State v. Razzano, Unpublished Decision (4-22-1998)

CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 22, 1998
DocketC.A. No. 96CA006630.
StatusUnpublished

This text of State v. Razzano, Unpublished Decision (4-22-1998) (State v. Razzano, Unpublished Decision (4-22-1998)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law.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State v. Razzano, Unpublished Decision (4-22-1998), (Ohio Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

DECISION AND JOURNAL ENTRY
This cause was heard upon the record in the trial court. Each error assigned has been reviewed and the following disposition is made: Defendant Anthony Razzano has appealed from his conviction in the Lorain County Common Pleas Court of one count of kidnaping, two counts of rape, and one count of felonious assault. He has argued that: (1) the jury's finding that he was legally sane at the time of the commission of the alleged offenses was against the manifest weight of the evidence; (2) the evidence was insufficient to sustain his convictions; (3) the trial court incorrectly failed to instruct the jury on the lesser included offense of sexual battery; (4) the trial court incorrectly refused to permit him to recall to the stand the alleged victim to testify about her desire not to prosecute him; (5) the trial court incorrectly received recorded statements made by him after his arrest; and (6) the trial court incorrectly sentenced him because, pursuant to Senate Bill 2, he should have been sentenced according to newly-enacted sentencing guidelines. This Court affirms the judgment of the trial court because: (1) the jury did not lose its way and create such a manifest miscarriage of justice that its finding that defendant was legally sane at the time of the commission of the alleged offenses must be reversed; (2) the evidence was sufficient to sustain his convictions; (3) defendant failed to request a jury instruction on the lesser included offense of sexual battery and, therefore, waived any error regarding the trial court's failure to instruct on that offense; (4) the proposed testimony of the alleged victim was irrelevant; (5) the trial court did not err by receiving the recorded statements; and (6) the trial court correctly sentenced defendant because the newly-enacted sentencing guidelines of Senate Bill 2 did not apply to his case.

I.
Defendant was arrested on June 18, 1995. On that date, Cheri Watson telephoned police from a service station in Lorain, Ohio, and reported that defendant had held her in his house against her will and had physically abused her. Police officers picked up Ms. Watson and drove her to defendant's house. Initially, defendant kept the front door locked and would not allow the officers to enter, opening it only to throw out Ms. Watson's purse. Eventually, however, defendant came out of his house, spoke with the officers, and surrendered without a struggle.

Defendant and Ms. Watson met in Florida during 1990 and started dating. In early 1994, shortly after defendant's mother had died, he moved to Lorain to take care of his father, who was ill. His father died shortly thereafter. Defendant kept in contact with Ms. Watson over the telephone.

During April 1995, Ms. Watson visited defendant in Lorain. He had requested the visit and paid for her round-trip ticket from Florida. Following that trip, Ms. Watson continued to keep in contact with defendant, but their conversations "started getting kind of weird." During June 1995, defendant again asked Ms. Watson to visit him, and he purchased a one-way ticket for her. She noticed that defendant, usually a "very clean person," was not so clean this time and his house was "a mess." The two talked for a while and then, later that day, had sexual intercourse. According to Ms. Watson's testimony at trial, that intercourse was consensual.

At one point during the time that they were talking, Ms. Watson got up to change her clothes. Defendant allegedly told her to sit back down and that, if she wanted to get up, she had to ask: "Can I get up, Mr. Razzano?" Ms. Watson asked to get up and defendant gave his permission. She changed clothes and returned to the room. Defendant then "threw" her into a recliner and held her by her wrists. As she struggled, defendant allegedly told her, "You're my bitch now." Ms. Watson bit him on the wrist to free herself. Defendant then bit her shoulder, her arm, her face, and, finally, her hand. Defendant also pulled her arms behind the recliner and threatened to "snap [her] arms off if [she] wouldn't be still." After these incidents, Ms. Watson stated that the two engaged in sexual intercourse approximately three more times. She testified that she had not wanted to have intercourse any of these times.

That night, defendant and Ms. Watson visited defendant's cousin, and Ms. Watson apparently showed her wounds to the cousin's wife. Police were not called. Defendant and Ms. Watson returned to his house and ordered a pizza, but Ms. Watson could not eat. Around 3 a.m., when Ms. Watson wished to go to bed, defendant told her, "You'll go to bed when I tell you to go to bed."

The next day, defendant and Ms. Watson visited his neighbor. While there, defendant told Ms. Watson that he wanted her to stay by his side. She testified that she did because she was afraid. When they returned to defendant's house, defendant started "belittling" her and "putting [her] down." He accused her of being evil and having demons inside her.

On June 16, 1995, defendant and Ms. Watson visited a friend of defendant's, then went to a local restaurant to see that friend perform in a band. When they returned to defendant's house, he "went into this craze" and started beating Ms. Watson. Defendant grabbed her by the hair and choked her until, according to Ms. Watson, she fell unconscious. She woke up covered in blood. She also claimed that defendant had beaten her with a bat across her shins.

Defendant then took Ms. Watson into his basement, knocked out all the lights, and did not let her out. He told her it was her "hell" and that it was what she deserved. After a while, he let her come out. Defendant then "got real nice" and said that he wanted to have sexual intercourse with Ms. Watson. Ms. Watson claimed at trial that, at the time, her head was spinning, she was in pain, and she did not wish to engage in intercourse with defendant. According to Ms. Watson, the two engaged in vaginal intercourse and fellatio. Ms. Watson said that she was afraid that defendant would beat her again if she refused. While they were engaging in intercourse, defendant made Ms. Watson wear a red blouse that had belonged to his mother.

During the night of June 16, Ms. Watson tried to leave. As she was exiting the house, defendant pulled her back. The glass in the storm door had previously been broken, and she cut her arm on a shard of it. At the time, she thought it was a serious injury. Defendant simply told her to clean the mess up.

On Saturday, June 17, defendant and Ms. Watson went to a bar, then to a department store to purchase a VCR. From there, they went to a restaurant, but Ms. Watson could not eat. Once back at his house, defendant continued to beat her until, during the early morning of June 18, 1995, she told him that she was leaving. He refused to let her take her purse, so she put her shoes on and left. At first, defendant followed her, but she ran to a nearby service station and called the police.

According to Ms. Watson, defendant talked erratically during the several days she was with him. She testified that she was afraid that, if she did not engage in sexual intercourse with him, he would beat her. Finally, she stated that defendant claimed that he knew the chief of police of Lorain and that no one would help her if she left him.

On October 23, 1996, defendant was brought to trial. On October 28, 1996, the jury found him guilty of kidnaping, a violation of Section 2905.01(A)(3) of the Ohio Revised Code, two counts of rape, violations of Section 2907.02(A)(2) of the Ohio Revised Code, and felonious assault, a violation of Section2903.11

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Bluebook (online)
State v. Razzano, Unpublished Decision (4-22-1998), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-razzano-unpublished-decision-4-22-1998-ohioctapp-1998.