State v. Grayson

2021 Ohio 4312
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided December 9, 2021·No. 110388·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO

EIGHTH APPELLATE DISTRICT COUNTY OF CUYAHOGA

STATE OF OHIO, :

Plaintiff-Appellee, :

No. 110388

v. :

JANET GRAYSON, :

Defendant-Appellant. :

JOURNAL ENTRY AND OPINION

JUDGMENT: AFFIRMED

RELEASED AND JOURNALIZED: December 9, 2021

Criminal Appeal from the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Case No. CR-19-645962-A

Appearances:

Michael C. O’Malley, Cuyahoga County Prosecuting Attorney, and Alicia Harrison, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for appellee.

Judith M. Kowalski, for appellant.

MARY EILEEN KILBANE, J.:

Defendant-appellant Janet Grayson (“Grayson”) appeals from her conviction for felonious assault. For the reasons that follow, we affirm.

Factual and Procedural History This case arose from an incident that took place on July 29, 2019. As a result of this incident, on December 3, 2019, a Cuyahoga County Grand Jury indicted Grayson on one count of felonious assault in violation of R.C. 2903.11(A)(1) and one count of felonious assault in violation of R.C. 2903.11(A)(2). Grayson pleaded not guilty to both counts and waived her right to a jury trial, and the case proceeded to a bench trial on December 29, 2020. At trial, the state called three witnesses and the defense called two witnesses.

The victim in this case, Kelly Ellison (“Ellison”), suffered an injury to her arm requiring 22 staples and an injury to her face requiring 13 stitches. Ellison testified that at around 7 p.m. on July 29, 2019, she was driving home from visiting her mother in the hospital. Ellison lives on West 93rd Street in Cleveland, Ohio. As she was driving down her street, Ellison came upon a man and a woman standing in the middle of the street. Initially, Ellison did not recognize either of the individuals. Ellison honked her horn so that they would move out of the road and she could proceed. Ellison testified that as soon as she honked her horn, the woman started yelling profanities at Ellison, threatening Ellison, and ultimately striking Ellison’s car with her hand.

After the woman hit Ellison’s car, Ellison stopped the car and got out of her car. At that point, Ellison realized that the man standing in the road was her mother’s ex-husband, Michael Schneider (“Schneider”). Ellison testified that she weighed approximately 300 pounds. At trial, Ellison identified Grayson as the woman who was standing in the middle of the road with Schneider.

Ellison testified that she addressed Schneider in an attempt to defuse the situation and told them to get out of the road. According to Ellison, Schneider and Grayson both became irate and told Ellison that she had nothing to do with their disagreement. Ellison’s aunt, Sharon Tawney (“Tawney”), also lived on West 93rd Street, and when Ellison came upon Schneider and Grayson, Tawney had been outside in her front yard. Ellison testified that while she and Schneider became involved in a verbal altercation, Grayson bent down and broke the beer bottle she was holding on the pavement. As Grayson stood up, she swung at Ellison and cut the back of Ellison’s arm. Ellison ultimately needed 22 staples in her arm as a result of this injury.

Ellison testified that Schneider then attempted to hold Grayson back from Ellison, and Ellison started to get back in her car. When Grayson continued to insult and threaten Ellison, Ellison went back to where Grayson was. At that time, Grayson sliced Ellison’s face with the broken beer bottle, resulting in a laceration from Ellison’s brow to the underside of her jaw. Ellison ultimately needed 13 stitches on her face as a result of this injury. In response to getting cut in the face with a beer bottle, Ellison hit Grayson in the face. Ellison testified that at no point before this had she touched or hit Grayson. Ellison testified that she did not observe any injuries on Grayson. Both of Ellison’s injuries left permanent scars.

According to Ellison, Schneider was instigating the fight between Grayson and Ellison, at one point saying “let them fight.” The women continued to physically fight after Ellison hit Grayson. Ellison testified that the altercation eventually ended when her cousin reached the group and pulled Grayson and Ellison apart. Ellison called 911 and was taken to Fairview Hospital to be treated for her injuries. Ellison testified that Schneider and Grayson were both intoxicated. Ellison explained that because she had known Schneider for years and had seen him drunk many times before, she could tell that he was intoxicated during this incident. Ellison testified that she had never met Grayson before this incident and therefore could not say whether the behavior she exhibited was normal or was because she was intoxicated, but she assumed that Grayson was intoxicated because she smelled of alcohol and Grayson was holding the beer bottle for the duration of their interaction.

Ellison also testified that Grayson attempted to reach out to her in October 2019 and sent her messages on Facebook. Ellison read the messages aloud at trial; Grayson apologized but also stated that she defended herself.

Tawney, Ellison’s aunt, also testified at trial. She testified that she lived on West 93rd Street and that her brother, her niece Ellison, another niece, and additional family also lived on the street. Tawney testified that on the date of the incident, her landlord, who also lived on West 93rd Street, came to her house with Schneider and Grayson to fix something. Tawney identified Grayson at trial. Tawney explained that she knew Schneider because he was her ex-brother-in-law, but she had not seen or met Grayson before that day. Tawney testified that she was not sure why Schneider and Grayson were with her landlord when he came to her house, but they all had beers in their hands and were drinking. Tawney explained that it was common for her landlord to drink when he came over to her house. Tawney testified that she had seen Schneider drunk in the past and it was clear that he was drunk that day because he was staggering and slurring his words.

Tawney also testified that Grayson started talking to Tawney’s fiancé, making derogatory remarks about his military service. Tawney’s fiancé asked the landlord to get Schneider and Grayson off of the property, and the landlord instructed them to go to the landlord’s house several doors down. At that point, Schneider and Grayson went out into the road, where Grayson started screaming and yelling, threatening Tawney because Tawney and her fiancé asked her to leave. Tawney then told Schneider to leave. According to Tawney, at no point was her or her fiancé’s interaction with Grayson physical.

Tawney testified that it was at this point that Ellison drove down the street. Tawney’s testimony of the interaction between Ellison and Grayson largely corroborates Ellison’s testimony. Tawney instructed her children, who had been playing in the front yard, to go inside. Tawney testified that she had an unobstructed view of Ellison, Ellison’s car, Grayson, and Schneider. Tawney saw Grayson smack the side of Ellison’s car and begin screaming threats and profanities at Ellison. Tawney testified that when Ellison got out of the car, she did not shove or otherwise touch Grayson; she only asked Grayson why she was in the street. According to

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