State v. Singleton, 2024 Ohio 465

Leeneja Singleton was indicted for improperly discharging a firearm into a habitation and three counts of felonious assault, all with firearm specifications, after a bar fight and subsequent shooting at a residence on January 15, 2022.
The altercation involved Singleton, her niece Raneka Singleton (who entered a plea agreement to testify), the victim Keshijetta Young, and other parties, culminating in Singleton firing a shot at Young’s mother's home, where Young's son was present.
Physical evidence included a bullet lodged in the window frame above where the child was sleeping, surveillance footage from both the bar and the residence, and corroborative testimony from involved parties and law enforcement.
Singleton was found guilty on all charges after a jury trial and sentenced to an aggregate of 13-14 years in prison, including mandatory firearm specification time.
On appeal, Singleton raised claims regarding the manifest weight of the evidence, ineffective assistance of counsel, and cumulative error affecting the fairness of her trial.
The appellate court affirmed her convictions, finding no merit in any of Singleton’s assignments of error.

Issue	Plaintiff’s Argument	Defendant’s Argument	Held
Manifest weight of the evidence	Evidence and testimony support conviction; minor inconsistencies are not material.	Testimony had inconsistencies and exaggerations; state did not meet burden.	Conviction not against manifest weight; evidence supports verdict.
Ineffective assistance of counsel	Counsel’s actions were within reasonable trial strategy; no prejudice shown.	Counsel failed to object to misconduct, cross-exam witnesses, challenge evidence.	No ineffective assistance; no deficient performance or prejudice.
Cumulative error	No individual error; thus, no cumulative error.	Errors throughout trial combined to deprive fair trial.	No cumulative error; no fair trial violation.

Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (standard for ineffective assistance of counsel)
State v. Howard, 42 Ohio St.3d 18 (jury charge for deadlocked deliberations)
State v. Thompkins, 78 Ohio St.3d 380 (standard for manifest weight of the evidence)
State v. Martin, 20 Ohio App.3d 172 (reviewing court’s role in manifest weight challenges)