Last week, the 6th District Court of Appeals handed down a decision that rattled some chains in the Wood County Prosecutor’s office.
In the case of State of Ohio versus Robert E. Searfoss III, 42, of Perrysburg, the defendant appealed the jury’s decision and the appellate court overturned much of the decision. The court also alleged prosecutorial misconduct against the county office and one of the attorneys.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. Please click the button below to manage your account.
kAm$62C7@DD H2D D6?E6?465 E@ a_ J62CD :? AC:D@? :? a_`f 27E6C 2 ;FCJ 7@F?5 9:> 8F:=EJ @7 288C2G2E65 E967E[ >@?6J =2F?56C:?8[ 6?828:?8 :? 2 A2EE6C? @7 4@CCFAE 24E:G:EJ[ 8C2?5 E967E 2?5 288C2G2E65 E967E] w6 H2D @C:8:?2==J 492C865 :? |2J a_`f :? 2 `c\4@F?E :?5:4E>6?E]k^Am
kAmp== E96D6 492C86D H6C6 2D 2 C6DF=E @7 9:D 24E:@?D 2D 2? 2EE@C?6J H:E9 9:D 3FD:?6DD[ $62C7@DD {2H {{r]k^Am
kAm%96 564:D:@?[ C6=62D65 }@G] d[ H2D H6:89EJ 2?5 4@>A=6I[ 4@G6C:?8 fd A286D]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 2?2=JK:?8 :E 2?5 @FC @AE:@?D @? 9@H E@ >@G6 7@CH2C5[” D2:5 !2F= s@3D@?[ (@@5 r@F?EJ AC@D64FE@C] “pD @776?565 2D x 2>[ :E :D :>A@CE2?E E92E H6 E2<6 2?J 5:D4FDD:@? @7 AC@D64FE@C:2= >:D4@?5F4E G6CJ D6C:@FD=J] x? E9:D 42D6 :E :D >:DDE2E65 2D E@ E96:C G:6H] %96C6 :D ?@ @?6 :? @FC @77:46 H9@ H2D 6?828:?8 :? 2?J :?E6?E:@?2= :>AC@A6C 24E:@?]k^Am
kAm“(6 E2<6 E92E G6CJ D6C:@FD=J] %96J 2C6 42E68@C:K:?8 D@>6E9:?8 E96 4@FCE 2==@H65 FD E@ 5@ 2D 36:?8 @FC :?E6?E E@ 5@ D@>6E9:?8 :? G:@=2E:@? @7 E96 =2H] %92E :D ?@E E96 42D6]”k^Am
kAmx? :ED 5:D4FDD:@? @7 AC@D64FE@C:2= >:D4@?5F4E[ $62C7@DD 2==686D E92E E96 DE2E6 4@>>:EE65 E96 >:D4@?5F4E “3J @A:?:?8 2D E@ 9:D 4C65:3:=:EJ 5FC:?8 :ED 4=@D:?8 2C8F>6?E[ 56?:8C2E:?8 5676?D6 4@F?D6= 2?5 >:DC6AC6D6?E:?8 E96 =2H 2?5 6G:56?46 E9C@F89@FE EC:2=]”k^Am
kAm%96 4@FCE D2:5 E96J 92G6 E@ 564:56 :7 E96 “AC@D64FE@C’D C6>2C<D 24EF2==J H6C6 :>AC@A6C 2?5 :7 E96J H6C6[ H96E96C 2?J @7 E96 5676?52?E’D DF3DE2?E:2= C:89ED H6C6 25G6CD6=J 27764E65]”k^Am
kAm%96 2AA6==2E6 4@FCE 5:DD64E65 E96 7:CDE 2C8F>6?E @7 >:D4@?5F4E 2?5 7@F?5 :E ?@E E@ 36 4C65:3=6[ 2?5 7@F?5 E96C6 H2D ?@ >6C:E E@ E96 D64@?5 2C8F>6?E]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C E96 E9:C5 2C8F>6?E 7@C >:D4@?5F4E H2D G6C:7:65 3J E96 4@FCE]k^Am
kAm“&A@? 5F6 4@?D:56C2E:@? @7 E96 C64@C5[ H6 7:?5 E96 AC@D64FE@C’D C676C6?46 E@ E96 %CFDE r@56 2?5 E96 #F=6D @7 !C@76DD:@?2= r@?5F4E E9C@F89@FE E96 EC:2= H2D 6IE6?D:G6 2?5 :>AC@A6C] v:G6? E96 =:<6=J :>A24E E9:D 4@?5F4E 925 @? E96 ;FCJ :? :?G:E:?8 2 4C:>:?2= 4@?G:4E:@? 32D65 FA@? 2==6865 G:@=2E:@?D @7 4:G:= =2H[ H6 7:?5 E92E E96 AC@D64FE@C’D >:D4@?5F4E 56AC:G65 2AA6==2?E @7 2 72:C EC:2=[ 2?5 E9FD 4@?DE:EFE6D C6G6CD:3=6 6CC@C]”k^Am
