State v. Bryant

2024 Ohio 1192
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 29, 2024
Docket2023-CA-17
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 2024 Ohio 1192 (State v. Bryant) 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
State v. Bryant, 2024 Ohio 1192 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Bryant, 2024-Ohio-1192.]

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT MIAMI COUNTY

STATE OF OHIO : : Appellee : C.A. No. 2023-CA-17 : v. : Trial Court Case No. 23CR49 : KAMRON M. BRYANT : (Criminal Appeal from Common Pleas : Court) Appellant : :

...........

OPINION

Rendered on March 29, 2024

TIMOTHY B. HACKETT, Attorney for Appellant

BRANDON S. MYERS, Attorney for Appellee

.............

EPLEY, P.J.

{¶ 1} Defendant-Appellant Kamron M. Bryant appeals from his convictions in the

Miami County Court of Common Pleas after he pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated

robbery and one count of misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to an aggregate term

of 5 to 7½ years in prison. He was also ordered to pay $25,192.06 in restitution. For the -2-

reasons that follow, the judgment of the trial court will be affirmed.

I. Facts and Procedural History

{¶ 2} On the evening of October 28, 2022, 17-year-old Bryant entered the Golden

Bowl Buffet in Troy with the intention to eat but not pay. He ate his meal, and then he

lured the manager of the restaurant, Jian Li, into the restroom under the guise of the toilet

being clogged and ] violently assaulted him. When Gang Chen, another employee,

entered the bathroom to investigate the commotion, Bryant beat him as well and then fled

in a waiting car driven by his girlfriend.

{¶ 3} Police and medics were called, and the victims were transported to a Miami

County hospital. Chen had suffered a laceration below his mouth which required stitches.

Li was seriously injured; in addition to superficial cuts and bruises, he suffered a brain

bleed and concussion. Due to the severity of his condition, Li was transported to Miami

Valley Hospital for treatment of his injuries.

{¶ 4} When the first responders arrived on the scene, Bryant was not present, but

he soon returned and spoke with several officers. Sergeant Matt Mosier noticed blood

smeared on Bryant’s hands and arms and recounted that Bryant had told him inconsistent

stories, eventually saying it was “dine and dash” situation. Bryant told Officer Cody

Compton that he had struck the victims so he could get out of the restaurant without

paying for his food. According to Officer Compton, after being placed under arrest, Bryant

became very belligerent and threatened to kill him, his family, and other officers on the

scene.

{¶ 5} A few days later, the State filed a complaint alleging that Bryant was a -3-

delinquent juvenile by way of having committed aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony

if committed by an adult, and assault, a first-degree misdemeanor if committed by an

adult. On October 6, 2022, the State filed an amended complaint adding felonious assault.

It then filed a motion to certify Bryant as an adult and asked the juvenile court to transfer

the case to the Miami County Court of Common Pleas, General Division, for prosecution.

{¶ 6} On October 28, 2022, the juvenile court conducted a probable cause hearing.

After considering testimony from the victims and officers, the court found probable cause

that Bryant had committed aggravated robbery, felonious assault, and assault, and

ordered a forensic evaluation. It then set the amenability hearing for January 31, 2023. At

that proceeding, the parties stipulated to the forensic evaluation by Dr. Carla Dreyer, and

the court heard from Officer Compton and Officer Tony Petrovich, Bryant’s juvenile

probation officer. After considering the testimony, the forensic report, and Bryant’s

juvenile record, the court found that he was not amenable to care or rehabilitation within

the juvenile system and transferred the case to the general division (“adult court”).

{¶ 7} Bryant was charged by grand jury indictment with aggravated robbery,

felonious assault, and assault. On April 11, 2023, he pleaded guilty to Count 1,

aggravated robbery, and Count 3, assault; in exchange for the guilty pleas, the State

agreed to dismiss the felonious assault charge in Count 2.

{¶ 8} On May 22, 2023, Bryant appeared in court again, this time for the

disposition. At the hearing, the court heard oral statements from Bryant, his attorney, and

the State. The court also stated that before the hearing it had reviewed the presentence

investigation (PSI) and victim impact statements from Li and Chen. Bryant was sentenced -4-

to 5 to 7½ years on the aggravated robbery and 180 days of local incarceration (to be

served concurrently to the prison time) for the misdemeanor assault. He was also ordered

to pay restitution to his victims in the amounts of $24,492.06 to Li and $700 to Chen.

{¶ 9} Bryant filed a timely appeal. We will address his arguments in an order that

facilitates our analysis.

II. Transfer of the case to adult court

{¶ 10} In his second assignment of error, Bryant asserts that the juvenile court

abused its discretion when it transferred his case to adult court “without sufficient credible

evidence of non-amenability.” His argument is that, because “additional untested

rehabilitative options still remained,” he should have been kept in the juvenile justice

system instead of being bound over to adult court. We disagree.

{¶ 11} Juvenile courts have exclusive jurisdiction over children alleged to be

delinquent, but if a child is old enough and is alleged to have committed an act that would

be a felony if committed by an adult, the juvenile court may transfer jurisdiction to adult

court for criminal prosecution. In re D.M.S., 2021-Ohio-1214, 170 N.E.3d 61, ¶ 16 (2d

Dist.). (In some cases, the court may be required to transfer jurisdiction pursuant to R.C.

2152.12(A), but those circumstances do not apply here.).

{¶ 12} After a complaint has been filed alleging that a child is a delinquent child by

reason of committing one or more acts that would be a felony offense if committed by an

adult, the juvenile court may transfer the case if it finds all of the following: (1) the child

was 14 years of age or older at the time of the act charged; (2) there is probable cause

to believe that the child committed the act; and (3) the child is not amenable to care or -5-

rehabilitation within the juvenile system, and the safety of the community may require that

the child be subject to adult sanctions. R.C. 2152.12(B)(1)-(3).

{¶ 13} Juv.R. 30(A) stipulates that, upon a motion to transfer jurisdiction, the

juvenile court “shall hold a preliminary hearing to determine if there is probable cause to

believe that the child committed the act alleged and that the act would be an offense if

committed by an adult.” If probable cause is established, and after determining that the

child is at least 14 years old, the court “shall continue the proceeding for full investigation.

The investigation shall include a mental examination of the child by a public or private

agency or by a person qualified to make the examination. When the investigation is

completed, an amenability hearing shall be held to determine whether to transfer

jurisdiction. The criteria for transfer shall be as provided by statute.” Juv.R. 30(C).

{¶ 14} In determining whether to transfer the child’s case to adult court, the juvenile

court must consider the following factors and any other relevant factors in favor of a

transfer:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Youngblood
2025 Ohio 2794 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2025)
State v. Peaks
2025 Ohio 2707 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2025)
State v. Spain
2025 Ohio 1121 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2025)
State v. Nash
2025 Ohio 796 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2025)
State v. Moore
2024 Ohio 5839 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2024)
State v. Taylor
2024 Ohio 5094 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2024)
State v. D.T.
2024 Ohio 4482 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2024)
State v. Anderson
2024 Ohio 2191 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2024)
State v. Wallace
2024 Ohio 1393 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2024)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2024 Ohio 1192, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bryant-ohioctapp-2024.