Several Convictions Affirmed by Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals, Includes Multiple Homicide Cases
6/26/2020
CLEVELAND – Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley announced that the Ohio 8th District Court of Appeals has affirmed multiple convictions in seven decisions this week.
“The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office is filled with highly-skilled attorneys. Our Appeals Unit is no exception. If a decision is made to challenge a ruling by a trial court or lower appellate court, it is because our staff has done their legal homework and are convinced they will succeed,” said Prosecutor O’Malley. “Their results speak for themselves.”
The following seven decisions were issued yesterday:
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Conviction Affirmed: Chantel Boyd, 25, appealed her conviction after a jury found her guilty of Endangering Children in 2017. On May 23, 2016, she and her husband were arrested at a hospital after it was revealed they abused their four-month-old child.
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Sentence Upheld: Timothy Bennett, 29, appealed his consecutive sentences after he pleaded guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter and Having Weapons Under Disability in 2019, and violated his probation from a 2014 Trafficking conviction. On October 28, 2015, Bennett and co-defendant Corey Brown got into an argument with the male victim, 26, outside a Cleveland bar near East 185th Street. Bennett had a gun and handed it to Brown who shot and killed the victim. He was sentenced to three years in prison to be served consecutively to a 54-month sentence for the probation violation, for a total of 7 ½ years.
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Conviction Affirmed and Sentence Upheld: Brandon Smith, 29, appealed his conviction and consecutive sentences after he pleaded guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter and Kidnapping in 2018. On November 13, 2017, Smith and the male victim, 22, agreed to meet for a drug deal on Desota Avenue in Cleveland Heights. Upon meeting, Smith shot and killed the victim, took his vehicle, and fled the scene. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
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Convictions Affirmed and Sentence Upheld: Quashaun Moore, 20, appealed his convictions and consecutive sentences after he pleaded guilty in three cases in 2019. Between July 2018 and October 2018, Moore and four co-defendants were part of a criminal enterprise that robbed, burglarized, and stole from numerous victims in Lakewood and Cleveland. He pleaded guilty to Attempted Engaging In A Pattern Of Corrupt Activity and Receiving Stolen Property. On August 7, 2018, Moore and two co-defendants robbed a male victim, 29, at gunpoint at a Cleveland gas station on St. Clair Avenue. He pleaded guilty to Aggravated Robbery. On March 14, 2019, Moore assaulted a police officer who was attempting to arrest him on a warrant for the August 2018 aggravated robbery. He pleaded guilty to Attempted Felonious Assault and Resisting Arrest. The trial court imposed consecutive sentences for an aggregate prison term of 18 years.
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Conviction Affirmed: Kevin Bradley, 26, appealed his conviction after a jury found him guilty of multiple counts of Felonious Assault and Discharge Of A Firearm On Or Near Prohibited Premises in 2019. On April 4, 2018, Bradley and his family got into an altercation with his mother’s child and her family at an apartment complex in Cleveland. Bradley, his brother/co-defendant Terrance Bradley, and a third unidentified person shot at the other family killing a 22-year-old male victim. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
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Conviction Affirmed: Maurice Watson, 22, appealed his conviction after a judge found him guilty of multiple counts of Aggravated Robbery, Felonious Assault, Discharge Of A Firearm On Or Near Prohibited Premises, and Having Weapons Under Disability in 2019. On December 19, 2017, Watson and three co-defendants engaged in a shootout at a Cleveland gas station. During the shootout, a 25-year-old man and 7-year-old girl were shot but survived. Watson was sentenced to 22 years in prison.
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Conviction Affirmed: Charles Hundley, 50, appealed the denial of a motion for new trial after a judge found him guilty of multiple counts of Murder, Felonious Assault, Involuntary Manslaughter, and Having Weapons Under Disability in 2017. On December 31, 2016, Hundley shot and killed a male victim, 31, during a New Year’s Eve Party in Maple Heights. He was sentenced to Life in prison with first eligibility of parole after serving 20 years.
The Appeals Unit of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office consists of 11 Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys, including one Supervisor. The unit has numerous responsibilities, including but not limited to – post-conviction litigation, nuisance abatement litigation, drafting search warrants, assisting with the procurement of material witnesses, and representing the office before the Ohio Parole Board in parole and clemency hearings.