STATE OF OHIO, PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE, v. JON JAMES COSTELL, DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.
CASE NO. 14-15-11
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO THIRD APPELLATE DISTRICT UNION COUNTY
June 13, 2016
[Cite as State v. Costell, 2016-Ohio-3386.]
Trial Court No. 2014-CR-0127
Judgment Affirmed
Date of Decision: June 13, 2016
APPEARANCES:
Paula Brown for Appellant
David W. Phillips for Appellee
{1} Defendant-appellant, Jon James Costell (“Costell“), appeals the April 20, 2015 judgment entry of sentence of the Union County Court of Common Pleas. For the reasons that follow, we affirm.
{2} This case stems from the overdose death of Debra Costell (“Debra“) on September 25, 2013. Debra was a bedridden paraplegic suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (“COPD“), depression, and two stage IV decubitus ulcers—bed sores. Debra, who lived at home with her husband, Costell, received in-home healthcare from home-healthcare aids and nurses until she was hospitalized in July 2013. When Debra returned home on August 21, 2013, she received only in-home nursing care until her death. Debra was prescribed a number of medications, including Tramadol, to treat her pain, and Sertraline, to treat her depression. Debra‘s nurses were responsible for staging her pillbox with her daily prescribed medications, and Costell was responsible for administering to Debra her medications from her pillbox and her as-needed medications, which were not staged in her pillbox. Debra‘s cause of death was determined to be acute intoxication from the combined effects of Tramadol and Sertraline. Among other medications, Debra was prescribed 100 milligrams—1 pill—of Sertraline per day, and prescribed 50 milligrams up to 3 times per day as needed—up to 3 pills—of Tramadol.
{4} On July 23, 2014, Costell appeared for arraignment and entered pleas of not guilty to the counts of the indictment. (Doc. No. 4).
{5} The case proceeded to a jury trial on April 13-16, 2015. On April 16, 2015, the jury found Costell guilty as to the counts in the indictment. (Doc. Nos. 109, 110, 111, 112); (Apr. 16, 2015 Tr. at 68-70). On April 20, 2015, the trial court sentenced Costell to life in prison with parole eligibility after serving 25 years on Count One and 36 months in prison on Count Three, and it ordered that Costell serve the terms consecutively. (Doc. No. 115); (Apr. 20, 2015 Tr. at 13). The parties agreed that Counts Two and Four merged with Count One. (Id.); (Id. at 12).
{6} On May 13, 2015, Costell filed his notice of appeal. (Doc. No. 126). He raises nine assignment of error for our review. For ease of our discussion, we
Assignment of Error No. VIII
The Trial Court Erred When it Did Not Grant Defendant‘s Rule 29 Motion at End of State‘s Case and at End of the Trial.
Assignment of Error No. VI
The Verdict Was Against the Manifest Weight of the Evidence and Defendant‘s Conviction Was Not Supported by Sufficient Evidence.
{7} In his eighth assignment of error, Costell argues that the trial court erred by denying his Crim.R. 29 motion because the State “never proved [Costell] caused Debra‘s death.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 33). In his sixth assignment of error, Costell argues that his convictions are against the manifest weight of the evidence and based on insufficient evidence.
{8} “Under Crim.R. 29(A), a court shall not order an entry of judgment of acquittal if the evidence is such that reasonable minds can reach different conclusions as to whether each material element of a crime has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt.” State v. Tatum, 3d Dist. Seneca No. 13-10-18, 2011-Ohio-3005, ¶ 43, citing State v. Bridgeman, 55 Ohio St.2d 261, 263 (1978). “A motion for acquittal tests the sufficiency of the evidence.” Id., citing State v. Miley, 114 Ohio App.3d 738, 742 (4th Dist.1996). As such, we will review together Costell‘s arguments under his sixth and eighth assignments of error that his convictions are not supported by sufficient evidence.
{9} Manifest “weight of the evidence and sufficiency of the evidence are clearly different legal concepts.” State v. Thompkins, 78 Ohio St.3d 380, 389 (1997). Accordingly, we address each legal concept individually.
{10} “An appellate court‘s function when reviewing the sufficiency of the evidence to support a criminal conviction is to examine the evidence admitted at trial to determine whether such evidence, if believed, would convince the average mind of the defendant‘s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.” State v. Jenks, 61 Ohio St.3d 259 (1991), paragraph two of the syllabus, superseded by state constitutional amendment on other grounds, State v. Smith, 80 Ohio St.3d 89 (1997), fn. 4. Accordingly, “[t]he relevant inquiry is whether, after viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt.” Id. “In deciding if the evidence was sufficient, we neither resolve evidentiary conflicts nor assess the credibility of witnesses, as both are functions reserved for the trier of fact.” State v. Jones, 1st Dist. Hamilton Nos. C-120570 and C-120571, 2013-Ohio-4775, ¶ 33, citing State v. Williams, 197 Ohio App.3d 505, 2011-Ohio-6267, ¶ 25 (1st Dist.). See also State v. Berry, 3d Dist. Defiance No. 4-12-03, 2013-Ohio-2380, ¶ 19 (“Sufficiency of the evidence is a test of adequacy rather than credibility or weight of the evidence.“), citing Thompkins at 386.
{11} On the other hand, in determining whether a conviction is against the manifest weight of the evidence, a reviewing court must examine the entire record, “weigh[ ] the evidence and all reasonable inferences, consider[ ] the credibility of witnesses and determine[ ] whether in resolving conflicts in the evidence, the [trier of fact] clearly lost its way and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the conviction must be reversed and a new trial ordered.” Thompkins at 387, quoting State v. Martin, 20 Ohio App.3d 172, 175 (1st Dist.1983). A reviewing court must, however, allow the trier of fact appropriate discretion on matters relating to the weight of the evidence and the credibility of the witnesses. State v. DeHass, 10 Ohio St.2d 230, 231 (1967). When applying the manifest-weight standard, “[o]nly in exceptional cases, where the evidence ‘weighs heavily against the conviction,’ should an appellate court overturn the trial court‘s judgment.” State v. Haller, 3d Dist. Allen No. 1-11-34, 2012-Ohio-5233, ¶ 9, quoting State v. Hunter, 131 Ohio St.3d 67, 2011-Ohio-6524, ¶ 119.
{12} It appears that Costell is challenging only his aggravated-murder conviction under
{13} Because it is the only element Costell challenges on appeal, we review the sufficiency of the evidence supporting only whether Costell caused Debra‘s death, and whether the jury clearly lost its way in concluding that Costell caused Debra‘s death.
{14} At trial, the State presented the testimony of 25 witnesses. The testimony relevant to Costell‘s sixth and eighth assignments of error is summarized below.
{15} As its first witness, the State presented the testimony of Union County Sheriff‘s Office 9-1-1 dispatcher Rebecca Heath (“Heath“), who testified
{16} Next, Todd L. Simmons (“Simmons“), a firefighter and EMT for Union Township, testified that he responded to the Costell residence on September 25, 2013 as a result of Costell‘s 9-1-1 call. (Id. at 206, 208). According to Simmons, Costell “said he didn‘t do CPR on her, but * * * he said he did try to do rescue breaths.” (Id. at 212). Heath testified that Costell did not “seem too upset” and that Costell “just kept saying: I know she‘s gone.” (Id. at 214).
{17} Union County Sheriff‘s Deputy James M. Inskeep (“Deputy Inskeep“) testified that he was dispatched to the Costell residence on September 25, 2013. (Id. at 217-218). Deputy Inskeep testified that Costell told him that Debra had been “pretty sick,” requiring Costell to quit his job to stay home and care for her “full time.” (Id. at 222-223). According to Deputy Inskeep, Costell mentioned that that night she was sleeping in the bed and he tends to sleep on the couch and that morning when he got up to check on her,
that he had a terrific time trying to turn her and straighten her out because of her physical, medical conditions; and then he said when he did get her flat, which was very hard to do, that when he started the CPR, that the cracking of the bones really disturbed him.
(Id.). Deputy Inskeep testified that he “took [from the scene] a bag of prescription drugs that [Costell] gave him.” (Id. at 224). According to Deputy Inskeep, the medication was already “bagged up,” and he took it because “[i]t‘s custom that we take all the medication when a person passes away at home, we take that and give it to the coroner so that it can be inventoried and be counted to make sure that we have everything in the house.” (Id. at 224-225). He testified that he transported the bag of Debra‘s medications to the Sheriff‘s Office and left the bag in the dispatch room for Investigator Paul L. Slaughter (“Investigator Slaughter“) of the Union County Coroner‘s Office to retrieve. (Id. at 231-232). Deputy Inskeep testified that Costell explained to him that he kept Debra‘s medications in a lockbox because he was afraid of it being stolen and because “she would get into her medication and try to take too much medication.” (Id. at 225). Deputy Inskeep testified that Costell informed him that he was the “only person to have
{18} On cross-examination, Deputy Inskeep testified that he did not inventory the medications provided to him by Costell. (Id. at 231-232).
{19} Dr. Prasanna K. Muniyappa (“Dr. Muniyappa“) testified that Debra was his patient since 2010. (Id. at 285, 287). According to Dr. Muniyappa, Debra suffered from COPD, depression, paralysis resulting in her inability to walk, and two stage IV decubitus ulcers. (Id. at 288-289, 291). Dr. Muniyappa testified that Debra had been bedridden since 2008. (Id. at 288). Dr. Muniyappa testified that he was surprised to learn that Debra passed away because he had “seen her a couple of weeks earlier” and, even though she was “not in the best of health,” he “did not expect her to pass away so soon.” (Id. at 303-304).
{20} Dr. Muniyappa testified that he prescribed Debra two pain medications—Tramadol and Vicodin—and that Debra had been taking the dosage of Tramadol that she was taking at the time of her death since 2011. (Id. at 292-293). Dr. Muniyappa confirmed that Debra‘s prescribed dosage of Tramadol was
{21} On cross-examination, Dr. Muniyappa testified that Debra also “suffered from the effects of [Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (“Korsakoff syndrome“)],” “which is * * * a long-standing illness brought on by alcohol use and thiamine deficiency.” (Id. at 305). According to Dr. Muniyappa, it is possible for a person diagnosed with Korsakoff syndrome to exhibit “some liver issues” if that person is “a heavy drinker.” (Id.). Yet, Dr. Muniyappa testified that he was not actively treating Debra for that disease because “[t]here really is no treatment at that point other than just try to help with nutrition.” (Id. at 307, 308). Dr. Muniyappa testified that Debra‘s health was declining because “she had these
{22} On redirect examination, Dr. Muniyappa testified that he was not aware of any effect that Debra‘s Korsakoff syndrome had on her liver, and that Debra was not diagnosed with any other liver issues. (Id.). According to Dr. Muniyappa, Debra‘s prescriptions would not have any effect on her liver if they were taken at their prescribed levels. (Id. at 317-318).
