Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com.
Help support the publication of case reports on MoreLaw
Date: 05-15-2020
Case Style:
STATE OF OHIO vs. TIFFANY J. MCPHERSON
Case Number: 19CA14
Judge: Jason Smith
Court: IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO
FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Plaintiff's Attorney: Paul G. Bertram, III, Marietta City Law Director, and Catherine Ingram Reynolds,
Marietta City Assistant Law Director, Marietta
Defendant's Attorney:
Need help finding a lawyer for representation for the judgment of conviction and sentence in Ohio?
Call 918-582-6422. It's Free
Description:
MoreLaw ReceptionistsVOIP Phone and Virtual Receptionist Services
Call 918-582-6422 Today
On February 15, 2019, Appellant, Tiffany McPherson, was arrested
and charged with: 1) OVI, in violation of R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(a); 2) assault, in
violation of R.C. 2903.13; and 3) driving under a suspended license, in violation of
R.C. 4510.11(A). The affidavit filed by Deputy Matthew Brown in support of the
criminal complaint stated that Brown was dispatched to 405 Greenbriar Circle,
Warren Township, Washington County, Ohio on February 14, 2019. Upon arrival
he found a Jeep SUV over a hill at the intersection of Greenbriar Circle and
Bramblewood Heights. He spoke to the caller, Kim Holdren, who advised that the
suspect, Tiffany McPherson, was at 230 Greenbriar Circle. The deputy further
stated in this complaint that upon speaking with McPherson, he could smell the
odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her person. The deputy’s sworn
statement indicated that when asked if she had been drinking, McPherson replied
that she had had a margarita with two shots of tequila, and she further admitted she
had been driving the Jeep in question. McPherson explained that she had been in
an altercation with Kim Holdren, her neighbor and former friend, during which
time her Jeep rolled back over the hill and was stopped by a tree. It appears from
the record that McPherson refused to undergo field sobriety testing, but later
Washington App. No. 19CA14 3
agreed to a breathalyzer test after she was taken to the jail. The result of her BAC
Datamaster test was .118.
{¶3} McPherson pleaded not guilty to the charges and requested a trial by
jury. On April 19, 2019, the State filed a motion for leave to amend the complaint
by interlineation, which requested that the original driving under suspension charge
be amended to allege a violation of R.C. 4510.16, rather than R.C. 4510.11(A). In
support of its motion, the State explained that the officer cited the wrong code
section due to a typographical error. On the same date, the State also filed a
motion for leave to amend the complaint to add a charge of OVI in violation of
R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(d) in light of the results of the BAC Datamaster breathalyzer
test. The trial court permitted both amendments without any objection by the
defense. The OVI charges proceeded to a jury trial on June 18, 2019. It appears
the driving under suspension charge was submitted to the trial court for decision
separately. It further appears the assault charge, which had a different case
number, was handled separately.
{¶4} The State introduced several witnesses at trial, including Brooklyn
Holdren (daughter of Kim Holdren), Kim Holdren, Deputy Matthew Brown,
Deputy Logan Schwendeman, and Sergeant Jeffrey Farrell. McPherson testified
on her own behalf, and she also called her grandfather, George Wulfert, to testify.
Washington App. No. 19CA14 4
The State further called Deputy Brown and Kim Holdren back as rebuttal
witnesses.
{¶5} Brooklyn Holdren testified that on February 14, 2019, she and her
cousin were driving home and as they approached their house on Greenbriar Circle
they saw McPherson sitting in her Jeep at a stop sign, in the middle of the road,
yelling and screaming on her phone. She testified that they waited a couple
minutes and then went around McPherson’s vehicle on McPherson’s passenger
side and pulled into Holdren’s house. She testified that she called her mom, Kim
Holdren, to come out and get her because McPherson had backed up, was behind
their vehicle blocking the driveway, and was yelling at them. Brooklyn testified
that as her mother came out and approached her car door, McPherson ran toward
her mother and started hitting her. She further testified that right at that time
McPherson’s Jeep rolled over the hill and hit a tree. Brooklyn took out her phone
and began recording the fight. She testified that McPherson then stopped and went
to her Jeep to try to move it, but that she couldn’t. Brooklyn testified that she was
close to McPherson during the incident and that she could smell alcohol when
McPherson was yelling at her. She explained that she had never seen McPherson
act that way before. Finally, she testified that law enforcement arrived
approximately five to ten minutes after the time McPherson was trying to get her
Jeep back up the hill.
