STATE OF OHIO, Plаintiff-Appellee v. CURTIS T. SMITH, Defendant-Appellant
Appellate Case No. 28083
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Rendered on the 21st day of June, 2019.
2019-Ohio-2467
Trial Court Case No. 2018-CRB-385 (Criminal Appeal from Municipal Court)
SCOTT N. BLAUVELT, Atty. Reg. No. 0068177, 315 South Monument Avenue, Hamilton, Ohio 45011 Attorney for Defendant-Appellant
O P I N I O N
{¶ 1} Following a bench trial, the Municipal Court of Miamisburg found Curtis T. Smith guilty of assault, in violation of
Factual and Procedural Background
{¶ 2} Smith and K.L.1 began a romantic relationship sometime in 2014. About a year later, K.L. (“Mother“) and her children from a previous marriage, T.L. (“Son“) and C.L. (“Daughter“), moved in with Smith. The children lived with Mother and Smith during alternating weeks; they lived with their father (“Father“) the other weeks. In December 2017, Smith, Mother, Son, and Daughter moved to a mobile home in Miamisburg, Ohio.
{¶ 3} Monday, February 12, 2018 was Son‘s 11th birthday, and family members planned to celebrate that night at the home of Father‘s parents. According to Son, after he came home from school that day, Mother told him she had learned through an email from a teacher that Son had not given Mother his latest report card. Son testified that he had received some poor grаdes that quarter, and because Smith had “spanked” Son for bad grades in the past and Mother also had barred Son from playing baseball the previous year due to bad grades, Son had tried to conceal his grades from them.
{¶ 4} At about 5 p.m., when Smith arrived home, Smith and Mother went outside to talk. Son testified that when Smith came back inside, Smith instructed Son to go to Son‘s room for a “spanking.” When Smith entered Son‘s room, he said that Son was going to be spanked for lying about doing work for a book report due soon. Son testified that he
{¶ 5} Son said that his crying from the first spanking “was slowing down” by that time. (Id.) But with Son sitting in the chair, Smith “hit me on the right leg really hard with his belt.” (Id., p. 14.) That strike, to the middle of Son‘s thigh, hurt, and renewed his crying. After directing Son back to his bed, Smith again hit Son with the belt оn the back of his right leg, “then I started crying even more[,] * * * so then I got whipped a few more times [with the belt] and then it stopped.” (Id.) Smith told Son to get his homework, and Smith, Mother, Son, and Daughter headed to the birthday dinner.
{¶ 6} Son spent that night at his grandparents’ house, but he did not tell anyone there about the spanking because Smith also was there, and “I was just too scared to tell them.” (Id.) He did not tell anyone at school or elsewhere over the next two days. On Wednesday evening, however, Son told Father about the incident. Son described having “bruises wrapped around my left and right leg” by that date. On Thursday, Father took Son to the police station. A police officer interviewed Son, had him write out a statement, and took photographs of his bruises. Son said the bruising lasted “a few weeks.” (Id., p. 21.)
{¶ 7} Officer Shawn Todd of the Miami Township Police Department testified that he was dispatched to Father‘s home on February 14, 2018. Both Father and Son reported
{¶ 8} Officer Todd then went to Smith‘s home to question Smith. Mother answered the door and said that Smith was not there; however, moments later, Smith “stepped out from behind the kitchen wall.” (Tr. p. 42.) Smith “admitted that he had spanked” Son “with a braided leather belt,” but said that he “did not feel that he had lost his temper or gone overboard” with the punishment. (Id., pp. 42-43.) Smith “had already printed out the O.R.C. for endangering children and presented that to me and told me hе didn‘t feel it met the criteria for that.” (Id., p. 43.) At the officer‘s request, Smith showed Officer Todd what Smith said was the belt used; Todd said “it appeared to be an adult belt to me.” (Id., p. 45.) Officer Todd obtained written statements from both Smith and Mother; he did not interview Daughter.
{¶ 9} Daughter testified that on Son‘s birthday, Son was upset “[b]ecause he had a bad grade and he knew he was going to be spanked.” (Id., p. 53.) Daughter said she walked past Son‘s room and “took a quick glance” as Son was getting spanked. She said that Son “was bending over the bed” and Smith was “spanking” him. Daughter said that when Son came out of thе room, “[h]e sniffled a little bit, but that was it.” Afterward, they all went to the grandparents’ house for Son‘s birthday party, where Son, Daughter, and a friend of Son‘s “just ran around and played.” (Id., p. 55.)