{23} Kimberly Reedy (“Reedy“), a lead investigator with the Ohio Department of Medicaid, testified that she became involved in the case as part of the Ohio Department of Medicaid‘s “100 percent death review” and because her office “received [a referral] from CareStar[, the Ohio Department of Medicaid‘s contracting case-management agency for Debra‘s care,] as an alert, saying [Reedy‘s office] need[s] to look at this case.” (Id. at 279). Reedy testified that she reported her concerns regarding Debra‘s death to the Union County Coroner‘s Office and the Union County Sheriff‘s Office. (Id. at 284).
{24} Investigator Slaughter testified that he was dispatched to the Costell residence on September 25, 2013, and that he initially thought that an autopsy was unnecessary since Debra had extensive medical issues. (Id. at 235, 237, 247-248). However, he testified that the Union County Coroner, Dr. David T. Applegate (“Dr. Applegate“), informed him the next day that an autopsy would be performed
{25} Investigator Slaughter testified that, on the date of Debra‘s death, Costell provided to him Debra‘s medications that were in her pillbox and that Costell told him that he had to keep her medication locked up “because it‘s been stolen before.” (Id. at 242). According to Investigator Slaughter, he is required by state law to “receive all medicine of someone that is deceased * * * for evidence.” (Id. at 243). He testified that he retrieved from the Sheriff‘s Office dispatch room the bag of Debra‘s medications that Deputy Inskeep transported from the Costell residence to the Sheriff‘s Office. (Id. at 243-244). Investigator Slaughter testified that he inventoried Debra‘s medications “to see if all the mediations were there, if there was any that was missing, [and] if they had been taken regularly or not.” (Id. at 247). However, Investigator Slaughter admitted that he had no way of knowing whether Debra was taking her medications as ordered or whether there were any medications missing. (Id.). He also admitted that he did not search the Costell residence for any additional pills or pill bottles. (Id.).
{26} Investigator Slaughter testified that he asked Costell what happened, and Costell told him that Debra went to bed at approximately 10:00 p.m. the night before with her oxygen on, but when he went to wake her in the morning, she did
{27} Investigator Slaughter testified that he called Costell to inform him that Dr. Applegate decided to perform an autopsy on Debra‘s body, but did not tell Costell that Dr. Applegate ordered the autopsy as a result of a complaint. (Id. at 251). According to Investigator Slaughter, Costell was “very agitated” that Debra‘s body was going to be autopsied—that is, Costell told Investigator Slaughter that he did not think an autopsy needed to be done since “he had done nothing wrong.” (Id. at 252). Investigator Slaughter testified that Costell repeated, throughout their 30-40 minute telephone conversation, that there was no reason for an autopsy because he had not done anything wrong. (Id. at 253-254). He also testified that Costell‘s statement to him that “I‘ve been off work, I had to do something” was, in hindsight, odd. (Id. at 254). Investigator Slaughter testified that he again spoke with Costell approximately six to eight weeks later but before the autopsy and toxicology reports were concluded. (Id. at 255). He testified that Costell again repeated that he did not understand why an autopsy was necessary because “he had done nothing but take care of her, that he had done nothing
{28} On cross-examination, Investigator Slaughter testified that he did not ask Costell why he could not get Debra off the bed to perform CPR. (Id. at 259).
{29} Detective Michael S. Justice (“Detective Justice“) of the Union County Sheriff‘s Office testified that he investigated Debra‘s death at the request of the Union County Coroner‘s Office. (Apr. 15, 2015 Tr. at 75, 77). Detective Justice identified State‘s Exhibit 40 as a true and accurate recording of his April 8, 2014 interview of Costell, which was subsequently played for the jury. (Id. at 78-79). Detective Justice testified that he executed a search warrant that day and seized as evidence 2012 and 2013 calendars, which he identified as State‘s Exhibits 54 and 55, respectively. (Id. at 94-95). Detective Justice testified that he discussed the calendars with Costell and, in particular, a notation on the 2013 calendar across September 17, 18, and 19 indicating “Deb had bad days.” (Id. at
{30} On cross-examination, Detective Justice testified that he did not inform Costell that he was recording his interview. (Id. at 99).
{31} David Burke (“Burke“), a pharmacist with Dave‘s Pharmacy in Marysville, Ohio, testified that Debra filled her prescriptions with his pharmacy. (Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 9, 13). Burke identified State‘s Exhibit 16 as a true and accurate copy of Debra‘s prescription profile record from January 1, 2011 through September 25, 2013. (Id. at 15-16). He testified that Debra‘s Sertraline prescription was last filled on September 6, 2013 with 30 pills constituting a 30-day supply and that her Tramadol prescription was last filled on September 6, 2013 with 90 pills constituting a 30-day supply. (Id. at 23-24).
{32} Burke testified Debra was prescribed the same dose of Sertraline and Tramadol for more than a year and that Debra did not report to him any
{33} On cross-examination, Burke testified that Debra‘s Tramadol prescription was filled approximately every 30 days between July 2012 and June 26, 2013. (Id. at 36). However, Burke testified that his pharmacy did not fill Debra‘s Tramadol prescription between June 26, 2013 and September 6, 2013. (Id. at 38). Burke testified that his pharmacy filled “five or six regularly-scheduled medications” for Debra each month. (Id. at 40-41).
{35} Nicole McClintock (“McClintock“) testified that she is the director of nursing for the company that provided in-home nursing services for Debra from May 2013 through the time of her death. (Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 89, 91, 96-97). She testified that she formulated, in conjunction with Dr. Muniyappa, Debra‘s plan of care, known as a “485 plan,” which describes “what we‘re going to be doing, what we‘re going to be teaching, how we‘re going to be doing wound care, the medications the patient‘s on.” (Id. at 92-93). McClintock identified State‘s Exhibit 13 as Debra‘s 485 plan that was certified from August 21, 2013 through October 19, 2013. (Id. at 93-94). She further testified that Debra‘s 485 plan reflects Debra‘s diagnoses, “which [are] the main reason[s] that [a medical professional is] going in to see the patient[,]” as including “[p]ressure ulcer in [sic]
{36} McClintock identified State‘s Exhibit 7 as Debra‘s pillbox. (Id. at 125). She testified that Debra‘s 485 plan required one 100-milligram pill of her Sertraline to be put “into the bedtime tab” of her pillbox, but did not require her Tramadol to be put into her pillbox because it was to be administered to Debra on an “as-needed” basis. (Id. at 127-128). McClintock testified, “A home health aide is not allowed to handle medications, so they legally cannot give a pain medicine, so we allow the caregivers in that case to administer pain medicines[,]” which are prescribed on an as-needed basis. (Id.).
{37} According to McClintock, Debra “was very hopeful. She wanted to get better.” (Id. at 99). McClintock testified that Debra could not reach the counter where her medication was stored. (Id. at 138). She testified that Debra‘s wheelchair was kept in another room, which was located behind the kitchen, and not near Debra‘s bed. (Id. at 100). She further testified that Debra was not able to get out of her bed on her own, and that she could not “even get to the bedside commode by herself.” (Id. at 100-101).
{38} McClintock testified that, after Debra was released from the hospital on August 21, 2013, “Nursing was going out - - it started out daily for nine weeks until she got her wound vac. * * * We did not have a home health aide going in
When we did not have a home health aide going in there - - it was per his choice after [Debra] come [sic] home the second time from the nursing home - - he would complain about having to get up in the middle of the night to put her on the bedside commode and how it hurt his back and how he wasn‘t getting much sleep.
He would complain about having to roll her and turn her, even though we had educated him on the importance of preventing further breakdown with the wounds, because it hurt his back and to do it every two hours was interfering with rest time. So there was a lot of complaints like that.
(Id. at 130-131). She further testified that Costell complained to her regarding the financial burden:
He would complain about * * * the electric bill * * *, but he would complain about how her supplies cost so much money and how this cost - - you know, the hospital bed and getting her to and from her doctors’ appointments because we would use an ambulette service to get her to and from the doctors’ appointments.
{¶39} On cross-examination, McClintock testified that she did not perform Debra‘s assessment for her 485 plan. (Id. at 141). She also testified that she did not fill Debra‘s pillbox. (Id. at 143). McClintock testified that the nurses “would call in the scripts to the pharmacy for refills” when they would notice that a pill bottle needed to be refilled. (Id. at 144). She testified that she assumed the nurses would not refill a prescription if the pill bottle was not empty. (Id. at 145). McClintock testified that Costell‘s financial-burden complaints would have been alleviated if he put Debra in the nursing home. (Id. at 149-150).
{¶40} On redirect examination, McClintock testified that Costell‘s time-related complaints would have been alleviated if he would have authorized the full amount of home healthcare to which Debra was entitled. (Id. at 150).
{¶41} Nora L. Fox (“Fox“) testified that she provided in-home nursing care, for approximately 45-60 minutes, one-two times per week, for Debra from November 2012 through the time at which Debra was hospitalized.2 (Id. at 58-60, 76, 80, 85). Fox testified that Debra “was alert and oriented, answered questions, asked questions[.]” (Id. at 63-64). According to Fox, the only care that Debra was
{¶42} Fox testified that she filled Debra‘s pillbox with her medication each week according to Debra‘s “485 plan,” which was established by Dr. Muniyappa. (Id. at 69). According to Fox, Debra‘s medications were kept in the kitchen under the counter—approximately four to five feet from Debra‘s bed—in a locked box. (Id. at 69-70). Fox testified that Debra was not able to reach the box from her bed—that is, to reach the box, Debra would “have had to get out of the bed and walk around the corner of the wall, go over to the sink and get the key, and then come back and unlock it.” (Id. at 70). Fox testified that Costell controlled the key to the box and kept the key by a windowsill above the kitchen sink. (Id. at 71). Fox testified that Costell “would stand there and watch” while she was filling Debra‘s weekly pillbox. (Id.). Fox testified that she did not know how often Costell would provide Debra the Tramadol. (Id. at 73). She testified that Costell would dispense Debra‘s medication to her from her weekly pillbox by handing it to her in a “little plastic cup” and giving her a drink. (Id. at 73-74). Fox testified that she never saw any medication in Debra‘s bed, on the floor around her bed, or under her pillow. (Id. at 74).
{¶43} On cross-examination, Fox testified that she filled Debra‘s weekly pillbox with Tramadol. (Id. at 80). She also testified that Costell unlocked the
{¶44} On redirect examination, Fox testified that she did not think Debra was suicidal. (Id. at 84).