kAm%96 2AA62=D 4@FCE 7@F?5 E92E 2C8F>6?E “H6== E2<6?[” @G6CEFC?65 9:D 4@?G:4E:@? 2?5 C6>2?565 E96 42D6 324< E@ E96 EC:2= 4@FCE 7@C 2 ?6H EC:2=] q642FD6 E96 4@FCE 7@F?5 E96 >@?6J =2F?56C:?8 4@?G:4E:@?D H6C6 ?@E DFAA@CE65 H:E9 DF77:4:6?E 6G:56?46[ 96 42??@E 36 C6EC:65 @? E9@D6 492C86D]k^Am
kAmx? E96 5:D4@FCD6 @7 :ED CF=:?8[ E96 2AA6==2E6 4@FCE 5:D4FDD65 D@>6 56E2:=D 23@FE E96 42D6 2D :E :?G@=G65 $62C7@DD’D H@C< @? 2? 244@F?E H96C6 96 H2D 3@E9 2 A2CE @7 E96 ECFDE 2?5 E96 =682= ECFDE 96 H2D C6AC6D6?E:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 4@FCE ?@E65[ “}@H[ 2D E96 5676?52?E D2:5[ 96 42?’E G2=:5=J 4@?D6?E :7 J@F 92G6 366? 5646:G65] %96 567:?:E:@? @7 5646AE:@? :D 4C:E:42==J :>A@CE2?E :? E9:D 42D6[ ?@E D:>A=J 3642FD6 :E’D 2 E967E 42D6[ 3FE 3642FD6 :E :D 2 E967E 42D6 H96C6 E96 5676?52?E H2D 2 ECFDE66] $@>63@5J H9@ @H6D 7:5F4:2CJ 5FE:6D — DA64:2= 5FE:6D — (92E D@>6 >:89E 4@?D:56C D24C65 5FE:6D]”k^Am
kAm|F49 @7 E96 42D6 7@4FD65 @? E92E ECFDE 7F?5 H96C6 $62C7@DD D6CG65 2D 2 ECFDE66]k^Am
kAm$62C7@DD 2?5 9:D 2EE@C?6JD 7@4FD65 A2CE @7 E96 2AA62= @? 2 !@H6C!@:?E AC6D6?E2E:@? 3J E96 AC@D64FE:@? H9:49 H2D ?@E DF3>:EE65 :?E@ 6G:56?46] w@H6G6C[ :E H2D FD65 2D 2 E@@= E@ 2DD:DE E96 ;FCJ @? E96 D6BF6?46 2?5 56E2:=D @7 E96 6G6?ED :? E96 42D6]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 4@?E6?E:@?D @7 E96 2AA62= :D E92E E96 !@H6C!@:?E AC6D6?E2E:@? FD65 3J @?6 @7 E96 DE2E6’D H:E?6DD6D D9@F=5 ?@E 92G6 366? 2==@H65] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 2AA6==2E6 4@FCE[ “H6 7:?5 E92E E96 !@H6C!@:?E AC6D6?E2E:@? H2D 2 A6528@8:42= 56G:46[ ?@E 2 DF>>2CJ F?56C tG:5]#]`__e] %9FD E96 EC:2= 4@FCE 6CC65 :? 2==@H:?8 E6DE:>@?J C682C5:?8 E96 !@H6C!@:?E AC6D6?E2E:@?]”k^Am
kAmxE 7FCE96C DE2E65[ “q642FD6 H6 7:?5 E92E E96 EC:2= 4@FCE 23FD65 :ED 5:D4C6E:@? :? 2==@H:?8 E96 DE2E6 E@ FE:=:K6 WE96X !@H6C!@:?E … H6 7:?5 2AA6==2?E’D 7:CDE 2DD:8?>6?E @7 6CC@C H6== E2<6?]”k^Am
kAm%96 AC@D64FE:@? 2=D@ 7:=65 2? 2AA62= 2==68:?8 E92E E96 EC:2= 4@FCE 6CC65 H96? :E 56?:65 46CE2:? >@E:@?D 2?5 :ED >6C8:?8 @7 D6G6C2= 4@F?ED]k^Am
kAm%96 2AA6==2E6 4@FCE 4:E65 7656C2= =2H :? CF=:?8 @? E96 >@?6J =2F?56C:?8 492C86D]k^Am
kAm“q642FD6 E96 C64@C5 4@?E2:?D :?DF77:4:6?E 6G:56?46 E@ DFAA@CE E96D6 4@F?ED H6 7:?5 E92E 6249 @7 2AA6==2?E’D 7@FC >@?6J =2F?56C:?8 4@?G:4E:@?D >FDE 36 C6G6CD65 2?5 G242E65] p44@C5:?8=J[ 2AA6==2?E’D E9:C5 2DD:8?>6?E @7 6CC@C :D H6== E2<6?]”k^Am
kAms@3D@? D2:5 96 E@@< :DDF6 H:E9 D@>6 @7 E96 2==682E:@?D 2?5 564:D:@?D @7 E96 2AA6==2E6 4@FCE]k^Am
kAm“(96? J@F 92G6 2 =2HJ6C 3C62< 9:D C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 4C:>:?2==J[ J@F 92G6 E@ 8:G6 E96> H92E E96J 56D6CG6] }@H E92E :D 4@?D:56C65 2 G:@=2E:@?] x 5:D28C66 H:E9 E96 7@F?52E:@? @7 E92E 7:?5:?8] (6 2C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 2A@=@8:K6 7@C 36:?8 K62=@FD] x7 H6 2D =2HJ6CD 5@?’E A@=:46 E96 AC24E:46 @7 =2H 2?5 =2HJ6CD E96C6’D =:E6C2==J ?@ @?6 6=D6 E@ 5@ E92E] (6 =2HJ6CD 2C6 2== =2HJ6CD H9@ 2C6 5FEJ\3@F?5 E@ 9@=5 E96> 244@F?E23=6]”k^Am