{¶ 10} Mother testified that Son‘s 11th birthday was going to be the first time that
{¶ 11} According to Mother, as she continued to confront Son about his teacher‘s email and Son denied having missed assignments, Smith arrived home. She and Smith talked outside, then told Son he would be spanked “if he didn‘t tell the truth,” but Son “just kept to his story.” (Id., p. 67.) Mother said she asked Smith to spank Son because her spankings had no effect. She said that Smith had spanked Son once previously, for bad grades, and Son‘s grades thereafter went “from F‘s to A‘s.” (Id., p. 68.) Mother was in the living room while Smith spanked Son and she heard “[n]ot a lot” of crying; “it was just like a whimper.” (Id., p. 70.) Mother said Son “sniffled a little bit” when he came out of his room (id., p. 71), but was ready to go to his grandрarents’ house for his birthday gathering, where he was “running around,” “playing tag,” and “climbing,” and made no complaints. (Id., p. 72.)
{¶ 12} When defense counsel asked whether Mother had experienced prior
{¶ 13} Smith then took the stand in his own defense. He testified that Son and Daughter “have been a big part of my life” since Smith‘s relationship with Mother began. (Tr. p. 86.) He said that on February 12, 2018, Mother met him in the driveway when he came home from work, saying she‘d learned that Son had not been turning in assignments at school. Smith went to talk to Son in Son‘s room, where Son “got spanked for lying, it wasn‘t because he got a bad grade.” (Id., p. 91.)
{¶ 14} Smith said that before spanking Son, he told Son that Son‘s birthday party at their house was canceled and that Son would be expected to prepare a daily “essay” about the chapter he read each day for his book report. When Son “finally” admitted “he didn‘t even read the book,” Smith told him to “bend over the bed.” (Id., p. 92.) Smith testified that he “just grabbed a belt” out of Son‘s closet and “swatted [Son] two times on the butt.” (Id., pp. 94-95.) Because Son then “kept denying the whole thing,” Smith hit him “probably four or five times total maybe.” (Id., p. 95.) Smith said Son “was crying, sobbing,” but “it wasn‘t anything bad.” (Id.) He denied hitting Son with the belt while Son was sitting in the chair or hitting Son across the leg. Smith said that after the spanking, he drove the group to the birthday party at the home of the children‘s grandparents, where Son did not seem to be in any discomfort or pain.
{¶ 15} Smith testified that he had spanked Son on one other occasion, for getting
{¶ 16} Smith was charged with a single first-degree misdemeanor count of assault in violation of
{¶ 17} Smith appeals from the trial court‘s judgment, setting forth three assignments of error:
- The evidence was insufficient to support [Smith]‘s conviction for assault;
- [Smith]‘s сonviction for assault was contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence; and
- The trial court erred to the prejudice of [Smith] and abused its discretion in excluding evidence of prior disciplinary problems with [Son].
Assignments of Error #1 & #2 – Insufficient Evidence/Manifest Weight of Evidence
a. Standard of Review
{¶ 18} “A sufficiency of the evidence argument disputes whether the State has
{¶ 19} In contrast, when reviewing an argument challenging the weight of the evidence, an appellate court reviews the entire record, weighs the evidence and all reasonable inferences, considers the credibility of witnesses, and determines whether, in resolving conflicts in the evidence, the finder 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, 485 N.E.2d 717 (1st Dist.1983).
{¶ 20} Because the trier of fact sees and hears the witnesses at trial, we must defer to the factfinder‘s decisions whether, and to what extent, to credit the testimony of particular witnesses. State v. Lawson, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 16288, 1997 WL 476684 (Aug. 22, 1997). The fact that the evidence is subject to different interpretations does not render the conviction against the manifest weight of the evidence. Wilson at ¶ 14. A judgment of conviction should be reversed as being аgainst the manifest weight of the evidence only in exceptional circumstances. Martin at 175.
b. Assignment of Error #1 – Smith‘s Insufficient Evidence Challenge
{¶ 22} The assault statute under which Smith was convicted provides in part: “(A) No person shall knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical harm to another * * *.”
{¶ 23} “Physical harm” means “any injury, illness, or other physiological impairment, regardless of its gravity or duration.”
{¶ 24} Still, punishment of a child that exceeds the bounds of “reasonable corporal punishment” may constitute assault. See, e.g., City of Lorain v. Prudoff, 9th Dist. Lorain No. CIV.A. 93CA005684, 1994 WL 709667 (Dec. 21, 1994) (affirming assault conviction under
{¶ 25} We have applied an analysis that would except reasonable parental discipline from criminal culpability in cases involving charges brought under Ohio‘s domestic violence statute,
{¶ 26} Although Smith was convicted of assault rather than domestic violence,4 the foregoing cases illustrate that in order to be entitled to the benefit of the exception for reasonable parental discipline, Smith must have been both acting in the capacity of a parent and imposing “proper and reasonable” physical punishment. See Woodruff at ¶ 19. Because the record contains sufficient evidence to establish that the “spanking” Smith administеred was not “proper and reasonable,” we need not address the trial court‘s finding that Smith “did not stand in loco parentis with respect to the victim.” (Exh. 9, p. 3.)