{¶45} Sandra K. Cox (“Cox“) testified that she provided wound care “every day” for Debra from May to June 2013. (Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 206-208). Cox testified that Debra was diagnosed with two stage IV decubitus ulcers—“one on the upper part of her coccyx and then one on the ischium, which is the bottom cheek of her buttocks.” (Id. at 208). According to Cox, “The one on the upper part of her buttocks was almost as deep as [her] fist would go in. The one on the ischium, which is the bottom portion of her buttocks, was about a golf ball size with depth.” (Id. at 209). She further testified that the two wounds were “tunneling” together. (Id. at 210). According to Cox, she knew Debra‘s wounds were painful because she “would cry when [they] would do the dressings[,]” requiring “having to take gauze and other dressings and push inside the wound[,]” “and she would also make sounds of ouch, that hurts.” (Id.). Cox testified that Costell observed while Debra‘s wound dressings were changed. (Id.).
{¶46} Cox further testified that she setup Debra‘s weekly pillbox according to her 485 plan. (Id. at 212). She testified that Debra‘s medications were kept in a
{¶47} Cox testified that Debra‘s oxygen was turned off “[m]any times” and, when Costell was confronted about turning off her oxygen, he said “that we wasn‘t [sic] the one that was paying the bills – – the electric bills and that was raising his bills and that she didn‘t need it anyway.” (Id. at 220). Cox confirmed that the oxygen was medically necessary for Debra. (Id.). When Debra‘s oxygen levels were low, she would be confused. (Id.).
{¶48} On cross-examination, Cox testified that Costell would not allow anyone to give Debra pain medications, including the Tramadol. (Id. at 225-226). She confirmed that she did not put Debra‘s Tramadol in her pillbox because it was an as-needed medication. (Id. at 226). Cox identified State‘s Exhibit 39 as a copy of a notepad in which she made notations regarding Debra‘s medications. (Id. at
{¶49} Donna Lutz (“Lutz“) testified that she provided in-home nursing care for “an hour and a half or so” “two or three days a week” for Debra from May through June 2013 and “seven days a week” from June through July 2013. (Id. at 230-232). Lutz testified that she would typically arrive at the Costell residence between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. and leave between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. (Id. at 244).
{¶50} Lutz testified that she would fill Debra‘s pillbox. (Id.). She testified that Debra‘s medications were maintained in a “heavy metal, like a steel container” in the kitchen and the key was “on the other side of the kitchen next to the refrigerator up in a ceramic dish.” (Id. at 244-245). According to Lutz, Costell allowed her access to the “steel container” with Debra‘s medications so that she could refill Debra‘s pillbox each week. (Id. at 245). Lutz testified that, although she did not see Costell administer Debra‘s medications to her, Costell dispensed Debra‘s medications from her pillbox to Debra and that “[h]e would
{¶51} Lutz testified that Debra could not get out of bed. (Id.). Lutz recalled a conversation with Costell regarding Debra‘s bedsores, “He stated if she was a horse, he could take her out in the back and put her out of her misery.” (Id. at 242).
{¶52} According to Lutz, Costell “was upset that it took money to take care of [Debra], that she was a burden.” (Id. at 235). Lutz continued,
[Costell] would always make sure that I understood how good of a life that he had prior to [Debra‘s] injury and prior to us having to come out there, and what a burden the cost was on him as far as money * * * which was very difficult to understand because she was part * * * of the Medicaid program, so her Medicaid would take care of her medications and her supplies and her visits; so as far as a burden monetary [sic], it didn‘t make sense.
(Id. at 236). She also testified, “The electricity was an issue because of her concentrator that had her oxygen. He was always complaining about how that
{¶53} On cross-examination, Lutz testified that Costell did not want Debra to take Vicodin and testified that she did not remember whether Debra was prescribed Tramadol. (Id. at 258). She testified that Costell told her that he gave Debra her medications and that she did not see any indications that Debra was not taking those medications—other than that she was not taking Vicodin. (Id. at 261-262).
{¶54} Susan Steigerwald (“Steigerwald“) testified that she provided “a total of six visits” of in-home nursing care for Debra for a two-week period in September 2013. (Id. at 270-271). Steigerwald testified that she last saw Debra on September 20, 2013. (Id. at 272). She testified that her “job was to change the
{¶55} Steigerwald testified that, when she last saw Debra five days before her death, there was nothing about Debra‘s chronic conditions that concerned her. (Id. at 278). Steigerwald testified that, when she learned of Debra‘s death, she thought to herself, “Wow, that seems weird” “[b]ecause she had a chronic condition. There was nothing acutely wrong with her when I left. Her vital signs were all stable.” (Id. at 279).
{¶57} Linda Murphy Tripla (“Tripla“) testified that she provided in-home nursing care twice for Debra, one of those visits being on September 23, 2013—two days before her death. (Id. at 283, 285). Tripla identified State‘s Exhibit 15 as a true and accurate copy of the September 23, 2013 skilled-nursing visit notes that she created from her care of Debra that day. (Id. at 286). Tripla testified that State‘s Exhibit 15 reflects that she set up Debra‘s medications “for one week per [the 485-plan] order.” (Id. at 286-287). (See also State‘s Exhibit 15). Tripla testified, “I remember that there were already medications set up, but I filled in like a couple days of medications and that was per Mr. Costell‘s request.” (Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 288). She testified that, because Tramadol was prescribed to Debra on an as-needed basis, she did not put it in her pillbox. (Id. at 288-289). She further testified, to ensure that a patient receives the correct medication, “You look at the 485, the orders, and then you have to look at your prescription bottles so that way, you know, see the medication name, the milligram, make sure you‘re getting the right, you know, dosage of medication.” (Id. at 289). Tripla testified
{¶58} On cross-examination, she confirmed that there were already pills in Debra‘s pillbox and that she set up Debra‘s medications for “only like two days” since “the previous nurse had been there two days prior and set the medications up.” (Id. at 291). According to Tripla, she did not put in Debra‘s pillbox any of Debra‘s medications that were prescribed on an as-needed basis because she “never put a[n as-needed prescription] in a routine pill pack. Even at a request, I have never done that before.” (Id. at 292). However, she testified that the statement that she provided to Detective Justice in April 2014 reflects that she put Debra‘s Vicodin in her pillbox. (Id. at 292, 293). Tripla testified that she does not know why her statement to Detective Justice reflects that because Debra‘s Vicodin was prescribed on an as-needed basis and she does not “remember putting Vicodin in” the pillbox. (Id. at 292-293).
{¶59} On redirect examination, Tripla testified that she did not have Debra‘s 485 plan to reference when she was interviewed by Detective Justice. (Id. at 293-294).
{¶60} Catherine Spradlin (“Spradlin“) testified that she provided home-health aid services for Debra from May to June 2013 “five days a week” from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. (Id. at 161, 163, 168). Specifically, she testified that she
{¶61} On cross-examination, Spradlin confirmed that she did not “touch” any of Debra‘s medications, but testified that she saw Costell put Debra‘s medications “in a little – – like a medicine cup and put it on her nightstand” and saw Debra take the medications provided by Costell. (Id. at 176-177). According to Spradlin, Debra‘s nurse would stage Debra‘s medications in the pillbox, Costell would get the medications out of the pillbox, and Debra would take them. (Id. at 177). She further testified that she did not ever see a time when Debra did not take her medications, “[s]he always took them when [Spradlin] was there.” (Id. at 177-178). Spradlin testified that she did not have access to the pillbox. (Id. at 177). According to Spradlin, Debra told her that she wanted to go back to the nursing home because “she would have got better treatment.” (Id. at 178). She further
{¶62} Cheri Simpkins (“Simpkins“) testified that she provided home-health aid services for Debra Monday through Saturday from June 18, 2013 through July 8, 2013. (Id. at 181-182). She testified that she worked with Debra from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Saturdays. (Id. at 182). Simpkins testified that she did not provide services on Sundays because “Costell told the company he didn‘t want any help on Sundays because it was family day.” (Id. at 183). She testified that she would “get [Debra] up in the mornings, * * * give her a shower, * * * change her bed, [and] get her dressed.” (Id. at 183-184). Simpkins testified that, because Debra was bedridden, Simpkins would assist Debra with getting to her bedside commode, help her get into her wheelchair, and help her sit up so that she could eat. (Id. at 186). According to Simpkins, Debra could not even “roll in her bed. You had to help her move. You had to help roll her to get out of bed.” (Id.).
{¶63} Simpkins testified that Debra‘s medications were kept “[i]n a lockbox” to which only Costell and the nurses had access. (Id. at 193-194). She testified that she saw Costell provide Debra her medication in a little cup and that she saw Debra take her medication. (Id. at 194). According to Simpkins, she
{¶64} According to Simpkins, money was not an issue for Costell because he told her “that he would be able to get money if he needed money.” (Id. at 191). Simpkins testified Costell told her that “if [Debra] wasn‘t around, then he could have a job and have everything he wanted“; however, Simpkins testified that Costell could have gotten a job since Simpkins provided care for Debra from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. (Id. at 195).
{¶65} On cross-examination, Simpkins testified that Debra told her “please don‘t let them put me in a nursing home, tell them no.” (Id. at 198-199).
{¶66} Dr. Kenneth Gerston (“Dr. Gerston“), deputy coroner of the Franklin County Coroner‘s Office, testified that he autopsied Debra‘s body. (Apr. 15, 2015 Tr. at 12, 15-16). Dr. Gerston identified State‘s Exhibit 24 as his autopsy report for Debra. (Id. at 27). Dr. Gerston testified that his “internal examination [of Debra‘s body] revealed that she had a slightly enlarged heart for a woman her size.” (Id. at 24). However, he testified that he did not find anything that would indicate that she suffered a heart attack. (Id. at 31). He further testified, “In the lungs I didn‘t find anything special except that the pulmonary parenchyma, that is the functioning tissue air sacs of the lungs, were very spongy, so she probably had some emphysema.” (Id. at 24). Regarding Debra‘s liver, Dr. Gerston testified that
{¶67} Dr. Gerston testified that he could not determine Debra‘s cause of death from the anatomical findings of his autopsy; rather, he determined Debra‘s cause of death from the toxicology reports, which revealed the “high level of Sertraline, that is therapeutic high, meaning that somewhat higher than a normal amount than you would expect to find in the blood for a patient taking that and a toxic to lethal level of Tramadol[.]” (Id. at 27-28). Dr. Gerston testified that, based on the results of the toxicology report, he determined Debra‘s cause of death to be “acute intoxication by the combined effects of Sertraline and Tramadol.” (Id. at 28). Dr. Gerston clarified, “Acute meaning that this would occur within a short time, say hours.” (Id.). Dr. Gerston testified that he reported his findings to
{¶68} On cross-examination, Dr. Gerston testified that he received a summary of Debra‘s medical history prior to conducting his autopsy. (Id. at 32-33). However, he testified that, while he had heard that Debra was diagnosed with Korsakoff syndrome, he was not provided that diagnosis in writing. (Id. at 34). Dr. Gerston testified that Korsakoff syndrome, a progressive disease, “might” “[i]n some cases” have an effect on a person‘s liver. (Id. at 34-35). However, he testified that he would not have been able to tell what stage Debra‘s Korsakoff syndrome was because it is a “clinical diagnosis.” (Id. at 35).
