State v. Petitto

2024 Ohio 186, 233 N.E.3d 1239
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided January 19, 2024·No. OT-23-005·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO SIXTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

OTTAWA COUNTY

State of Ohio Court of Appeals No. OT-23-005 Appellee Trial Court No. 21 CR 061 v. Jade L. Petitto DECISION AND JUDGMENT Appellant Decided: January 19, 2024

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James J. VanEerten, Ottawa County Prosecuting Attorney, and Thomas A. Matuszak, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for appellee.

Brian A. Smith, for appellant.

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SULEK, J.

{¶ 1} Appellant, Jade Petitto, appeals the February 24, 2023 judgment of the Ottawa County Court of Common Pleas convicting her of two counts of felonious assault, three counts of failure to comply with the order of a peace officer, and a seatbelt violation. Because any errors in the indictment are not prejudicial and Petitto’s convictions are supported by sufficient evidence and not against the manifest weight of the evidence, they are affirmed. The trial court’s erroneous imposition of postrelease control requires a limited remand.

I. Facts and Procedural History

{¶ 2} On April 1, 2021, the Ottawa County Grand Jury indicted Petitto on charges stemming from a high-speed police chase in Ottawa County, Ohio. Relevant to this appeal, the state secured an indictment against Petitto charging her with two counts of felonious assault, R.C. 2903.11(A)(2), as follows:

Count One Felonious Assault -F1, § 2903.11(A)(2), 2903.11(B)

The jurors of the Grand Jury of the State of Ohio, within and for the body of Ottawa County, on their oaths, IN THE NAME AND BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF OHIO, do find and present:

Jade L. Petitto, on or about March 13, 2021, at the county of Ottawa aforesaid, did knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical harm to another by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance, to wit: a motor vehicle/automobile in violation of Ohio Revised Code § 2903.11(A)(2), 2903.11(B), Felonious Assault, F1.

FURTHERMORE, the victim of the offense was a peace officer.

The offense is contrary to the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Ohio.

Count Two Felonious Assault-F2 §2903.11(A)(2), 2903.11(B)

The grand jurors, on their oaths, further find and present that:

Jade L. Petitto, on or about March 13, 2021, at the county of Ottawa aforesaid, did knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical harm to another by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance, to wit: a motor vehicle/automobile in violation of Ohio Revised Code § 2903.11(A)(2), 2903.11(B), Felonious Assault, F2.

The offense is contrary to the form of the statute in such case made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Ohio.

{¶ 3} At Petitto’s April 5, 2021 arraignment, the trial court found her indigent and appointed her counsel; Petitto then waived a reading of the applicable law and penalties and pleaded not guilty to the charges. On April 15, 2021, Petitto’s retained counsel entered an appearance prompting the withdrawal of appointed counsel. On June 9, 2021, retained counsel requested leave to withdraw citing Petitto’s lack of cooperation. Petitto retained a third attorney.

{¶ 4} On February 8, 2022, Petitto changed her plea to not guilty by reason of insanity and requested a psychiatric evaluation. Following a competency hearing, the trial court found Petitto competent to stand trial. Petitto subsequently made oral request for an indigency determination and appointed counsel. On June 30, 2022, Petitto was again appointed counsel.

{¶ 5} At the December 2 and 22, 2022 bench trial, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Sergeant Brandon Amory testified that on March 13, 2021, at approximately 1:41 p.m., he was on road patrol in a marked vehicle and observed Petitto eastbound on S.R. 2 in a vehicle with no discernable license plate. Amory activated his overhead lights and siren to initiate a traffic stop. Petitto sped away leading Amory on a high-speed chase.

{¶ 6} Travelling over 90 m.p.h., Petitto exited S.R. 2 at the S.R. 53 south off-

ramp. Her vehicle “lurched” sharply to the right, up on two wheels, and came back across into Amory’s lane of travel striking the front and driver’s side of his vehicle and pushing both vehicles against the guardrail. Sergeant Amory testified that Petitto “continued to rev her engine at that point in time and was lurching forward, inching, stretching forward.” Amory put his vehicle in reverse to disengage but Petitto “accelerated” and “smashed” into the passenger side of his vehicle. Amory stated that the impact was “definitely a jolt” but that the airbags did not deploy. He admitted that the maneuver was not necessarily directed at hitting him and that it could have been that she was trying to disengage and flee. Amory radioed an injury accident.

{¶ 7} Petitto continued northbound on S.R. 53 towards the city of Port Clinton.

Sergeant Amory stated that initially his patrol vehicle failed to accelerate due to the crash but that his pursuit resumed after the engine “kicked in.” Disregarding all traffic signals and driving in excess of 90 m.p.h., Petitto entered the Port Clinton city limits. She navigated a sharp curve at 60-65 m.p.h. and turned left, or northbound, at Harrison and

Fremont Streets. The chase ended following a collision between Petitto and a vehicle driven by S.R., incapacitating both vehicles.

{¶ 8} Sergeant Amory radioed a second injury accident. He ordered Petitto out of the vehicle and handcuffed her. He testified:

At that point in time I kind of collapsed backwards for a second because I had gotten jolted back there at the intersection. But my adrenaline was kicking, too, and I kind of gathered myself. I ended up getting up at that point in time.

***

[T]he jolt had pushed me into my printer, my printer is on my console in the center for printing citations. * * * I had taken that jolt and it jolted into the side of me. That was part of the pain into the rib area. And at that point in time, I kind of collapsed. A lady who was an EMT came up.

Asked me if I’m okay. I said, I’m fine. Go check on the other victim, basically.

{¶ 9} Amory’s collapse was captured by the body cam video. He admitted that he was medically cleared for service without any time off and that he did not take any medications.

{¶ 10} Sergeant Amory’s pursuit of Petitto spanned seven to eight miles with a maximum speed of 104 m.p.h. He stated that he did not activate his body cam until after the initial collisions. The balance of the pursuit and arrest were recorded and played for the court. Also played and admitted into evidence was surveillance video from a nearby business capturing the collision involving S.R. Photographs depicting the crash sites and damage to the vehicles were admitted into evidence.

{¶ 11} Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Eric Mentis responded to the second crash site. Reviewing the crash photographs, Mentis testified regarding his observations of the damage to the vehicles involved. He authored the second crash report which was admitted into evidence.

{¶ 12} Trooper Mentis took Petitto’s and S.R.’s statements which were admitted into evidence. In her statement, Petitto admitted that during the incident she failed to obey all traffic signals and was not distracted by anything during the incident.

{¶ 13} The driver involved in the second crash, S.R., and her husband, T.R., testified. S.R. testified that prior to the crash she had rods and screws lining her back from multiple spine surgeries and a neck surgery to correct scoliosis. Following the accident she was bedridden for two weeks in excruciating pain and that as of the date of trial, she had chronic back pain and was still seeing an oral surgeon for pain management.

{¶ 14} S.R. stated that she saw Petitto’s vehicle approach just before impact and thought she was going to die. She had no memory of the actual collision. S.R. testified that her six-month-old car was totaled and had to be replaced. T.R., S.R.’s husband, stated that the crash impacted S.R.’s mobility and limited her ability to travel. She could no longer perform any household tasks.

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State v. Petitto, 2024 Ohio 186, 233 N.E.3d 1239 (Ohio Ct. App. 2024).

2024 Ohio 186 (State v. Petitto) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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