State v. Henderson, 2014 Ohio 3829

Defendant Henderson was convicted of felonious assault of Branetta Carter under R.C. 2903.11(A)(1) with firearm specifications; acquitted on other counts including attempted murder and felonious assault of Hunter and Branetta.
The trial court merged the firearm specifications and imposed consecutive sentences totaling eight years.
Henderson challenged the felonious assault conviction as insufficient/against the weight of the evidence and argued the verdict was inconsistent with acquittals on other counts.
Evidence included Hayes’s identification of Henderson near the market, Henderson’s statements admitting use of a 9‑mm High Point, and Branetta Carter’s severe injuries and long hospital/rehabilitation.
The reviewing court held that (a) inconsistent verdicts across counts do not warrant reversal, (b) the state presented sufficient evidence to prove felonious assault knowingly, and (c) the verdict was not against the manifest weight; self‑defense failure was supported by the record.
The court affirmed the trial court’s judgment.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Whether the felonious‑assault conviction is supported by sufficient evidence	Henderson argues insufficiency due to acquittals on related counts	Henderson contends inconsistency undermines the conviction	Conviction supported by sufficient evidence

State v. Hicks, 43 Ohio St.3d 72 (1989) (inconsistent verdicts across counts do not require reversal)
State v. Lovejoy, 79 Ohio St.3d 440 (1997) (inconsistencies arise only within same count; not interdependent counts)
State v. Andrew, 2012-Ohio-1731 (1st Dist. Hamilton) (inconsistent verdicts across counts may be reviewed for sufficiency/weight)