{¶69} Dr. Gerston also clarified that Debra‘s “therapeutically high level of Sertraline” “means that the level in the blood is higher than what one would expect with normal dosage and normal metabolism of the drug.” (Id. at 35-36). Dr. Gerston testified that a person‘s body could cause a higher-than-normal level if it is not metabolizing the drug normally; however, he testified that Debra was normally processing Sertraline because “[t]here is only one organ in the body that would process it and that was the liver, and the liver was found to be normal.” (Id. at 36-37). Regarding the Tramadol, Dr. Gerston testified that the “most common cause” for a high level of that drug “would be an overdose.” (Id. at 37). However, he testified, “Another cause would be that the body, the liver in this case, wouldn‘t
If a liver cannot metabolize a particular substance, we generally see changes under the microscope. These changes either could be due to degeneration or death of liver cells. It could be due to psoriasis, which is scarring of the liver. It could be due to the accumulation of fat in the liver. None of which we found.
(Id. at 38).
{¶70} On redirect examination, Dr. Gerston testified that Tramadol is metabolized by “[t]he liver principally and then excreted by the kidney.” (Id. at 40). He confirmed that Debra‘s kidneys were normal. (Id. at 40-41). Dr. Gerston testified that State‘s Exhibit 25 reflects that O-Desmethyltramadol—“one of the prime metabolites or first major metabolite of Tramadol“—“is fairly high.” (Id. at 41). He further testified that the presence of this metabolite indicates that Debra was “perfectly capable” of metabolizing Tramadol. (Id.). Dr. Gerston testified that Debra‘s enlarged heart and emphysema combined with the Sertraline and Tramadol contributed to her death. (Id. at 41-42, 43). That is, according to Dr. Gerston, Debra‘s enlarged heart would make her sensitive to arrhythmia and “a toxic to lethal level of a drug [such as Tramadol] which would increase the levels of a substance called serotonin in the blood and Sertraline, which certainly inhibits
{¶71} On re-cross examination, Dr. Gerston testified that the Tramadol itself could have caused Debra‘s death because “[t]hat‘s why the level is listed as toxic to lethal. It depends on the individual. Some individuals react differently to it, depending on the length of time they‘re taking the drug.” (Id. at 45-46). Dr. Gerston also testified that the O-Desmethyltramadol, as Tramadol‘s first metabolite, could also have contributed to Debra‘s death—it could depress respiration to some extent. Tramadol itself has little effect on the respiration, but it‘s prime metabolite has some effect on it.” (Id. at 46).
{¶72} Calvin McGuire (“McGuire“), the chief toxicologist of the Franklin County Coroner‘s Office at the time of Debra‘s death, testified that he conducted toxicology tests on Debra. (Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 295, 297). McGuire identified State‘s Exhibit 26 as his October 23, 2013 toxicology report of his findings from his examination of Debra‘s blood. (Id. at 298-299). McGuire testified the results of his testing showed that Debra had “[a] high therapeutic level“—“.68 micrograms per milliliter“—of Sertraline in her blood and a “toxic to lethal” level—“2.0 micrograms per milliliter“—of Tramadol in her blood. (Id. at
{¶73} On cross-examination, McGuire testified that he could not recall whether he was provided with Debra‘s medical history. (Id. at 304). He testified that his toxicology report is based only on Debra‘s blood sample. (Id. at 305).
{¶74} Daniel D. Baker, IV (“Baker“), the current3 chief toxicologist of the Franklin County Coroner‘s Office identified State‘s Exhibit 25 as a true and accurate copy of his April 2, 2014 toxicology report for Debra. (Apr. 15, 2015 Tr. at 7, 10-11). Baker testified that State‘s Exhibit 25 reflects that 240 nanograms per milliliter of O-Desmethyltramadol was found in Debra‘s blood. (Id. at 11).
{¶75} Dr. Laureen Marinetti (“Dr. Marinetti“), forensic toxicology director at Redwood Toxicology Laboratory in Santa Rosa, California, testified that Detective Justice requested that she review and interpret Debra‘s toxicology
{¶76} Dr. Marinetti testified that, based on her review of those records, she was able to determine Debra‘s prescription levels and find the corresponding “published ranges” expected to be found in a person‘s blood for those medications. (Id. at 54, 56). Regarding the published ranges, Dr. Marinetti testified that the ranges are determined “where individuals are given these doses and then their blood is drawn and a concentration is measured so that there‘s some idea of what a concentration at a particular dose should look like.” (Id. at 56-57). However, Dr. Marinetti testified that because people absorb and metabolize drugs differently, “it‘s really hard to get a number and say that every person is going to be exactly this concentration of drug if they take exactly this dose, which is why there is a range.” (Id. at 57). According to Dr. Marinetti, the linear relationship between a blood concentration and the number of pills ingested varies by person because each person does not absorb and metabolize drugs at the same rate. (Id. at 59).
{¶77} Dr. Marinetti testified that Debra‘s Sertraline concentration “was approximately 11 times higher than the high end of the range“—.68—and the
{¶78} Regarding the Tramadol metabolite, O-Desmethyltramadol, Dr. Marinetti testified that its presence in Debra‘s blood indicates that Debra‘s liver was processing the Tramadol. (Id. at 62). Dr. Marinetti further testified that she reviewed the autopsy and vitreous-fluid-test reports to determine whether Debra was experiencing any kidney or liver issues, which she determined that Debra was not. (Id. at 61-62).
{¶79} On cross-examination, Dr. Marinetti testified that she was not provided Debra‘s medical records, was not aware that Debra was diagnosed with
{¶80} On redirect examination, Dr. Marinetti testified that Debra‘s O-Desmethyltramadol concentration was approximately two times higher than the published ranges. (Id. at 67). Regarding the effects of large dosages of Tramadol and Sertraline, Dr. Marinetti testified,
[Debra‘s] ranges for both of these drugs I would consider toxic to lethal, so the side effects being produced are going to be serious in nature, both on the brain and on the heart.
They both can cause increased heart rate, can cause increased blood pressure. They can cause seizures. They can cause a type of like myoclonic jerking, kind of like a jerk. They can also cause depression of consciousness.
(Id. at 67-68). She went on,
[A]lso, Tramadol can produce respiratory depression. So if you already have someone, such as Ms. Costell, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and has trouble getting oxygen already and you‘ve got a toxic level of a drug that produces respiratory depression, then you have even more oxygen deprivation to the person.
Also, if you have someone that has an enlarged heart and you have a drug that increases heart rate and increases blood pressure, that can have a toxic effect on a heart that is already enlarged.
(Id. at 68-69).
{¶81} As its last witness, the State presented the testimony of Dr. Applegate. (Id. at 132). Dr. Applegate testified that he ordered an autopsy of Debra‘s body after speaking with Investigator Slaughter regarding the information
{¶82} Regarding Debra‘s manner of death, he testified that “this is a very difficult case” and that he “initially ruled it as undetermined” because, after reviewing all of the medical records, he “could not determine who was in charge of her medicines since the medicines were what actually caused her death.” (Id. at 139). Dr. Applegate testified that, because he ruled Debra‘s manner of death as undetermined, he “turned the case over to the Union County Sheriff‘s Office asking them to investigate and if they could provide any further information as to who was in control of her medications.” (Id.). According to Dr. Applegate, the
{¶83} On cross-examination, Dr. Applegate testified that his telephone conversation with Costell on September 26, 2013 “had nothing to do about her death, no remorse there. It was about how this impacted him. That was the awkwardness.” (Id. at 143). He also testified, “I have no opinion of who may have [caused Debra‘s death], but that someone did contribute to it.” (Id. at 145).
{¶84} Thereafter, the State moved to admit its exhibits,4 which were admitted without objection, and rested. (Id. at 146). Next, Costell made a Crim.R. 29(A) motion, which the trial court denied. (Id. at 163-166). Costell did not
{¶85} We first review the sufficiency of the evidence supporting Costell‘s aggravated-murder conviction. State v. Velez, 3d Dist. Putnam No. 12-13-10, 2014-Ohio-1788, ¶ 68, citing State v. Wimmer, 3d Dist. Marion No. 9-98-46, 1999 WL 355190, *1 (Mar. 26, 1999).
{¶86} As an initial matter, we note that Costell offers no support for his argument that his aggravated-murder conviction is based on insufficient evidence. “[A] defendant has the burden of affirmatively demonstrating the error of the trial court on appeal.” State v. Stelzer, 9th Dist. Summit No. 23174, 2006-Ohio-6912, ¶ 7, citing State v. Cook, 9th Dist. Summit No. 20675, 2002-Ohio-2646, ¶ 27. “Moreover, ‘[i]f an argument exists that can support this assignment of error, it is not this court‘s duty to root it out.‘” Id., quoting Cook at ¶ 27. ”
{¶87} Viewing the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution, we conclude that Costell‘s aggravated-murder conviction under
{¶88} Although there is no direct evidence that Costell caused Debra‘s death, the State presented circumstantial evidence that Costell caused Debra‘s death. “Circumstantial evidence and direct evidence have the same probative value.” State v. Adams, 3d Dist. Crawford No. 3-06-24, 2007-Ohio-4932, ¶ 21, citing Jenks, 61 Ohio St.3d at paragraph one of the syllabus. “When the state relies on circumstantial evidence to prove an essential element of the offense charged, there is no need for such evidence to be irreconcilable with any
{¶89} At trial, the State presented evidence that Costell kept Debra‘s medications, including the Sertraline and Tramadol, in a locked box in the kitchen, and that he kept the key for the box on a shelf above the locked box‘s location. (Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 225-226, 242, 244); (Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 69-71, 81, 138); (Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 193-194, 214-215, 244-245); (State‘s Ex. 40). The State presented evidence that Costell was the only person to administer Debra‘s medications, and that he administered Debra‘s medications on September 24, 2013—the night before Debra‘s death. (Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 73-74); (Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 176-177, 194, 246-247); (State‘s Ex. 40). The State presented evidence that Debra‘s death was caused by the acute intoxication by the combined effects of Sertraline and Tramadol, and presented evidence that “acute” meant that her death occurred within a short period of time after taking the higher-than-prescribed doses of Sertraline and Tramadol—that is, she died within hours of taking the overdose of those medications. (See Apr. 15, 2015 Tr. at 28). (See also Apr. 14, 2105 Tr., Vol. II, at 301-303); (Apr. 15, 2015 Tr. at 11, 27-28, 35-38, 40-43, 45-46, 54-62, 64-65, 67-69, 70, 138-140); (State‘s
{¶90} Therefore, the jury could infer that Costell caused Debra‘s death—that is, that Costell administered the lethal doses of Sertraline and Tramadol to Debra, which caused her death. Accord State v. Phillips, 3d Dist. Wyandot No. 16-13-09, 2014-Ohio-3670, ¶ 66 (concluding that the jury could infer Phillips‘s involvement in the crime from circumstantial evidence); Adams, 2007-Ohio-4932, at ¶ 23 (concluding “that there was circumstantial evidence from which the jury could make a reasonable inference of guilt“). Compare Neeley, 143 Ohio App.3d at 620 (concluding that Neeley‘s aggravated-murder conviction was based on sufficient evidence even though “the evidence was largely circumstantial“). Accordingly, Costell‘s aggravated-murder conviction is based on sufficient evidence.