{¶ 27} Determining whether particular conduct constitutes proper and reasonable parental discipline requires consideration of “the totality of all of the relevant facts and circumstances.” Woodruff at ¶ 19, quoting State v. Phillips, 10th Dist. Franklin No. 12AP-47, 2012-Ohio-6023, ¶ 18. “In analyzing the totality of the circumstances, a court should
{¶ 28} “[T]he nature of any physical injury inflicted * * * may be evidence demonstrating that the actor‘s conduct was not proper and reasonable parental discipline.” Thompson, 2d Dist. Miami No. 04CA30, 2006-Ohio-582, at ¶ 29, citing Hause, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 17614, 1999 WL 959184. Bruising alone may be insufficient to show that a particular form of discipline created a substantial risk of serious physical harm. See State v. Neal, 4th Dist. Lawrence Nos. 14CA31, 14CA32, 2015-Ohio-5452, ¶ 45, citing In re Schuerman, 74 Ohio App.3d 528, 532, 599 N.E.2d 728. Nevertheless, “[d]iscipline methods on a child which leave recognizable bruising and cause pain which lasts beyond the time immediatеly following an altercation between parent and the child may establish a finding of substantial risk of serious harm.” Id., quoting In re Kristen, 6th Dist. Ottawa No. OT-07-031, 2008-Ohio-2994, ¶ 69. Further, under
{¶ 29} In K.A. v. A.V., 2d Dist. Champaign No. 2018-CA-12, 2018-Ohio-4144, we affirmed the trial court‘s granting of a domestic violence civil protection order against a father who admitted to “tapping” his eight-year-old son‘s buttocks with a belt. There, the evidence showed that the “significant bruising” caused by the belt remained for weeks.
{¶ 30} Other courts have found that corporal punishment constituted unreasonable discipline in cases involving comparable еvidence of physical harm. For example, the Twelfth District Court of Appeals affirmed the assault conviction of a defendant who admitted to “spanking” his girlfriend‘s five-year-old step-granddaughter “twice on her buttocks with a belt,” where evidence showed the punishment left “numerous bruises.” Fairfield v. Terry, 12th Dist. Butler No. CA99-12-213, 2000 WL 929675, *1-2 (Jul. 10, 2000). Similarly, the Eighth District affirmed the domestic violence convictions of a mother who “spanked” her 11-year-old son with a belt “a couple of times” for repeated “dishonesty at school,” leaving welts and bruising visible on the boy‘s legs and torso the following day. State v. Jones, 140 Ohio App.3d 422, 429, 747 N.E.891 (8th Dist.2000). Both courts found the evidence sufficient to show that the punishment inflicted exceeded the bounds of reasonable discipline.
{¶ 31} In this case, 11-year-old Son testified that Smith struck Son across his buttocks and the back of his thighs “10 to 12 times” with a belt while Son was bent over his bed. (Tr. p. 11.) Smith admitted that he had “spanked” Son‘s buttocks with a belt “probably four or five times total maybe.” (Id., p. 95.) Son also claimed that Smith used
{¶ 32} Viewing that evidence under the totality of the circumstancеs and in a light most favorable to the State, we conclude that a rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime of assault proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The pain and bruising Son experienced was “physical harm” within the meaning of
{¶ 33} Smith‘s first assignment of error challenging the evidence against him as insufficient is overruled.
c. Assignment of Error #2 – Smith‘s Manifest Weight of the Evidence Challenge
{¶ 35} Smith does not dispute that the evidence presented against him satisfies the elements of assault under
{¶ 36} When asked whether the bruising depicted in the photogrаphs of Son admitted into evidence showed “a reasonable result of discipline,” Smith replied, “I don‘t think anybody would think that‘s reasonable.” (Tr. p. 104.) We agree. Although Smith denied that he was responsible for the bruises shown, the manifest weight of the evidence does not substantiate his denial. Son testified that Smith caused those bruises, which were photographed by a disinterested police officer only two days after the “spanking” with a belt that Smith admits to having administered. Son also denied having engaged in any other activity that could have been the source of that bruising.
