State v. Griffin, 2024 Ohio 4806

Joshua Griffin was convicted of felonious assault after a physical altercation at a Walgreens store in Corryville, Ohio.
The incident began when Griffin allegedly groped the complaining witness’s partner outside the store, leading to a confrontation and subsequent fight.
Both parties provided conflicting accounts: Griffin claimed prior friendship and mutual joking, while the complaining witness and his partner described unwanted sexual contact and escalation by Griffin.
Security footage only partially corroborated the parties’ accounts, as the critical initial contact was not visible.
The trial was a bench trial, and the trial court found Griffin’s claim of self-defense unpersuasive, holding that Griffin instigated the fight by his conduct.
Griffin was sentenced to two to three years in prison, but the trial court failed to properly inform him of post-release control obligations at the sentencing hearing.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Was Griffin’s conviction against the manifest weight of the evidence (self-defense)?	Griffin instigated the affray by groping the partner and used excessive force.	He acted in self-defense after being threatened; the complaining witness had a knife.	Conviction affirmed; State disproved self-defense as Griffin created the conflict.
Did the trial court properly notify Griffin about post-release control at sentencing?	Admits error in not providing required notification.	Argues he was not notified as required by statute.	Error found; remanded for proper notification.
Did the trial court properly consider all felony sentencing factors?	Presumed trial court’s adherence to required statutes.	Argues court failed to make explicit findings under sentencing statutes.	No error; no specific findings required without evidence to the contrary.

State v. Thompkins, 78 Ohio St.3d 380 (Ohio 1997) (defines manifest weight of the evidence standard)
State v. Cassano, 96 Ohio St.3d 94 (Ohio 2002) (all elements of self-defense must be established)