{¶91} Having concluded that Costell‘s aggravated-murder conviction is based on sufficient evidence, we next address Costell‘s argument that his aggravated-murder conviction is against the manifest weight of the evidence. Velez, 2014-Ohio-1788, at ¶ 76. Costell challenges the same element of his aggravated-murder conviction that he challenges in his sufficiency-of-the-evidence argument—that he caused Debra‘s death. As such, we will review only whether the jury clearly lost its way in concluding that Costell caused Debra‘s death and created such a manifest miscarriage of justice that the conviction must be reversed and a new trial ordered.
{¶92} Costell argues that his aggravated-murder conviction is against the manifest weight of the evidence because “[t]he State never offered any proof that: (1) any of Debra‘s medications was [sic] missing; or (2) that [Costell] gave Debra an overdose of medication.” (Emphasis sic.) (Appellant‘s Brief at 31). More specifically, Costell argues that the lack of evidence (1) that Debra “received an overdose of medication,” (2) of “who gave what pills to Debra,” and (3) regarding
{¶93} “Even removing the lens of favorability in favor of the prosecution, through which we examine the sufficiency of the evidence, this is not an exceptional case where the evidence weighs heavily against the convictions.” State v. Suffel, 3d Dist. Paulding No. 11-14-05, 2015-Ohio-222, ¶ 33. Regarding Debra‘s Tramadol, there was conflicting testimony from the nurses—who were involved in Debra‘s care prior to the time Debra went into the hospital in July 2013—whether they included Debra‘s Tramadol in her pillbox. However, Steigerwald and Tripla—the nurses who treated Debra after she was released from the hospital on August 21, 2013 through the date of her death—testified that they staged Debra‘s pillbox in accordance with Debra‘s 485 plan and put only Debra‘s Sertraline in the pillbox because her Tramadol prescription was an as-needed medication, and, as an as-needed medication, it is not staged in a pillbox. (Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 274-276, 286-290, 292).
{¶94} Costell further argues that the lack of an inventory of Debra‘s pills weighs against his conviction because it “establish[es] reasonable doubt as to whether Debra actually received an overdose of medication, who gave what pills to Debra, and whether Debra hoarded any pills.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 31). In particular, Costell points to the inadequate chain-of-custody evidence with regard
{¶95} “A chain of custody is part of the authentication and identification requirement for the admission of evidence under
{¶96} Although traditional chain-of-custody evidence was not presented in this case, the State presented evidence regarding the progress of the case to account for the custody of Debra‘s medications. See Glover at ¶ 35 (concluding that “although there may be some breaks in the chain of custody * * *, the State presented extensive detailed testimony from several witnesses that traced the chain of custody“). That is, the State presented evidence that the Costell residence was not treated as a crime scene because Debra‘s death was not initially suspicious. Debra was bedridden with numerous, severe health issues and there was no visible evidence of physical trauma. Thus, there was no suspicion that Debra died of anything other than natural causes. Similarly, because there was initially nothing suspicious about Debra‘s death—a scenario created by Costell—law enforcement officers had no reason to employ traditional crime-scene preservation procedures—that is, they had no reason to believe that there was a fair probability that evidence of a crime would be found.
{¶98} Second, there is no evidence that the jury lost its way in determining the credibility and weight of the evidence as it relates to Costell‘s chain-of-custody argument regarding inventory of Debra‘s medications. “It is well-established that it is the trier of fact who makes determinations of credibility and the weight to be given to the evidence.” Glover at ¶ 37, citing State v. Erickson, 12th Dist. Warren No. CA2014-10-131, 2015-Ohio-2086, ¶ 42, citing DeHass, 10 Ohio St.2d 230, at paragraph one of the syllabus. “Therefore, as the trier of fact, the jury was free to believe or disbelieve all, part, or none of the [evidence] presented at trial.” Id., citing State v. Birt, 12th Dist. Butler No. CA2012-02-031, 2013-Ohio-1379, ¶ 47. As we noted above, Craft testified that he inventoried and reviewed the bag of Debra‘s medications that Costell provided to law enforcement on September 25, 2013. (See Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 47-51); (State‘s Ex. 19). However, there is no evidence in the record how many pills of each prescription should have remained on the date of Debra‘s death. Likewise, despite any inventory of
{¶99} With regard to the cause of Debra‘s death, Costell claims that “the State argued throughout the trial that Debra died of an overdose of Tramadol” despite “the death certificate [which] states that Debra died due to the combined effects of Sertraline and Tramadol.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 31). Specifically, Costell argues that his conviction is against the manifest weight of the evidence because “the State argued throughout trial that Debra died of an overdose of Tramadol” and because “the State‘s own alleged experts could not agree on the
{¶100} Regarding Costell‘s argument that the State argued throughout trial that Debra died of a Tramadol overdose, Costell points us to one instance in which the State stated in its opening argument, “The Tramadol itself - - and that‘s the drug that likely killed her - - as five times higher than the expected upper therapeutic range.” (Id., citing Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 26-27). Rather, taken in context, the State argued throughout its opening argument that Debra died from an overdose of Tramadol and Sertraline. (See Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 18-20, 26-28).
{¶101} Costell further argues that the jury lost its way in concluding that he caused Debra‘s death based on conflicting testimony of McGuire and Dr. Marinetti. Costell points us to McGuire‘s testimony that Debra‘s blood revealed .68 micrograms per milliliter of Sertraline, which he categorized as “[a] high therapeutic level” and Dr. Marinetti‘s characterization of that concentration as 11 times higher than the high-end of the therapeutic range. (See Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 301-302); (Apr. 15, 2015 Tr. at 57-58). First, McGuire and Dr. Marinetti did not offer a conclusion as to what caused Debra‘s death. (Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 295-306); (Apr. 15, 2015 Tr. at 66); (State‘s Exs. 26, 28). Rather, Dr. Gerston and Dr. Applegate unequivocally testified that Debra‘s death
The Misconduct of the Prosecutor During Opening Statement, Voir Dire, and Closing Argument So Tainted the Trial With Unfairness that Appellant was Denied Due Process and a Fair Trial in Violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, and Article I, Section 10 of the Ohio Constitution.
{¶102} In his second assignment of error, Costell points to a number of instances—during opening statements, voir dire, and closing arguments—that he argues demonstrates prosecutorial misconduct and denied him a fair trial. Costell also argues in this assignment of error that the prosecutor engaged in misconduct by improperly introducing evidence throughout trial of other bad acts by Costell against Debra, which denied him a fair trial.
{¶103} “The test for prosecutorial misconduct during opening statements and closing arguments is whether the remarks made by the prosecutor were improper and, if so, whether they prejudicially affected a substantial right of the accused.” State v. Siefer, 3d Dist. Hancock No. 5-09-24, 2011-Ohio-1868, ¶ 46, citing State v. White, 82 Ohio St.3d 16, 22 (1998). “In opening statements and closing arguments, prosecutors are entitled to some latitude regarding what the evidence has shown and the inferences that can be drawn.” Id., citing State v. Ballew, 76 Ohio St.3d 244, 255 (1996). “““It is improper for an attorney to express his or her personal belief or opinion as to the credibility of a witness or as to the guilt of the accused.““” Id., quoting State v. Van Meter, 130 Ohio App.3d 592, 601 (3d Dist.1998), quoting State v. Williams, 79 Ohio St.3d 1, 12 (1997). “However, ‘[a] prosecutor may state his opinion if it is based on the evidence presented at trial.‘” Id., quoting State v. Watson, 61 Ohio St.3d 1, 10 (1991), abrogated on other grounds, State v. McGuire, 80 Ohio St.3d 390, 686 (1997).
{¶104} “Additionally, we review a prosecutor‘s opening statement and closing argument in its entirety.” Id., quoting Watson at 10. “If, in the context of the entire trial, it appears clear beyond a reasonable doubt that the jury would have found the defendant guilty, even without the improper remarks, then the trial will not be deemed unfair.” Id., citing State v. Tenace, 109 Ohio St.3d 255, 2006-Ohio-2417, ¶ 45, citing State v. Treesh, 90 Ohio St.3d 460, 464 (2001). See also State v. Liles, 3d Dist. Allen No. 1-14-61, 2015-Ohio-3093, ¶ 31 (“To establish prejudice, a defendant must show that a reasonable probability exists that, but for the prosecutor‘s improper remarks, the result of the proceeding would have been different. Thus, ‘[n]ot every intemperate remark by counsel can be a basis for reversal.‘“), quoting State v. Porter, 4th Dist. Meigs No. 10CA15, 2012-Ohio-1526, ¶ 20, quoting State v. Landrum, 53 Ohio St.3d 107, 112 (1990). “Again, the touchstone of this analysis ‘is the fairness of the trial, not the culpability of the prosecutor.‘” Siefer at ¶ 46, quoting State v. Myers, 97 Ohio St.3d 335, 2002-Ohio-6658, ¶ 140, quoting Smith v. Phillips, 455 U.S. 209, 219, 102 S.Ct. 940 (1982).