{¶ 37} While Mother testified that Son bruises easily and has exhibited similar bruising from sports-related activities, we must defer to the trial court‘s assessment of the credibility of her testimony to that effect. See Lawson, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 16288, 1997 WL 476684. Mother offered no specific alternative explanation for Son‘s bruises, and the trial court apparently did not find persuasive her attempt to divert blame from
{¶ 38} Our assessment of the weight of the evidence is unchanged by Sister‘s, Mother‘s, and Smith‘s additional testimony that Son was wearing a coat at the time of the spanking. (See Tr. pp. 54, 70, 95, and Exhs. C & D.) Photographs of the coat Son purportedly was wearing when Smith spanked him depict a thigh-length winter jacket that is pulled above Son‘s thighs in a photograph in which Son‘s arms are raised. (See id., Exhs. C & D.) Even were the trial court to believe that Son was wearing that coat while he was bent across his bed during the spanking, such evidence would not compel a conclusion that the coat was sufficiently long and heavy to prevent a belt from causing the bruising to Son‘s thighs depicted in the police photographs. Further, although 10-year old Sister said she recalled Son wearing “[h]is coat” when he was spanked, she was “not sure” if he was wearing pants or if she was wearing a coat at that time (Tr. 54), raising doubt about the credibility of her testimony as well as Mother‘s testimony that Son already was wearing his coat and ready to leave with the family before Smith sent Son to his bedroom. We cannot say that the trial court lost its way by finding that Son‘s bruises were caused by Smith‘s use of the belt.
{¶ 39} Smith‘s challenge to his conviction as being contrary to the manifest weight of the evidence is overruled.
a. Standard of Review
{¶ 40} Because a trial court exercises discretion in deciding whether to exclude or admit evidence, we review such decisions under an abuse of discretion standard. State v. Morris, 132 Ohio St.3d 337, 2012-Ohio-2407, 972 N.E.2d 528, ¶ 19; State v. Brown, 2d Dist. Montgomery No. 27571, 2018-Ohio-3294, ¶ 17. “Generally, abuse of discretion occurs when a decision is grossly unsound, unreasonable, illegal, or unsupported by the evidence.” State v. Nichols, 195 Ohio App.3d 323, 2011-Ohio-4671, 959 N.E.2d 1082, ¶ 16 (2d Dist.); State v. Beechler, 2d Dist. Clark No. 09CA54, 2010-Ohio-1900, ¶ 60-70. A decision is unreasonable if there is no sound reasoning process that would support that decision. State v. Jones, 2d Dist. Montgomery Nos. 25315 & 25316, 2013-Ohio-1925, ¶ 32; State v. LeGrant, 2d Dist. Miami No. 2013-CA-44, 2014-Ohio-5803, ¶ 7. Review for an abuse of discretion is deferential, and an appellate court may not simply substitute its judgment for that of the trial court. State v. Darmond, 135 Ohio St.3d 343, 2013-Ohio-966, 986 N.E.2d 971, ¶ 34.
{¶ 41} As to evidentiary rulings, the rules of evidence provide:
Error may not be predicated upon a ruling which admits or excludes evidence unless a substantial right of the party is affected; and
* * *
(2) Offer of Proof. In case the ruling is one excluding evidence, the substance of the evidence was made known to the court by offer or was apparent from the context within which questions were asked. * * *
b. Analysis
{¶ 43} In his final assignment of error, Smith maintains that the trial court erred by excluding Mother‘s testimony on direct examination about disciplinary problems she experienced with Son prior to the spanking incident that led to charges against Smith.
{¶ 44} The record records that evidentiary ruling as follows:
[Defense Counsel]: Have you had disciplinary issues with [Son] in the past?
[Mother]: Yes.
[Defense Counsel]: Like what?
Prosecutor: Objection. Kind of outside the scopе of relevancy.
The Court: I think it is outside the scope, I have to agree.
(Tr. p. 73.)
{¶ 46} The record does not support a conclusion that the exclusion of Mother‘s testimony about prior disciplinary issues with Son amounted to plain error. Despite the trial court‘s ruling, Mother continued to testify that other forms of punishment – e.g., “time out, grounding [Son] from electronics, taking away free time, * * * grounding [him] from going certain places, * * * taking away things, his tablet, * * * play stations, * * * even * * * counseling * * *” – had not been as effective with Son as spanking. (Tr. p. 73.) Accordingly, regardless of the nature of Son‘s disciplinary issues that provoked the use of such other forms of punishment, the defense was able to admit evidence that non-corporal рunishment had been tried in the past but failed to cause Son to modify his behavior. We cannot say that evidence of the reasons for punishing Son in the past would have resulted in a different outcome to Smith‘s trial.
{¶ 47} Smith‘s third assignment of error is overruled.
Conclusion
{¶ 48} The judgment of the trial court will be affirmed.
DONOVAN, J. and TUCKER, J., concur.
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Christine L. Burk
Scott N. Blauvelt
Hon. Robert W. Rettich, III