDUCTION – DOMESTIC VIOLENCE – EVIDENCE : In a domestic-violence and abduction bench trial where the victim accused defendant of holding her at gunpoint in a vehicle traveling on the interstate, the trial court's refusal to admit statements the victim allegedly made to defendant the day of the incident, which would demonstrate her reason to fabricate the allegations against defendant, and the trial court's admission of other-acts evidence was harmless error: the trial court admitted defendant's testimony that, on the day of the incident, he had told the victim he was marrying another woman, which caused her to become angry the victim's version of events was corroborated by testimony from a passing motorist who saw the victim running down the interstate and stopped to help the victim, and by testimony from the investigating officer, who documented the victim's injuries and confirmed the 200 texts or calls defendant made to the victim in the days prior to the incident defendant's defense that he drove to the victim's apartment to tell her that he was marrying another woman was not credible considering his actions leading up to the incident and defendant's reason for leaving the scene before police arrived and driving to Columbus was also not credible under the circumstances.