State v. Rogers

2018 Ohio 1356, 110 N.E.3d 537
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided April 9, 2018·No. NO. CA2017–08–112·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

PIPER, J.

{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant, Gary W. Rogers, appeals his conviction and sentence for felonious assault in the Butler County Court of Common Pleas.

{¶ 2} On February 1, 2017, the Butler County Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Rogers with felonious assault, a second-degree felony. The matter proceeded to a two-day jury trial commencing on May 31, 2017.

{¶ 3} Mark Schlensker testified on behalf of the state. Mark testified that at approximately 4:00 a.m. on September 3, 2017 he received a call from his ex-wife, Wendy Schlensker. Mark described Wendy's demeanor on the phone as scared and very frantic. Wendy was crying and informed Mark she was in trouble and needed him to pick her up from Rogers' home in Butler County. Wendy lived at the residence with Rogers, who was her boyfriend *541 at the time. Mark drove to the address and parked outside where he observed Wendy and Rogers arguing in front of the residence.

{¶ 4} Mark testified that Wendy informed Rogers her ex-husband was the driver of the vehicle and Rogers walked over to his vehicle. Then, Mark turned to look at Wendy and Rogers punched him in the side of his head three or four times. Rogers proceeded to open the driver's side door and attempted to remove Mark from the vehicle. As a result, Mark became tangled in his seatbelt with his body halfway out of the vehicle. Wendy interjected herself into the fray, which provided an opportunity for Mark to reposition himself in the driver's seat. Rogers continued to strike Mark in the head with punches while reaching around Wendy. Then, Rogers and Wendy moved away from the vehicle for a moment and Mark drove away.

{¶ 5} Mark sustained injuries during the altercation with Rogers and was treated at a nearby hospital for a facial laceration and swelling, the loss of a piece of his ear, knee scrapes, and a fractured nose. The state introduced photographic evidence depicting the injuries sustained by Mark and blood inside Mark's vehicle. Mark stated his injuries remained visible for months and his fractured nose required surgery. Mark testified he has a concealed handgun license and that he always keeps a .45 caliber handgun holstered underneath his driver's side seat. Mark stated he did not attempt to reach for the handgun the night of the altercation.

{¶ 6} Before Mark's testimony, the state played a recording of a 911 call placed on September 3, 2016 by Rogers' neighbor. The neighbor stated that an altercation awoke her and that she observed two people assaulting someone by a car. Officer Lanny Ash testified that he was dispatched to Rogers' residence regarding an altercation. Ash made contact with Wendy at the residence. He described her demeanor as frantic. Ash testified he had met Wendy before September 3, 2016 because he arrested Rogers sometime earlier for domestic violence in which Wendy was the victim.

{¶ 7} Rogers testified on his own behalf. Rogers stated that he and Wendy engaged in an argument on September 3, 2016. According to Rogers, Wendy yelled at him, threw his belongings around the house and yard, threatened him with a hammer, and discharged a pistol inside his home. While outside, Rogers observed a small vehicle make "a real dramatic turn" and then "come flying back up the street" where the driver "locked it up right there in front of [his] house * * *." Rogers walked to the driver's side of the vehicle and informed Mark he did not need to be there and that he should leave. During this interaction, Wendy repeatedly hit Rogers. Then, Mark opened the vehicle door and threatened to shoot Rogers. Wendy continued to hit Rogers, who observed Mark reach for a black handgun under the driver's side seat. Rogers pushed Wendy to the side, lunged forward, grabbed Mark's wrist, and "stretched him back in his car * * *." Rogers told Mark to drop the handgun. Mark refused to drop the handgun and Rogers hit him "once or twice," which caused Mark to drop the handgun to the floor of the vehicle. Rogers unsuccessfully attempted to pull Mark from the vehicle away from the handgun.

{¶ 8} At this point, Wendy repositioned herself between Rogers and Mark and resumed hitting Rogers. While Wendy remained between Mark and Rogers, Mark reached again for the handgun and Rogers punched him around Wendy. Then, Rogers pushed Wendy aside and Mark's holstered handgun "went flying into the middle of the street." Rogers struck Mark two more *542 times, and once Mark surrendered, Rogers backed away from the vehicle.

{¶ 9} Wendy testified regarding the argument with Rogers and the phone call to Mark. Wendy stated Rogers punched Mark several times around her and that her back was facing Mark during the altercation. Wendy testified she did not observe Mark exit the vehicle or Rogers attempt to pull him from the vehicle. Additionally, Wendy did not observe a handgun at any point during the altercation and did not hear Rogers inform Mark to drop a handgun.

{¶ 10} At the close of the evidence, the trial court provided the jury with final jury instructions, which included instructions on the affirmative defense of self-defense and the inferior degree offense of aggravated assault, a fourth-degree felony. The jury found Rogers guilty of felonious assault and not guilty of aggravated assault. On July 10, 2017, the trial court sentenced Rogers to a three-year prison term.

{¶ 11} Rogers timely appealed from his conviction and sentence.

{¶ 12} Assignment of Error No. 1:

{¶ 13} THE TRIAL COURT ERRED TO THE PREJUDICE OF APPELLANT BY ENTERING A JUDGMENT OF GUILTY BASED UPON INCONSISTENT JURY VERDICTS.

{¶ 14} Rogers contends that a not guilty verdict for the inferior degree offense of aggravated assault is inconsistent with a guilty verdict for felonious assault. Rogers argues this error requires this court to vacate his conviction and remand the matter for a new trial.

{¶ 15} The Ohio Supreme Court has distinguished between a lesser-included offense and an offense that is an "inferior degree" of the indicted offense. See State v. Deem , 40 Ohio St.3d 205 , 208-09, 533 N.E.2d 294 (1988) (defining lesser included offense as an offense having a penalty of lesser degree than the indicted offense and which, as statutorily defined, also being committed, and some element of the greater offense is not required to prove the commission of the lesser offense); see id. (defining an inferior degree offense as one with identical elements, except for one or more additional mitigating elements).

{¶ 16} R.C. 2903.11(A)(1) defines felonious assault, in pertinent part, as no person shall knowingly cause serious physical harm to another. R.C.

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State v. Rogers, 2018 Ohio 1356, 110 N.E.3d 537 (Ohio Ct. App. 2018).

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