{¶106} Costell does not cite any Ohio criminal cases in support of his arguments. Instead, he directs us to a Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion reversing a drug conviction as a result of the prosecutor‘s failure to introduce
evidence to support his opening-statement claims, and Ohio civil cases discussing improper statements made by the parties during jury trials. See U.S. v. Novak, 918 F.2d 107 (10th Cir.1990); Caserta v. Allstate Ins. Co., 14 Ohio App.3d 167 (10th Dist.1983); Kolidakis v. Glenn McClendon Trucking Co., 7th Dist. Mahoning No. 03 MA 64, 2004-Ohio-3638. Those cases are not persuasive. Rather, after reviewing the prosecutor‘s entire opening statement, we conclude his statements were reasonably based on the evidence presented at trial. Compare Siefer at ¶ 48, citing State v. Ballew, 76 Ohio St.3d 244, 255 (1996); State v. Smith, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 25462, 2013-Ohio-5345, ¶ 27 (concluding that the prosecutor‘s statement during opening statements regarding the defendant‘s guilt “were not improper, but were simply a summary of what [the prosecutor] expected the evidence to establish at the end of trial“); State v. James, 7th Dist. Columbiana No. 07 CO 47, 2009-Ohio-4392, ¶ 12 (concluding that the prosecutor‘s mention during opening statements of September 11, 2001 and “the prosecutor‘s labeling of the shooting as an incident that changed the way one looks at the community as it constitutes a new level of violence” as fair comments on the facts of the case).
{¶107} The first instance of prosecutorial misconduct during opening statements to which Costell refers is when the prosecutor stated that Costell “was engaging in what ‘must have been extraordinary painful sexual acts’ with Debra.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 11, quoting Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 21). Costell alleges
{¶108} The second instance to which Costell points is the prosecutor‘s statement to the jury that “the nurses did not put Tramadol in Debra‘s pillbox when he knew there were nurses that would testify to just the opposite.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 12, citing April 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 25, April 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 80, and April 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 228). Specifically, Fox testified on cross-examination that she filled Debra‘s weekly pillbox with Tramadol and Cox testified on cross-examination that she noted in State‘s Exhibit 39, the notepad in which she documented the medications that she staged in Debra‘s weekly pillbox, that she included Tramadol in Debra‘s weekly pillbox from May 20, 2013 until she stopped providing care for Debra in June 2013. Despite Fox‘s and Cox‘s
{¶109} Costell further alleges three instances in which he claims that the prosecutor improperly made statements about what the evidence presented during trial would show. In particular, he argues that the prosecutor improperly stated that (1) Reedy “looked at Debra‘s file and said, ‘there‘s really no reason this woman should have died‘“; (2) “Debra did not hoard any drugs and that she would have had to save up a large number of drugs to overdose herself“; and (3) Costell did not want Debra to have a catheter and “without [the catheter] her ulcers would ‘rot.‘” (Appellant‘s Brief at 12-13, quoting April 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 16, 21, 23, and citing April 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 284 and State‘s Exs. 11, 65, 152). Costell cannot establish that the outcome of his trial would have clearly been different because none of these statements are improper. Indeed, the prosecutor did not express a personal belief or opinion about the credibility of a witness or the accused; rather, the prosecutor‘s statements were “fair comment” based on the
{¶110} Sixth, Costell contends that the prosecutor made improper legal arguments during his opening statements when he suggested to the jury:
“[U]nder the law of Ohio, a caregiver - - and Jon Costell is defined as a caregiver - - has to give everything that is reasonably necessary for a person under the law. He should have given her pain medicine. He should have given her an appropriate dosage of medication.”
(Appellant‘s Brief at 12-13, quoting Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 29-30). Costell argues that this statement took from the hands of the jury whether he failed to provide for his functionally impaired wife. The prosecutor‘s statements did not result in plain error. See Smith, 80 Ohio St.3d at 110 (concluding that the prosecutor‘s “mere reference to [] legal concepts * * * did not result in prejudicial or plain error“).
No caretaker shall knowingly fail to provide a functionally impaired person under the caretaker‘s care with any treatment, care, goods, or service that is necessary to maintain the health or safety of the functionally impaired person when this failure results in physical harm or serious physical harm to the functionally impaired person.
{¶111} Finally, Costell argues that the prosecutor “recounted to the jury inadmissible hearsay during [his] opening statement.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 13). Specifically, Costell points to the prosecutor‘s comments that Debra told her nurses “no” when they asked if she wanted pain medication “because of [Costell],” and the prosecutor‘s statements regarding Reedy‘s review of Debra‘s medical records after her death, which caused Reedy to request law enforcement to investigate Debra‘s death. (Id., citing Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 10, 11, 16, 21). The jury was instructed that the prosecutor‘s opening statements are not evidence. (Apr. 16, 2015 Tr. at 48). See State v. Risner, 3d Dist. Logan No. 8-12-02, 2012-Ohio-5954, ¶ 28; State v. Tapke, 1st Dist. Hamilton No. C-060494, 2007-Ohio-5124, ¶ 78. “We must presume that the jury followed the trial court‘s
{¶112} Furthermore, by telling the jury that Debra would decline pain medication when her nurses would ask her if she wanted pain medication because Costell did not want her to have pain medication, the prosecutor was illustrating for the jury what he expected the evidence he intended to introduce would show. “In general, a statement made by counsel of the evidence that he expects to introduce is not reversible error unless it appears that counsel made the statement in bad faith, even if it turned out that such evidence was incompetent.” Id. at ¶ 27, citing State v. Neal, 10th Dist. Franklin No. 95APA05-542, 1996 WL 28765, *12, quoting State v. Lipker, 16 Ohio App.2d 21 (4th Dist.1968). Indeed, the prosecutor introduced the testimony of Debra‘s nurses that Costell did not want Debra to have pain medication. The prosecutor also introduced the testimony of Debra‘s nurses that Debra would decline pain medication if Costell was present when they were providing nursing services for Debra.
{¶113} In addition, Reedy‘s testimony was not inadmissible hearsay because it was not introduced to prove the truth of the matter asserted; rather, it was introduced to show why she did what she did as part of her investigation. (See Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 281-282); Tapke at ¶ 79. Therefore, taken in the context of the entire trial, Costell did not demonstrate that the prosecutor‘s
{¶114} Second, Costell alleges three instances of prosecutorial misconduct during voir dire. Costell did not object to any of the comments he alleges to be improper. Therefore, we review for plain error.
{¶115} Costell first argues that the prosecutor elicited improper medical testimony from prospective jurors in front of the entire venire. (Appellant‘s Brief at 16-17, citing Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 105-108, 116-117). The prosecutor was attempting to identify and remove prospective jurors who would rely on their experience caring for decubitus ulcers and experience with Tramadol or Sertraline—that is, the prosecutor was inquiring into the perspective jurors’ attitudes and potential biases, which is not error. See State v. Montgomery, 5th Dist. Fairfield No. 14-CA-49, 2015-Ohio-3066, ¶ 27. See also State v. Nields, 93 Ohio St.3d 6, 39 (2001) (noting that a prosecutor is permitted to argue facts in evidence during voir dire), citing State v. Lott, 51 Ohio St.3d 160, 165 (1990).
{¶116} Costell also argues that the prosecutor improperly “told the potential jurors that it was okay for them to have formed opinions ‘whether it‘s how sad this case is or how tragic it is, or how senseless it is.‘” (Appellant‘s Brief at 17, quoting Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 73). Costell‘s argument is erroneous. Read in context, the prosecutor immediately followed that statement with the
{¶117} Thirdly, Costell argues that the prosecutor improperly inflame[d] the passions of the potential jurors and taint[ed] the entire venire by inquiring if they believed being a caretaker would be stressful:
“Would you also agree that - - caring for somebody day in and day out, do you believe that would give you an excuse to abuse or neglect or even cause the death of that person? Anybody agree with that?
How many of you have children? A lot of you. Grandchildren? A lot of you as well. Caring for - - children can be stressful, would you agree? Would you agree that just because it may be stressful, none of you think it‘s okay to abuse or neglect or murder a child; is that correct? I didn‘t think so. Okay.”
(Appellant‘s Brief at 17-18, quoting Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 103). Clearly, the prosecutor was inquiring into the potential jurors’ attitudes and biases, which, as we noted above, is not error. Montgomery at ¶ 27.
{¶119} Costell points us to the prosecutor‘s statement,
“Dr. Marinetti told you what would happen after she took this level of drugs. Spasms and twitching, her heart would speed up, she - - heart rate would go up, her blood pressure would go up. She‘d have respiratory depression. And during that period of time, Jon Costell was there after he had given her the drugs. This wasn‘t a quick death and he did nothing.”
(Appellant‘s Brief at 19, quoting Apr. 15, 2015 Tr. at 21). Costell argues that the prosecutor‘s statement was improper because
{¶120} Second, Costell argues that the prosecutor improperly told the jury that “Debra ‘would have needed a good number of drugs’ when [the prosecutor] knew there had been no testimony to support [that] argument.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 19, April 16, 2015 Tr. at 15-16). In particular, Costell argues that it was improper for the prosecutor to tell the jury,
{¶121} Costell further argues in this assignment of error that the prosecutor engaged in misconduct when he introduced evidence throughout trial of “other bad acts” by Costell against Debra which deprived him of a fair trial—namely that the prosecutor improperly told the jury during opening statements that the Sheriff‘s Office “had been called to the house ‘just six weeks’ before Debra died with the implication being that [Costell] harmed Debra in some way.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 22-23, quoting Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 6). Also, Costell argues that it was
{¶122} “Generally, evidence which tends to show that the accused has committed other crimes or acts independent of the crime for which he stands trial is not admissible to prove a defendant‘s character or that the defendant acted in conformity therewith.” State v. Hawthorne, 7th Dist. Columbiana No. 04 CO 56, 2005-Ohio-6779, ¶ 24, citing State v. Elliot, 91 Ohio App.3d 763, 770 (3d Dist.1993) and
{¶123} The evidence of which Costell complains was admissible for a purpose other than showing that he acted in conformity with the character or reputation suggested by that evidence. See State v. Dotson, 2d Dist. Clark No. 2003 CA 34, 2004-Ohio-6875, ¶ 16. Rather, the testimony of which he complains is relevant to proving the charges against Costell. See Williams, 2013-Ohio-2314, at ¶ 7. That is, Costell was charged with aggravated murder, failing to provide for a functionally impaired person, domestic violence, and involuntary manslaughter. Taken in context, the testimony was introduced to address elements of the charges facing Costell. Therefore, even if we assume the prosecutor‘s statements are improper, Costell did not demonstrate that the result of his trial would have clearly been different absent those statements.
{¶124} Costell alleges several instances in this case that he argues were error on the part of the prosecutor. However, “Error is not necessarily misconduct. Indeed, most error is not.” State v. Reynolds, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 19780, 2003-Ohio-7245, ¶ 46. “Prosecutorial misconduct, like ineffective assistance of counsel, necessarily involves an attorney‘s failure to conform to clear professional standards.” Id. “The touchstone of the analysis “‘is the fairness of the trial, not the culpability of the prosecutor.“‘” State v. Johnson, 3d Dist. Allen No. 1-13-45, 2014-Ohio-4750, ¶ 88, quoting State v. Davis, 116 Ohio St.3d 404, 2008-Ohio-2, ¶ 231, quoting Smith v. Phillips, 455 U.S. 209, 219, 102 S.Ct. 940 (1982). Thus,
{¶125} Costell‘s second assignment of error is overruled.
