State v. Chafin

2019 Ohio 5306
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 20, 2019
Docket2019 CA 00014
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2019 Ohio 5306 (State v. Chafin) 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. Chafin, 2019 Ohio 5306 (Ohio Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Chafin, 2019-Ohio-5306.]

COURT OF APPEALS FAIRFIELD COUNTY, OHIO FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

JUDGES: STATE OF OHIO : Hon. W. Scott Gwin, P.J. : Hon. William B. Hoffman, J. Plaintiff-Appellee : Hon. Patricia A. Delaney, J. : -vs- : : Case No. 2019 CA 00014 JASON CHAFIN : : Defendant-Appellant : OPINION

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Criminal appeal from the Fairfield County Court of Common Pleas, Case No. 2018CR377

JUDGMENT: Affirmed

DATE OF JUDGMENT ENTRY: December 20, 2019

APPEARANCES:

For Plaintiff-Appellant For Defendant-Appellee

KYLE WITT ANDREW SANDERSON Fairfield County Prosecutor Burkett & Sanderson, Inc. 239 West Main Street, Ste. 101 738 East Main Street Lancaster, OH 43130 Lancaster, OH 43130 Fairfield County, Case No. 2019 CA 00014 2

Gwin, P.J.

{¶1} Defendant-appellant Jason Chafin [“Chafin”] appeals his conviction and

sentence after a bench trial in the Fairfield County Court of Common Pleas.

Facts and Procedural History

{¶2} On June 10, 2018, 15-year-old L.L. went to work in the morning at a

Lancaster, Ohio restaurant. L.L. had a disagreement with her supervisor and left work.

L.L. could not reach her family and had no ride home. As L.L. walked home a Jimmy

John’s delivery driver, whom she did not know, offered her a ride. The delivery driver,

Chafin, told L.L. he had to make a delivery prior to dropping her off near her home. L.L.

agreed and got into Chafin’s red Honda automobile.

{¶3} As Chafin and L.L. rode toward the delivery drop off, Chafin told her his

name was Jason, asked how old she was, and inquired if anyone knew that she was

walking home alone. After making the delivery in the Dominion Homes subdivision, L.L.

recognized that Chafin was driving in the opposite direction from which they had entered

the subdivision. L.L. became fearful. After Chafin pulled away from the delivery location

and the car was in motion, Chafin asked L.L. if she "liked to flirt.” Chafin told L.L. that she

was pretty. After telling L.L. she was pretty, Chafin firmly grasped L.L.'s hand causing

her to jerk her hand away to break his grip. (1T. at 103-1051). L. L. demanded that Chafin

stop and pulled her hand away from his hand. (1T. 102, 106). When Chafin made no

attempt to stop, L.L. jumped from the car. (1T. 106, 107). L.L. suffered scratches to the

palms of her hand when she caught herself after the jump. L.L. testified that the car never

slowed down even after she jumped from the car. (1T. 114). In fact, L.L. testified that the

For clarity the Bench Trial that took place on March 11 and 12, 2019 will be referred to by Volume 1

and page number as “1T.” or “2T.” Fairfield County, Case No. 2019 CA 00014 3

car sped off after she had jumped. (1T. at 115). L.L. recalled that she had observed a

car seat, stickers and items affiliated with Jimmy John’s on Chafin and displayed on the

car. (1T. 114).

{¶4} Tracy Wentz, a resident of a subdivision built by Dominion Homes known

as "River Valley Highlands,” had contact with a neighbor of hers that is hard of hearing.

The neighbor brought L.L. over to Wentz's residence due to the communication

difficulties. Wentz observed that L.L. had been sobbing and was breathing heavily. L.L.

explained she had taken a ride from a delivery driver who had offered to give her a ride

home. Instead, during a delivery in Wentz's neighborhood, the driver had touched L.L.

and said things to her that caused L.L. to flee his car. Wentz sat with L.L. on her porch

until L.L.'s father arrived to pick her up.

{¶5} L.L.'s father, C. S. arrived at Wentz's home. Earlier that day C.S. had

dropped L.L. off to work in the morning. When C.S. picked up L.L., he learned that a male

Jimmy John’s delivery driver had scared his daughter and she jumped from the car. C.S.

immediately drove to the Jimmy John’s location where he asked about the delivery driver

and waited in front of the store. C.S., who is a large man, admitted he was angry but

never saw any male delivery driver pulled into the location while he waited for police. The

demeanor of C.S. caused the employees of Jimmy John’s to call 9-1-1.

{¶6} Breanna Richardson was the Jimmy John’s assistant manager on duty on

June 10, 2018 and was working with Chafin. Richardson encountered C.S. who arrived

at the store and made a threat to the delivery driver in the red car. Richardson called

both Lori Wood and Chafin after C.S. arrived. Lori Wood is Chafin’s mother. Jimmy

John’s also employed her on the date of the incident. Richardson told Chafin to park out Fairfield County, Case No. 2019 CA 00014 4

back when he arrived and to call her so she could let him in the back of the Jimmy John’s.

Chafin inquired what was wrong and Richardson told him, "Don't worry about it.”

Richardson also called Wood and told her to come in to work early as she would need a

driver and that the problem had something to do with Chafin. Richardson did not recall

telling Wood any details regarding the allegations in her phone call to Wood. Richardson

did not tell Chafin to remove or alter his Jimmy John’s work uniform or to park his car in

a different location.

{¶7} Valerie Gould was the general manager of the Jimmy John’s restaurant and

was involved in the process of hiring Chafin. During the hiring process, Gould ensured

that Chafin knew he must wear Jimmy John’s approved hat and shirt during working hours

and that his delivery vehicle was required to display the Jimmy John’s sign. The Jimmy

John’s driver policy banned drivers from picking up any passenger. Gould confirmed that

Jimmy John’s employs an order tracking system and that during the shift of Chafin on

June 10, 2018 he made two separate deliveries to a location of 2602 Two Ridge Avenue

in the Dominion Homes subdivision. Gould explained that Chafin remained employed

with Jimmy John’s after June 10, 2018 and had explained the situation to her as a

"misunderstanding."

{¶8} Lori Wood, Chafin’s mother, confirmed that she had received a phone call

from Richardson on June 10, 2018. Wood confirmed she, her son Chafin, and a daughter

were all employed at Jimmy John’s. Wood also confirmed that on the date of alleged

offense Chafin had told her not to worry because he had, "done nothing wrong.” (1T.

208). Wood was also questioned if she had any later conversations with her son about

the events during a recorded call with Detective Underwood. Specifically, within the call Fairfield County, Case No. 2019 CA 00014 5

Wood reported Chafin told her, "He said he had offered her a ride. He told her that he

had to make a delivery. She said that was fine. He made his deliver. He was on his way

out of the housing complex and she said she didn't feel comfortable. And he said to give

him a minute. He was pulling over to let her out and she tried to get out. And he didn't

want her to get hurt, so he tried to stop her from jumping out right before he stopped. And

she got out and he came back — he went on about his — went back to the store, got his

delivery. He made his delivery to the mall, and then I called him and stopped him from

going to Crestview.” (1T. 223-224). Although the context of the question from Detective

Underwood was, "Did you talk with Jason again?” Wood asserted at trial she had

received some of the information from another son, Kelly, who is a Morgan County

Sherriff’s deputy. (1T. at 243).

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Bluebook (online)
2019 Ohio 5306, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-chafin-ohioctapp-2019.