State v. Farrington, Unpublished Decision (5-22-2000)

Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided May 22, 2000·No. Case No. 99CA-A-09-046.·Unpublished

Opinion

OPINION
Defendant-appellant Michael B. Farrington appeals his convictions and sentences entered by the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas on one count of attempted murder, in violation of R.C. 2923.02; and one count of domestic violence, in violation of R.C. 2919.25, following a jury trial. Plaintiff-appellee is the State of Ohio.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND CASE
On February 2, 1999, the Delaware County Grand Jury indicted appellant on one count of attempted murder, one count of felonious assault, and one count of domestic violence. At his arraignment on February 12, 1999, appellant entered pleas of not guilty to the charges contained in the indictment. Appellant, through counsel, filed a Motion for Competency Evaluation pursuant to R.C. 2945.37.1. Via Entry filed on March 22, 1999, the trial court ordered NetCare Forensic Psychiatry Center in Columbus, Ohio, to evaluate appellant's competency. The trial court conducted an oral hearing on the competency evaluation on May 7, 1999. Based upon the clinical psychologist's report, the trial court found appellant competent to stand trial. A jury trial commenced on August 24, 1999. At trial, Jason Passet, a deputy sheriff with the Delaware County Sheriff's Department, testified he was on general patrol during the early morning hours of January 23, 1999, when he responded to a 911 hangup call at 1053 Blackberry Lane, Lewis Center, Delaware County, Ohio. Upon his arrival at the address, the deputy knocked on the door and announced himself, however, he neither received a response nor heard anything inside. Deputy Passet knocked and announced himself three additional times without response. Deputy Spring arrived at the scene as back-up. As Deputy Passet stepped off the porch to talk to his colleague, he heard a voice call for help. After hearing a second call for help, the deputies kicked in the door and entered the apartment. They immediately found no one inside and the residence in darkness. However, the deputies heard a third cry for help coming from the upstairs. They ascended the stairway and discovered a male and female on the floor of the master bedroom. The male, who was ultimately identified as appellant, was on top of the female, holding her down with his hands and knee. The female, later identified as Jennifer Davis, appellant's former girlfriend, was lying in a fetal position on the floor. The deputies found Davis naked from the waist up, her chest, breast, and face covered in blood. Her nose was bleeding and her hair was matted. Deputy Passet ordered appellant off of Davis, to which appellant complied. Passet instructed appellant to lay on the bed, prone on his stomach. After handcuffing appellant, Deputy Passet conducted a pat down search for weapons as well as a search for some form of identification. The deputy found neither a weapon nor identification. Throughout the encounter, appellant repeatedly yelled he was St. Michael, the Arc Angel, and Davis was a demon who needed to be killed. Appellant flailed back and forth on the bed. In order to avoid striking his head on the headboard, Deputy Passet released appellant, who immediately stood up and charged toward the deputies. Deputy Spring sprayed appellant with pepper spray. Thereafter, appellant attempted to leap out a bedroom window. Appellant's second attempt at escape also failed. Deputy Passet continued to try to gain control of appellant. A third deputy, Brian Brown, arrived at the scene and was able to subdue appellant. Appellant was transported to Riverside Hospital. Deputy Spring, who accompanied appellant to the hospital, did not observe any injuries on appellant's person. Deputy Passet remained at the scene with appellant's and Davis' two small children. After Children's Services arrived and removed the children, Passet photographed the entire apartment. Passet was informed a knife could have possibly been involved in the attack, however, a forty-five minute search for the weapon was unfruitful. Deputy Brian Brown proceeded to St. Ann's Hospital in order to interview Davis. Brown described Davis' appearance, noting the victim's face was swollen and bruised, her eyes were black and blue, and she had sustained two lacerations on her left arm, one of which was very deep, as well as some abrasions. Despite the great amount of swelling around and in her mouth, Davis was able to give Deputy Brown an oral statement of the events which had transpired earlier that morning. Davis also testified at trial. She stated she was asleep during the early morning hours of January 23, 1999, when appellant entered her bedroom. Davis observed appellant crouch down and crawl up next to the bed. Before she realized what was happening, appellant pounced on her and she felt a knife blade across her throat. Davis put up her hand in order to block the knife, which resulted in her hand being cut. At some point during the encounter, appellant cut Davis' shoulder. Davis subsequently felt the knife go across the back of her neck, tugging and pulling her hair. Appellant repeatedly struck Davis in the head and face. Thereafter, appellant, who was wearing steel-toed workboots, threw Davis onto the floor and began to kick her entire body. Appellant then held Davis down. Davis felt as if appellant was trying to rip out her windpipe with his fingernails. Appellant picked up Davis and threw her onto the bed, where he continued to beat and hit her. Suddenly, appellant stopped the attack, moved to the doorway, and looked into the hall. Davis grabbed the telephone and tried to dial 911, however, appellant reappeared and kicked the phone out of Davis' hand. Appellant began to chant, "Anastagah, Sekata", the names of his and Davis' children. Davis described the scene as if appellant was in a trance. Appellant stopped his attack a second time, proceeded to the doorway and looked down the hall. Davis grabbed the telephone and again dialed 911. Appellant returned and resumed the beating — punching, hitting, kicking, and biting Davis. Just as Davis thought she was going to lose consciousness, Deputies Passet and Spring arrived. While the deputies struggled with appellant, Davis dragged herself out of the bedroom into the hallway. When asked why appellant was in her apartment that morning, Davis explained he had come to visit the children. She denied the existence of a romantic relationship between appellant and herself, and noted the two had not been romantically involved for at least one and a half years. Davis acknowledged she had been subjected to domestic violence at appellant's hands on at least two prior occasions. Davis stated, at some point after the attack, she informed the police appellant had brandished a knife. After being discharged from the hospital, Davis stopped at her apartment prior to going to the police station to complete necessary paperwork, and located a knife covered with what appeared to be her hair and her blood. She wrapped the knife in a towel and turned it over to the police. Ryan Bowman, a physician's assistant in the emergency room at St. Ann's Hospital, confirmed the nature of Davis' injuries. Appellant testified on his own behalf. Appellant stated Davis had picked him up on the morning of January 22, 1999, in order for appellant to visit with their children. Appellant stayed with the children all day while Davis was at work. Davis met friends that evening, and appellant babysat for the children. Appellant testified when Davis arrived home at approximately 12:30 a.m. on January 23, 1999, she started an argument with him because their son was awake. Appellant stated Davis' became angrier when she observed a pan of food on the stove. Appellant took his son upstairs and placed the child in his crib. He returned downstairs, and tried to calm Davis, however, she would not "stop fre

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

State v. Farrington, Unpublished Decision (5-22-2000), (Ohio Ct. App. 2000).

State v. Farrington, Unpublished Decision (5-22-2000) (State v. Farrington, Unpublished Decision (5-22-2000)) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

State v. Morgan
616 N.E.2d 941 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1992)
State v. Martin
485 N.E.2d 717 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1983)
State v. Dehass
227 N.E.2d 212 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1967)
State v. Jenks
574 N.E.2d 492 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1991)
State v. Thompkins
678 N.E.2d 541 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1997)