State v. Thompkins, 2014 Ohio 1688

On June 9, 2013, Lauren Sibert and Dylan Tompkins (father of her one‑year‑old child) had an altercation at Sibert’s Hamilton, Ohio residence; Sibert reported being grabbed by the throat, choked, and thrown to the ground.
Tompkins was charged with one count of domestic violence under R.C. 2919.25(A) (first‑degree misdemeanor) because the victim was a "family or household member" as the mother of his child.
At the bench trial, the state presented Sibert’s testimony and Officer David Anglin’s testimony, including that Tompkins admitted he had to "push her off of him."
The defense presented testimony from Tompkins’ mother and step‑father suggesting Sibert gave conflicting accounts and the house showed no signs of a struggle; Tompkins testified he pushed only to fend her off and that she tripped.
The trial court found the state’s witnesses more credible, convicted Tompkins of domestic violence, and sentenced him to jail (180 days, 178 suspended), a fine, and two years’ supervised community control. Appellant appealed, arguing the conviction was against the manifest weight of the evidence.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Whether conviction for domestic violence is against the manifest weight of the evidence	State: Sibert’s testimony and Officer Anglin’s account (and Tompkins’ admission he pushed Sibert) credibly establish Tompkins knowingly caused physical harm to a family/household member	Tompkins: Sibert’s accounts conflicted; he only pushed to defend himself and she tripped, so evidence does not support conviction	Affirmed: the trial court did not lose its way; credibility choices favored the state and verdict is supported by the weight of the evidence

State v. Thompkins, 78 Ohio St.3d 380 (Ohio 1997) (establishes standard for manifest‑weight review)