Assignment of Error No. I
The Trial Court Committed Structural Error and Violated the Defendant‘s Due Process Rights to a Fair Trial When it Instructed the Parties to Give an Opening Statement Prior to Voir Dire, and Did So Without Any Admonishment to the Venire that Opening Statements Are Not Evidence. The Trial Court Committed Further Structural Error When it Did Not Dismiss the Venire After It Was Tainted by Comments From One of the Prospective Jurors, By Prosecutorial Misconduct, and When it Did Not Control the State‘s Improper Voir Dire.
{¶126} In his first assignment of error, Costell argues that the trial court committed structural error by instructing the parties to give opening statements prior to voir dire without admonishment to the venire that opening statements are not evidence. Costell further argues in this assignment of error that the trial court committed structural error when the venire was tainted by comments from one of the perspective jurors. Thirdly, Costell argues in this assignment of error that the trial court erred by failing “to control numerous instances of prosecutorial misconduct that occurred during voir dire.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 9).
{¶127} “A structural error is a constitutional defect that defies analysis by harmless error standards, because it affects the framework within which the trial
Structural error affects the substantial rights of a criminal defendant, even absent a specific showing that the outcome of the trial would have been different, and requires automatic reversal. Because a defendant is relieved of his burden to show prejudice, the finding of structural error is rare and limited to exceptional cases.
State v. Martin, 103 Ohio St.3d 385, 2004-Ohio-5471, ¶ 53 (Moyer, J., concurring in judgment only), citing Perry at ¶ 18, citing Johnson v. United States, 520 U.S. 461, 468, 117 S.Ct. 1544 (1997). The “limited class of cases” recognizing structural error are cases “in which the errors permeate the entire conduct of the trial from beginning to end,’ so that the trial court cannot ‘reliably serve its function as a vehicle for determination of guilt or innocence.‘” Fields at ¶ 27, quoting Arizona v. Fulminante, 449 U.S. 279, 309-310, 111 S.Ct. 1246 (1991), quoting Rose v. Clark, 478 U.S. 570, 577-578, 106 S.Ct. 3101 (1986). Those “limited number of cases in which structural errors have been recognized include “a total deprivation of the right to counsel; lack of an impartial trial judge; unlawful exclusion of grand jurors of the defendant‘s race; the right to self-representation at trial; the right to a public trial; erroneous reasonable doubt
{¶128} Trial courts have inherent discretion in controlling the order of trial proceedings. See State v. Malloy, 2d Dist. Clark No. 11CA0021, 2012-Ohio-2664, ¶ 23. Indeed,
The judge of the trial court shall control all proceedings during a criminal trial, and shall limit the introduction of evidence and the argument of counsel to relevant and material matters with a view to expeditious and effective ascertainment of the truth regarding the matters in issue.
“Under
{¶129} The trial court‘s instruction to the parties to present opening statements before voir dire did not amount to plain error. The trial court explained to the prospective jurors why it altered the customary sequence of voir dire questioning and opening statements: “The opening statements will be given so that you as jurors will know what the case is about and then you‘ll be able to answer questions as to whether or not you can be a fair and impartial juror in the case.” (Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 6). See also Walker at ¶ 22-23. We cannot say that the record clearly reflects that Costell would have been acquitted had the trial court not instructed the parties to provide opening statements prior to voir dire. Compare State v. Dale, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 2012 CA 20, 2013-Ohio-2229, ¶ 38, citing Walker at ¶ 24. See also U.S. v. Goode, 814 F.2d 1353, 1355 (9th Cir.1987) (concluding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by ordering the parties to present opening statements before voir dire); U.S. v. Keese, 992 F.2d 1001, 1002 (9th Cir.1993) (observing that the trial court “invited counsel to make opening statements prior to voir dire, and the government did so“); Larsen, Navigating the Federal Trial, Section 5:41 (2015) (noting that opening statements are sometimes made before voir dire because “[t]he argument in favor of this practice is that it allows the panelists to know the facts and understand the
{¶130} Costell further argues under this assignment of error that a second structural error occurred “when a prospective juror tainted the entire venire with her emotional explanation of why she could not sit through [Costell‘s] trial.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 7). Specifically, Costell argues that the prospective juror‘s comments rose to the level of structural error because the “comments demonstrate[d] that she believed the State‘s opening statement was evidence, and, moreover, that it was true.” (Id.). In support of his argument, Costell cites Mach v. Stewart, 137 F.3d 630 (9th Cir.1997). In Mach, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that there was a structural error, which resulted from “the jury‘s exposure during voir dire to an intrinsically prejudicial statement made four times by a children‘s social worker, [that] occurred before the trial had begun, result[ing] in the swearing in of a tainted jury, and severely infect[ing] the process from the very beginning.” Id. at 633.
{¶131} In particular, Costell points us to the prospective juror‘s statement:
[Prospective Juror]: I just buried my dad in December and he was also bedridden back and forth for many years. There was no way that he would have been kept in the
condition that [the victim] was kept. He was taken care of. My mom was right there by him and so were we no matter what happened. And at no point was he ever treated - - no matter how least [sic] there was an amount of people around him in a wet condition, bed sores that become that bad - - I‘m sorry. I just - -
[Trial Court]: You understand you haven‘t heard any of the evidence yet. You‘ve just heard an opening statement as to what the State thinks. You feel like you couldn‘t sit and listen to the evidence and - -
[Prospective Juror]: I can‘t sit through this.
(Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 42-43). The prospective juror was then excused.
{¶132} We review Costell‘s argument for plain error since he failed to object to the juror‘s comments or move for a mistrial as a result of those comments. See State v. Smith, 9th Dist. Summit No. 22550, 2006-Ohio-158, ¶ 5. The potential juror‘s comments do not amount to plain error. There is nothing in the record that indicates that the potential juror‘s statements biased the other veniremen. State v. Yarbrough, 95 Ohio St.3d 227, 2002-Ohio-2126, ¶ 98; State v. Sanders, 92 Ohio St.3d 245, 248 (2001). In Sanders, the Supreme Court of Ohio
{¶133} Moreover, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals case on which Costell relies in support of his argument is distinguishable from the facts of this case, and was distinguished by the Supreme Court of Ohio in Sanders. See id. ”Sanders makes clear that bias should only be presumed when a potential juror makes repeated, definite statements of opinion concerning a matter germane to trial.”
Smith, 2006-Ohio-158, at ¶ 7, citing Sanders at 248. Indeed, unlike the potential juror in Mach who made “repeated, definite statements of opinion concerning a matter germane to the trial—a matter in which she also appeared to be an expert,” the venireman in this case expressed only her opinion, did not speak at length, and was immediately excused. Id., citing State v. Doerr, 193 Ariz. 56, 62, 969 P.2d 1168 (1998) and Lucero v. Kerby, 133 F.3d 1299, 1308-1309 (10th Cir.1998). See also Smith at ¶ 7; Brooks at *1. Moreover, the venireman expressed an opinion about herself and was immediately excused for cause. Compare Brooks at *1. Therefore, Costell cannot demonstrate that the outcome of his trial would clearly have been different. As such, since there is no error stemming from the potential venireman, there is no structural error.
{¶134} Third, Costell argues in this assignment of error that the trial court “committed structural error when it failed to control numerous instances of prosecutorial misconduct that occurred during voir dire.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 9). As we noted in our discussion in Costell‘s second assignment of error, Costell did not object to any of the instances he claims to be prosecutorial misconduct during voir dire, let alone raise to the trial court the issue of structural error; therefore, we review Costell‘s argument for plain error. Based on our conclusion in Costell‘s second assignment of error, there were no instances of prosecutorial misconduct for the trial court to control. As such, there is no plain error.
Assignment of Error No. V
It Was Plain Error to Admit Debra‘s Death Certificate Because It States Her Caregiver Caused Her Death.
Assignment of Error No. VII
The Trial Court Erred When it Allowed Kim Reedy to Testify to Inadmissible and Highly Prejudicial Hearsay Evidence Over Objection of Defense Counsel Thereby Denying Appellant a Fair Trial and Due Process of Law as Guaranteed By the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Deprived Appellant of his Sixth Amendment Rights.
Assignment of Error No. IX
Trial Court Erred When it Admitted Irrelevant, Gruesome, Repetitive and Substantially Prejudicial Photographs of the Deceased in Violation of [Costell‘s] Constitutional Rights.
{¶136} In his fifth, seventh, and ninth assignments of error, Costell raises evidentiary issues. In his fifth assignment of error, Costell argues that the trial court erred in admitting Debra‘s death certificate without redacting it. In his seventh assignment of error, Costell argues that the trial court erred in admitting hearsay testimony. In his ninth assignment of error, Costell argues that the trial court erred in admitting irrelevant photographs of Debra‘s decubitus ulcers.
{¶137} Evidence is relevant when it has “any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence.”
{¶138} Generally, the admission or exclusion of evidence lies within the trial court‘s discretion, and a reviewing court should not reverse absent an abuse of discretion and material prejudice. State v. Conway, 109 Ohio St.3d 412, 2006-Ohio-2815, ¶ 62, citing State v. Issa, 93 Ohio St.3d 49, 64 (2001). As we noted above, “an abuse of discretion implies that the court‘s attitude was unreasonable, arbitrary, or unconscionable.” Adams, 62 Ohio St.2d at 157. However “if the party wishing to exclude evidence fails to contemporaneously object at trial when the evidence is presented, that party waives for appeal all but plain error.” Bagley,
{¶139} In his fifth assignment of error, Costell argues that it was plain error to admit Debra‘s death certificate because it impermissibly states that “Debra died because her caregiver, who the State told the jury was [Costell], gave her a lethal dose of her prescription medication.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 30, citing State‘s Ex. 30). In particular, Costell argues that it was plain error to admit the death certificate without redacting that portion of the death certificate.
