State v. Mullins, Unpublished Decision (3-9-2007)

2007 Ohio 1051
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 9, 2007
DocketNo. 21277.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 2007 Ohio 1051 (State v. Mullins, Unpublished Decision (3-9-2007)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law.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State v. Mullins, Unpublished Decision (3-9-2007), 2007 Ohio 1051 (Ohio Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

OPINION {¶ 1} John L. Mullins was convicted by a jury in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas of two counts of gross sexual imposition, in violation of R.C. 2907.05(A)(4). The trial court sentenced him to consecutive five-year terms of imprisonment and fined him $10,000 on each count. Mullins appeals from his convictions and sentences, raising eight assignments of error. We will address them in an order that *Page 2 We will address them in an order that facilitates our analysis.

{¶ 2} I. "APPELLANT'S CONVICTIONS FOR GROSS SEXUAL IMPOSITION ARE BASED UPON INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE."

{¶ 3} In his first assignment of error, Mullins claims that his convictions were based on insufficient evidence.

{¶ 4} "'[Sufficiency' is a term of art meaning that legal standard which is applied to determine whether the case may go to the jury or whether the evidence is legally sufficient to support the jury verdict as a matter of law." State v. Thompkins, 78 Ohio St.3d 380, 386,1997-Ohio-52, 678 N.E.2d 541, citing Black's Law Dictionary (6th Ed.1990) 1433. When reviewing the sufficiency of evidence, the relevant inquiry is whether any rational finder of fact, viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the state, could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Dennis, 79 Ohio St.3d 421, 430, 1997-Ohio-372,683 N.E.2d 1096, citing Jackson v. Virginia (1979), 443 U.S. 307, 319,99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d. 560. A guilty verdict will not be disturbed on appeal unless "reasonable minds could not reach the conclusion reached by the trier-of-fact." Id.

{¶ 5} Mullins was convicted of gross sexual imposition, in violation of R.C. 2907.05(A)(4), which provides:

{¶ 6} `"(A) No person shall have sexual contact with another, not the spouse of the offender; cause another, not the spouse of the offender, to have sexual contact with the offender; or cause two or more other persons to have sexual contact when any of the following applies: * * *

{¶ 7} "(4) The other person, or one of the other persons, is less than thirteen years of age, *Page 3 of age, whether or not the offender knows the age of that person."

{¶ 8} "Sexual contact" is defined as "any touching of an erogenous zone of another, including without limitation the thigh, genitals, buttock, pubic region, or, if the person is a female, a breast, for the purpose of sexually arousing or gratifying either person." R.C.2907.01(B).

{¶ 9} According to the state's evidence, Mullins touched the private areas of two boys, C.H. and D.H., at the home of Ron and Peggy Hembree in Germantown, Ohio. D.H.'s father, Jeff, was Ron Hembree's cousin. C.H.'s father was Ron Hembree's brother. Both incidents occurred in the spring or summer of 2002, close in time to a family camping trip at a park in Zaleski, Ohio. The group included Ron and Peggy and their three children, C.H., D.H., D.H.'s sister, and Jeff. Mullins accompanied the extended family on this camping trip, and he spent the night at the Hembree home on the night before the trip and on a few other occasions in the spring and summer of 2002. During that time period, D.H. was eight years old, and C.H. was ten or eleven years old.

{¶ 10} According to D.H.'s testimony, the incident with Mullins occurred just prior to the camping trip to Zaleski Park. On that night, he slept in the living room with C.H. and the Hembrees' sons. D.H.'s sister slept with the Hembrees' daughter in her bedroom, Ron and Peggy slept in their bedroom, and Jeff slept in the family room. D.H. testified that he fell asleep on his back on one of the recliner portions of a large sectional couch in the living room. During the night, he awoke on his stomach on a different portion of the couch. Mullins was on top of him with his hand under his stomach. D.H. stated that his jeans were unbuttoned and unzipped and that Mullins was grabbing his penis and testicles inside his underwear. D.H. told Mullins to stop, wiggled out from under him, and ran to the bathroom. D.H. stayed in the bathroom for a few *Page 4 D.H. stayed in the bathroom for a few minutes and then went to sleep with his father in the family room. D.H. first reported the incident to an adult in February 2004 after hearing a television program about children who had been sexually abused.

{¶ 11} C.H. testified to a similar incident also near in time to the camping trip in Zaleski. C.H. stated that he was sleeping on the sectional couch wearing thin basketball-type shorts. He awoke during the night to find Mullins lying behind him with his stomach against him. Mullins' hand was touching his penis on the outside of his shorts. C.H. testified that Mullins tried to put his hand inside his shorts. C.H. pulled Mullins' hand away, squeezing a bandage on Mullins' hand. C.H. went to the bathroom to get away from Mullins. He later returned to the opposite side of the couch. C.H. did not report the incident until questioned by relatives after D.H. reported his incident.

{¶ 12} On appeal, Mullins argues that the state's evidence was legally insufficient because there was no evidence that he was sexually aroused or gratified by his purported actions. Whether the touching was for the purpose of sexual gratification may be inferred from the type, nature and circumstances surrounding the contact. State v. Mundy (1994),99 Ohio App.3d 275, 650 N.E.2d 502; State v. Finley, Montgomery App. No. 19654, 2004-Ohio-661, at ¶ 25. In this case, Mullins pressed his body against both boys and deliberately placed his hand on their penises while they slept. Mullins opened D.H.'s pants and went inside his underwear, and he attempted to go inside C. H.'s shorts. There was no evidence that the touching occurred for a medical or other non-sexual purpose. Based on the record, the jury could have reasonably inferred that Mullins touched the boys' genitals for purposes of sexual arousal or gratification.

{¶ 13} The first assignment of error is overruled. *Page 5

{¶ 14} III. "THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN NOT GIVING A JURY INSTRUCTION ON A DEFENDANT'S RIGHT NOT TO TESTIFY."

{¶ 15} In his third assignment of error, Mullins argues that the trial court erred in overruling his request for a jury instruction regarding his constitutional right not to testify. The trial court rejected the request, citing Griffin v. California (1965),

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

Related

State v. Booker
Ohio Court of Appeals, 2026
State v. Robinson
2020 Ohio 4880 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2020)
Brown v. Burnett
2020 Ohio 297 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2020)
State v. Conkle
2012 Ohio 1772 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2012)
State v. Velez
2011 Ohio 5220 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2011)
State v. Spires
2011 Ohio 3661 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2011)
State v. Mullins, 22204 (8-8-2008)
2008 Ohio 4012 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2008)
State v. Kring, 07ap-610 (6-30-2008)
2008 Ohio 3290 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2008)
State v. Mullins
870 N.E.2d 730 (Ohio Supreme Court, 2007)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2007 Ohio 1051, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mullins-unpublished-decision-3-9-2007-ohioctapp-2007.