S.H.B. v. M.W.L.

2021 Ohio 3929
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 4, 2021
Docket110334
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2021 Ohio 3929 (S.H.B. v. M.W.L.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
S.H.B. v. M.W.L., 2021 Ohio 3929 (Ohio Ct. App. 2021).

Opinion

[Cite as S.H.B. v. M.W.L., 2021-Ohio-3929.]

COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO

EIGHTH APPELLATE DISTRICT COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA

S.H.B., :

Petitioner-Appellee, : No. 110334 v. :

M.W.L., :

Respondent-Appellant. :

JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION

JUDGMENT: VACATED AND REMANDED RELEASED AND JOURNALIZED: November 4, 2021

Civil Appeal from the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations Division Case No. DV-14-352429

Appearances:

Zagrans Law Firm, L.L.C., and Eric H. Zagrans, for appellee.

Rosenthal | Thurman | Lane, L.L.C., Adam J. Thurman, and Brent A. Cicero, for appellant.

FRANK D. CELEBREZZE, JR., P.J.:

Respondent-appellant, M.W.L. (“appellant”), brings this appeal

challenging the trial court’s judgment granting the “motion to extend domestic

violence civil protection order” filed by petitioner-appellee, S.H.B. Appellant argues that the trial court erred and abused its discretion in granting S.H.B.’s motion, failed

to comply with R.C. 3113.31(E)(3)(c), erred and abused its discretion by permitting

S.H.B.’s son to testify as a rebuttal witness, and erred and abused its discretion in

relying on inadmissible evidence and facts that occurred prior to the issuance of the

domestic violence civil protection order (hereinafter “CPO”). After a thorough

review of the record and law, this court vacates the trial court’s judgment extending

the CPO for an additional five years and remands the matter for further proceedings

consistent with this opinion.

I. Factual and Procedural History

On June 9, 2014, S.H.B. filed a complaint for divorce against appellant

in Cuyahoga C.P. No. DR-14-352427. On the same day, in Cuyahoga C.P. No. DV-

14-352429, S.H.B. filed a petition for a domestic violence CPO against appellant, her

then-husband. S.H.B. sought protection for herself and her son, M.B.1 A magistrate

issued an ex parte temporary CPO in S.H.B.’s favor, effective until June 8, 2015. In

June 2015, following a hearing, a magistrate found appellant in contempt for

violating the ex parte CPO by placing a GPS tracking device on S.H.B.’s vehicle and

contacting S.H.B. via phone after the CPO had been issued.

On June 4, 2015, the trial court granted S.H.B.’s petition for a CPO. The

trial court issued a CPO that was effective until March 26, 2020.

1 M.B. was born on August 29, 1997. In May 2018, the trial court found appellant in contempt for violating

the CPO. The trial court imposed a 30-day jail sentence. Appellant began serving

this sentence but did not complete it.

On September 23, 2019, S.H.B. filed a motion to extend the CPO

pursuant to R.C. 3113.31(E)(3). S.H.B. requested a five-year extension of the CPO,

through March 26, 2025. In support of her motion for an extension, S.H.B.

submitted an affidavit, executed on September 20, 2019, in which she averred, in

relevant part,

7. Unfortunately, [appellant] has continued to refuse to comply with the Original DV CPO on numerous occasions. For example, on February 21, 2016, at about 8:45 p.m., [appellant] sat in his parked truck at the front of the cul-de-sac where I lived, with his lights off, watching and waiting for me to drive away so he could follow me. Then, as I drove out of my driveway to drive my mother home to her apartment, [appellant] chased me through the neighborhood development at a high speed as I tried to get away from him. I finally left the development, got away from him, and phoned the Solon Police. [Appellant] was charged and admitted to following me in violation of the Original DV CPO at his hearing on those charges in the Bedford Municipal Court.

8. Even since that time, [appellant] has continued to violate the Original DV CPO. For example, on August 27, 2019, at 4:45 p.m., [appellant] circled around my parked car, attempting to intimidate and harass me while I was inside of the car talking to my daughter on my cell phone. When he saw me taking his picture on my cell phone, he stopped circling my car and walked away. This close proximity that [appellant] did purposefully once he saw me and my car, violated the 500-foot distance restriction in the Original DV CPO.

9. I am concerned about [appellant’s] state of mind because I know he has actively prepared for “doomsday” by amassing survival gear including many rifles, semi-automatic weapons and other guns, considerable amounts of ammunition, stock-piled food and medical supplies, infrared night-vision goggles, binoculars, and other military- type gear in the “safe room” shelter he built at the cost of over $100,000 beneath our house.

10. I remain concerned for my safety and the safety of my family members because of [appellant’s] continued deliberate, purposeful and calculated tactics aimed at menacing and/or hurting me. Without an extension of the Original DV CPO for the maximum of five (5) years allowed by law, I will be vulnerable to his continued threatening and menacing behaviors.

On February 11, 2020, the parties filed a joint motion to extend the CPO

until the later date of April 14, 2020, or until the trial court ruled on S.H.B.’s motion

to extend. The trial court issued a judgment entry on February 12, 2020, extending

the CPO.

The hearing on S.H.B.’s motion to extend was continued several times.

The trial court held a Zoom hearing on S.H.B.’s motion to extend on January 12,

2021. The trial court also addressed the following motions during this hearing:

(1) appellant’s motion to return his firearms, (2) S.H.B.’s motion for the immediate

execution of the 30-day jail sentence for the court’s prior finding of contempt, and

(3) appellant’s motion to modify the 30-day jail sentence.

S.H.B. and her son, M.B., testified on S.H.B.’s behalf at the hearing.

Appellant and Dr. Vladimir Vekstein testified on appellant’s behalf at the hearing.

On February 10, 2021, the trial court issued a judgment entry granting

S.H.B.’s motion to extend the CPO. The trial court issued the following findings of

fact in its judgment entry:

2. That [S.H.B.] presented credible testimony that on August 27, 2019, when the current CPO was still in effect and approximately five years since the issuance of the [ex parte CPO], while she was parked in a shopping area parking lot, [appellant] began circling her vehicle, at least two (2) full circles, on foot, causing her concern for her safety should she exit the vehicle.

3. That [S.H.B.] provided credible testimony that [appellant] previously placed a GPS tracker on her car during the time the Current CPO was in effect.

***

7. That [S.H.B.] provided credible testimony that [appellant] has placed a GPS on [S.H.B.’s] car, recorded her telephone conversations, has driven past her home, on multiple occasions, since the issuance of the current CPO causing her concern for her safety.

8. That [appellant] has violated the Civil Protection Order and currently has a remaining jail sentence for a violation of the CPO in this case.

9. That [S.H.B.] provided credible testimony that during their marriage [appellant] has threatened her, been aggressive, has held a knife to her and has put a gun to her head.

10. That [appellant] testified that he did not mean [S.H.B.] any ill will over the last five (5) years, however based upon his behavior of going by [S.H.B.’s] house, GPS tracker and violations of the current CPO, [appellant’s] testimony is not consistent with his actions.

14. That [appellant] testified that to his knowledge there have not been any violations directly or incidentally of the CPO.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2021 Ohio 3929, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shb-v-mwl-ohioctapp-2021.