{¶140} The Revised Code authorizes a coroner to inquire “‘how the deceased came to his death, whether by violence to self or from other persons, by whom, whether as principals or accessories before or after the fact, and all circumstances related thereto.‘” (Emphasis added.) State v. Harrison, 1st Dist. Hamilton No. C-920422, 1993 WL 293971, *2 (May 12, 1993), quoting
{¶141} In his seventh assignment of error, Costell argues that the trial court erred by permitting inadmissible and prejudicial hearsay testimony. In particular, Costell argues that the trial court erred by permitting Reedy to testify “to what someone else had written or noted in a file” in the CareStar records. (Appellant‘s Brief at 32-33). While Costell objected to Reedy‘s testimony as being improper hearsay, the trial court did not abuse its discretion by permitting Reedy‘s testimony because it was not hearsay and was relevant for the jury. First, Reedy‘s testimony regarding her review of Debra‘s records as part of her death review for the Ohio Department of Medicaid was offered to explain her actions in pursuing her investigation and not for the truth of the matter asserted. See Davis, 116 Ohio St.3d 404, 2008-Ohio-2, at ¶ 117 (concluding that a law enforcement officer‘s testimony that Davis became a suspect as a result of “information from an out-of-state law enforcement agency” was not hearsay because it was offered to explain
{¶142} In his ninth assignment of error, Costell alleges that the trial court erred by admitting two autopsy photographs depicting Debra‘s decubitus ulcers. In particular, Costell argues that these photographs were irrelevant to Debra‘s cause of death. “Under
{¶143} While Costell initially objected to the photographs being introduced during trial, he did not object to their admission into evidence. (Apr. 15, 2015 Tr. at 18-19, 155). Generally, the failure to object to the admission of evidence waives all but plain error on review. State v. Coley, 93 Ohio St.3d 253, 265 (2001). However, even under an abuse-of-discretion standard of review, Costell fails to show that the prejudicial impact of either of the two autopsy photos of which he complains outweighs their individual probative value. Indeed, there are only two photographs and those photographs are not particularly gruesome or inflammatory. See State v. Mason, 82 Ohio St.3d 144, 158-59 (1998). Rather, those photographs are probative to whether Costell is guilty of domestic violence or failing to provide for a functionally impaired person—that is, whether Costell recklessly caused physical harm to Debra or whether he knowingly failed to provide a functionally impaired person with treatment, care, goods, or a service that is necessary to maintain that person‘s health or safety and that failure resulted in physical harm or serious physical harm to that person. See id. at 159;
{¶144} Costell‘s fifth, seventh, and ninth assignments of error are overruled.
Assignment of Error No. III
Defense Counsel Were Ineffective For Failure to Conduct a Proper Voir Dire Which Denied the Appellant the Right to a Fair Trial and the Right to Due Process of Law Under the Ohio and United States Constitutions. Counsel‘s Questions Were General and Not Specific and Counsel Did Not Address Any Potential Bias.
Assignment of Error No. IV
Appellant Was Deprived of the Effective Assistance of Counsel Due to Numerous Errors and Omissions Which Prejudiced Appellant‘s Trial.
{¶145} In his third and fourth assignments of error, Costell argues that his trial counsel was ineffective. In his third assignment of error, Costell alleges that his trial counsel conducted an ineffective voir dire. In his fourth assignment of error, Costell submits a laundry list of 18 instances that he alleges demonstrates that his trial counsel was ineffective during trial.
{¶146} A defendant asserting a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel must establish: (1) the counsel‘s performance was deficient or unreasonable under
{¶147} “Prejudice results when ‘there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel‘s unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different.‘” State v. Liles, 3d Dist. Allen No. 1-13-04, 2014-Ohio-259, ¶ 48, quoting Bradley at 142, citing Strickland at 691. “A reasonable probability is a
{¶148} First, in his third assignment of error, Costell argues that his counsel conducted an ineffective voir dire. “When evaluating claims of ineffective assistance at voir dire, [the Supreme Court of Ohio has] ‘recognized that counsel is in the best position to determine whether any potential juror should be questioned and to what extent.‘” State v. Thompson, 141 Ohio St.3d 254, 2014-Ohio-4751, ¶ 225, quoting State v. Murphy, 91 Ohio St.3d 516, 539 (2001). “Few decisions at trial are as subjective or prone to individual attorney strategy as juror voir dire, where decisions are often made on the basis of intangible factors.” State v. Mundt, 115 Ohio St.3d 22, 2007-Ohio-4836, ¶ 64, quoting Miller v. Francis, 269 F.3d 609, 620 (6th Cir.2001). The Supreme Court of Ohio has “consistently declined to ‘second-guess trial strategy decisions’ or impose ‘hindsight views about how current counsel might have voir dired the jury differently.‘” Id. at ¶ 63, quoting Mason, 82 Ohio St.3d at 157.
{¶149} Costell raises five instances where prospective jurors indicated that they knew or were related to law enforcement officers and argues that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to further inquire about those relationships. Costell also raises two instances in which prospective jurors stated that they, or a family member, experienced domestic violence, and that his trial counsel was
{¶150} Costell further argues in his third assignment of error that his trial counsel was ineffective during voir dire for failing to use his last preemptory challenge. “[T]he decision whether to dismiss a juror using preemptory challenges is a trial tactic.” Bofia at ¶ 14, citing Hill at ¶ 30. “Debatable trial tactics, without more, will not be grounds for an ineffective assistance of counsel claim.” Id.,
{¶151} Finally, Costell argues in his third assignment of error that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing “to object to the [trial] court‘s failure to swear in the venire.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 25). Costell‘s argument is erroneous as the trial court placed the prospective jurors under oath prior to voir dire. (Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 38-39).
{¶152} For these reasons, Costell‘s trial counsel was not ineffective during voir dire, and his third assignment of error is overruled.
{¶153} We turn to Costell‘s fourth assignment of error in which he lists 18 instances that he argues demonstrates that his trial counsel was ineffective during trial, including allegations that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to move for a mistrial, failing to object to testimony and the admission of evidence, failing to impeach witnesses and conducting ineffective cross-examination, and failing to file a number of pretrial motions.
{¶154} Costell argues that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing “to move for a mistrial after a prospective juror tainted the venire when she informed the court she could not sit through trial because her deceased grandfather would never have been treated the way Jon treated Debra.”6 (Appellant‘s Brief at 27).
{¶155} Moreover, based on our conclusion in Costell‘s second assignment of error relative to Costell‘s arguments regarding other-bad-acts evidence, his argument that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to that evidence is meritless. Costell neglects to acknowledge in advancing this argument that the State was also required to prove the other charges against Costell, and not only the aggravated-murder charge. Further meritless, based on our conclusion in Costell‘s second assignment of error, is Costell‘s argument that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to “the prosecutor‘s improper and highly prejudicial opening statement, voir dire, and closing statement.” (Id.).
{¶156} Based on our conclusion in Costell‘s seventh assignment of error, his argument that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to move to redact Debra‘s death certificate is meritless.
{¶157} Of those 18 instances of ineffective assistance that Costell argues, 10 relate to instances in which Costell claims his trial counsel‘s failure to object resulted in him receiving an unfair trial. The failure-to-object arguments raised by
{¶158} Costell argues that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to impeach (1) the “State‘s witnesses * * * with the State‘s own exhibits that showed Debra could turn herself, that Debra denied any pain during intercourse, and that Debra‘s nurses believed that [Costell] and Debra could engage in sexual intercourse without any serious issue” and (2) “the healthcare workers’ allegations that Debra had told them that [Costell] abused her * * * with the medical records depicting Debra‘s mental health and memory issues.” (Appellant‘s Brief at 27, citing State‘s Exs. 8, 11). He also argues that his trial counsel was ineffective for questioning Lutz and Dr. Muniyappa on cross-examination “if they had ever called law enforcement to say that Debra was being abused.” (Id. at 28, citing Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 309-310 and Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 262). “It is well settled that the scope of cross-examination is considered a trial strategy, and debatable trial tactics do not establish ineffective assistance.” State v. Alvarez, 3d Dist. Defiance No. 4-08-02, 2008-Ohio-5189, ¶ 32, citing Conway at ¶ 101, citing State v. Hoffner, 102 Ohio St.3d 358, 2004-Ohio-3430, ¶ 45; State v. Campbell, 90 Ohio St.3d 320, 339 (2000). Costell‘s trial counsel may have decided not to cross-examine the State‘s witnesses because such cross-examination would have
{¶159} Costell argues that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the admission of Costell‘s prior domestic-violence judgment entries because his trial counsel stipulated to the prior convictions. Costell‘s argument is misplaced. The record reveals that Costell‘s trial counsel stipulated to the prior domestic-violence judgment entries themselves, not just the convictions as Costell argues on appeal. (See Apr. 14, 2015 Tr., Vol. II, at 265-266). Moreover, the failure to object and decisions regarding stipulations are matters of trial strategy and tactics. Stairhime, 2014-Ohio-1791, at ¶ 42; State v. Roy, 10th Dist. Franklin No. 14AP-986, 2015-Ohio-4959, ¶ 22, citing State v. Rippy, 10th Dist. Franklin No. 08AP-248, 2008-Ohio-6680, ¶ 16, citing State v. Edwards, 119 Ohio App.3d 106
{¶160} Costell argues that his trial counsel was ineffective for “telling the venire that [Costell] might not testify, because ‘I might tell him, [Costell], there‘s a reason why you can‘t testify here. I don‘t want you testifying.‘” (Appellant‘s Brief at 28, quoting Apr. 13, 2015 Tr., Vol. I, at 154). In context, Costell‘s trial counsel was asking the venire their attitude toward a defendant that invokes his constitutional right not to testify based on his trial counsel‘s advice. As we acknowledged in Costell‘s third assignment of error, juror voir dire is a matter of trial strategy, and we are unwilling to “‘second-guess trial strategy decisions’ or impose ‘hindsight views about how current counsel might have voir dired the jury differently.‘” Mundt, 115 Ohio St.3d 22, 2007-Ohio-4836, at ¶ 63, quoting Mason, 82 Ohio St.3d at 157. Moreover, the trial court instructed the jury that Costell has a constitutional right not to testify, and that the jury cannot take Costell‘s right not to testify into consideration during its deliberations. (Apr. 16, 2015 Tr. at 46). “A presumption exists that the jury has followed the instructions given to it by the trial court.” State v. Murphy, 65 Ohio St.3d 554, 584 (1992).
{¶161} Costell argues that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to file a number of pretrial motions: (1) a motion for a bill of particulars; (2) a motion to suppress Costell‘s statement to Detective Justice; (3) a motion in limine to exclude
{¶162} Finally, as we noted in Costell‘s second assignment of error, ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claims necessarily involve an attorney‘s failure
while we are aware of appellate counsel‘s duty to represent [their] client‘s interests zealously, we urge [] counsel to avoid misuse of [ineffective-assistance-of-counsel] claims. * * * There is an element of perversity in the claim that mere exaggerations, or even negligent misstatements, simply don‘t involve.
{¶163} For these reasons, Costell‘s fourth assignment of error is overruled.
{¶164} Having found no error prejudicial to the appellant herein in the particulars assigned and argued, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
Judgment Affirmed
SHAW, P.J. and WILLAMOWSKI, J., concur.
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