In re D.W.

2022 Ohio 1407
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided April 28, 2022·No. 110960·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO

EIGHTH APPELLATE DISTRICT COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA

IN RE D.W. :

: No. 110960 A Minor Child :

JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION

JUDGMENT: AFFIRMED

RELEASED AND JOURNALIZED: April 28, 2022

Civil Appeal from the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Juvenile Division

Case No. DL-19-110577

Appearances:

The Law Office of Jaye M. Schlachet, Jaye M. Schlachet, and Eric M. Levy, for appellant.

Michael C. O’Malley, Cuyahoga County Prosecuting Attorney, and Jamielle Lamson-Buscho, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for appellee.

FRANK DANIEL CELEBREZZE, III, J.:

Defendant-appellant D.W. brings this appeal challenging his adjudication of delinquency for gross sexual imposition. Appellant argues that his adjudication of delinquency was not supported by sufficient evidence and that the juvenile court’s judgment is against the manifest weight of the evidence. After a thorough review of the record and law, this court affirms.

I. Factual and Procedural History The instant matter arose from a June 2019 incident during which appellant inappropriately touched the victim, N.F. The incident occurred at the house where appellant resided with his younger brother and codefendant, who was also present at the time.1 At the time of the incident, the victim was six years old, and appellant was 16 or 17 years old. The victim considered appellant and his brother to be her “godbrothers.”

The victim’s mother, A.F., and appellant’s mother, V.W., were friends.

V.W. was named the godmother of the victim. V.W. and the victim had a very close relationship and spent a lot of time together. The victim would spend time at V.W.’s house on the weekends and during holidays. The relationship between the victim and V.W. changed after the June 2019 incident.

The victim alleged that appellant touched her on her “behind” with his hands and his “private part.” The victim subsequently disclosed what transpired with appellant to her grandmother, M.N. The grandmother informed A.F., and the victim was taken to the hospital for an examination. Following the medical examination, the victim and her mother filed a police report.

On September 3, 2019, the state filed a four-count complaint charging appellant with: Count 1, rape, in violation of R.C. 2907.02(A)(2), alleging digital vaginal penetration; Count 2, rape, in violation of R.C. 2907.02(A)(1)(b), alleging

1 Appellant’s brother was charged in Cuyahoga J.C. No. DL-19-110578.

digital vaginal penetration; Count 3, gross sexual imposition, in violation of R.C. 2907.05(A)(4), alleging touching of the victim’s vagina; and Count 4, gross sexual imposition, in violation of R.C. 2907.05(A)(1), alleging touching of the victim’s vagina.2 Appellant denied the allegations in the complaint during his arraignment.

On February 10, 2021, the trial court held a competency hearing.

Following the victim’s testimony, the trial court determined that she was competent to testify.

The trial court held an adjudicatory hearing on May 24, 2021. A.F., the victim, and the victim’s grandmother M.N. testified at the adjudicatory hearing. The testimony of these witnesses will be set forth in further detail below.

At the close of the adjudicatory hearing, the trial court found appellant delinquent on Count 3, gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony in violation of R.C. 2907.05(A)(4). The trial court found appellant not delinquent on Counts 1, 2, and 4. Counts 1, 2, and 4 were dismissed on the merits pursuant to Juv.R. 29(F)(1).

A magistrate held a dispositional hearing on August 13, 2021.

Appellant was sentenced to community control for a definite period of 12 months and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. (Tr. 38-39.) Appellant was also ordered to register as a Tier I sex offender for a period of ten years. (Tr. 37.)

2Appellant does not raise any issues in this appeal regarding the state’s failure to amend the complaint, pursuant to Juv.R. 22(B), to conform to the evidence presented at the adjudicatory hearing.

The magistrate’s decision was filed on August 24, 2021. On August 27, 2021, appellant filed objections to the magistrate’s decision. Appellant objected to being required to perform 100 hours of community service.

On October 6, 2021, the trial court issued two judgment entries. First, the trial court sustained appellant’s objections pertaining to community service and modified the magistrate’s decision accordingly. Second, the trial court affirmed, approved, and adopted the remaining aspects of the magistrate’s decision.

On October 29, 2021, appellant filed the instant appeal challenging his adjudication of delinquency for gross sexual imposition. Appellant assigns two errors for review:

I. Appellant’s adjudication must be reversed as the state of Ohio failed to present sufficient evidence to support the conviction.

II. Appellant’s adjudication is against the manifest weight of the evidence.

II. Law and Analysis

A. Sufficiency

In his first assignment of error, appellant argues that his adjudication of delinquency was not supported by sufficient evidence.

In reviewing a sufficiency challenge to a juvenile’s adjudication of delinquency, this court applies the same standard of review applicable to criminal convictions. In re L.R.F., 2012-Ohio-4284, 977 N.E.2d 138, ¶ 12 (8th Dist.), citing In re Watson, 47 Ohio St.3d 86, 91, 548 N.E.2d 210 (1989). The test for sufficiency requires a determination of whether the prosecution met its burden of production at trial. State v. Bowden, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 92266, 2009-Ohio-3598, ¶ 12. The relevant inquiry is whether, after viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Thompkins, 78 Ohio St.3d 380, 386, 678 N.E.2d 541 (1997).

In the instant matter, appellant initially argues that the state failed to prove that venue was proper in Cuyahoga County, and the state failed to prove that appellant was under the age of 18 at the time of the incident, such that the juvenile court had jurisdiction over the matter. Appellant’s arguments are misplaced and unsupported by the record.

Although venue is not a material element of the offense charged, venue is a fact that must be proved in a criminal prosecution unless it is waived by the defendant. State v. Headley, 6 Ohio St.3d 475, 453 N.E.2d 716 (1983). As such, a defendant waives the right to challenge venue when the issue is raised for the first time on appeal. State v.

Coley, 93 Ohio St.3d 253, 258, 2001-Ohio-1340, 754 N.E.2d 1129, citing State v. Campbell, 90 Ohio St.3d 320, 336, 738 N.E.2d 1178, 1197 (2001); State v. Williams, 51 Ohio St.2d 112, 364 N.E.2d 1364 (1977), paragraph one of the syllabus.

(Emphasis added.) State v. Rivera, 8th Dist. Cuyahoga No. 99185, 2013-Ohio-3244, ¶ 47.

In the instant matter, appellant did not raise the issue of venue in the juvenile court. Accordingly, he waived his right to challenge venue in this appeal. The complaint provided that the approximate location of the rape and gross sexual imposition offenses was on Holborn Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio, 44105. Appellant did not raise the issue of any defects in the complaint below.

Nevertheless, the victim’s mother, A.F., testified that V.W. lived in Cleveland, Ohio, in Cuyahoga County, near or off of East 131st Street, and that the zip code in the area was 44105. This evidence, if believed, was sufficient to establish that venue was proper in Cuyahoga County.

Regarding appellant’s age, the complaint provided appellant’s date of birth and age. Again, appellant did not raise the issue of any defects in the complaint below.

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In re D.W., 2022 Ohio 1407 (Ohio Ct. App. 2022).

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