Washington App. No. 19CA14 5
{¶6} Kim Holdren testified next. She explained that she was at home taking
a bath at about 11:45 p.m. on the night in question when her daughter called and
asked her to come outside because McPherson was screaming at her and
threatening her. She testified that when she went outside she saw McPherson in
her car blocking the driveway and screaming at them. She stated that when she
went to the passenger side to get her daughter, McPherson jumped out of her
vehicle and started running towards them. She testified that McPherson’s vehicle
rolled over the hill as McPherson was assaulting her. She testified that she could
smell alcohol when McPherson got in her face and that “[i]t was unreal.” She said
she didn’t know what made McPherson stop, but that it was possibly because her
daughter was calling law enforcement. She testified that McPherson ran to her
Jeep and tried to give it gas for five or ten minutes while Brooklyn was on the
phone. She stated that McPherson ended up running down the street toward her
grandparents’ house and that law enforcement arrived approximately three to five
minutes after McPherson had been trying to start her Jeep.
{¶7} Deputy Matthew Brown, who initially responded to the incident, also
testified. He testified that he arrived to find a Jeep over a hill and began looking
for the occupant. He testified he saw multiple people outside the house at 405
Greenbriar, the address to which he was dispatched. He was informed that
McPherson went down the road to 230 Greenbriar. Deputy Brown testified that it
Washington App. No. 19CA14 6
took him less than one minute to drive there and that when he was approaching the
door he could hear arguing coming from inside. He knocked on the door and
McPherson answered. He testified that as he was talking to her he noticed an odor
of alcohol on or about her person. He noted McPherson was quite upset and
belligerent and asked her if she had been drinking. McPherson answered yes and
stated that she had had four beers. Part of the video from the deputy’s bodycam
was played for the jury, however, there was no audio for a large portion of the
video. When McPherson wouldn’t agree to field sobriety testing, he advised her
she was going to be arrested and another deputy escorted her to the cruiser. He
further testified that McPherson agreed to take a breathalyzer test after they arrived
at the jail and that the result was .118. He clarified that the call that night was
initially received at 11:50 p.m., that he was dispatched at 11:52 p.m., and that he
arrived at Holdren’s residence at 11:54 p.m. On cross-examination, he conceded
that he failed to note in his report that McPherson told him she had four beers that
night.
{¶8} Deputy Logan Schwendeman testified next. He testified that he
administered McPherson’s BAC Datamaster testing. He explained that he was a
certified administrator and a senior operator, and that he followed all Department
of Health procedures when administering the test. He further testified that he
verified the machine was properly calibrated. He testified that he could smell an
Washington App. No. 19CA14 7
odor of alcoholic beverage on McPherson’s person when she arrived at the jail that
night and that McPherson was very talkative and commented that she had only had
one margarita. He testified that McPherson’s BAC result was .118 at the time of
the test, which was at 12:52 a.m.
{¶9} Sergeant Jeffrey Farrell also testified. He explained that although he
was not present when McPherson was tested, he was authorized by the Ohio
Department of Health to conduct testing and calibration. He testified that he had
reviewed the logbook and noted that McPherson’s test results were recorded. He
further testified that he verified the machine was working properly and had been
properly calibrated both before and after her test. At the conclusion of Farrell’s
testimony, the State rested its case.
{¶10} Tiffany McPherson testified on her own behalf at trial and presented a
very different scenario than that presented by Brooklyn and Kim Holdren. She
testified that she lives with her grandparents and cares for them and had gone to
pick up food at a nearby restaurant at approximately 9:30 on the night of the
incident. She testified that she drank one margarita while she was waiting for the
food. She explained that she did not have two shots of tequila in her drink, but she
instead had requested a different type of tequila be put in the drink. She testified
that she felt fine after drinking it, took the food home, packed her overnight bag,
talked to her son and his friend, and asked to borrow her grandfather’s Jeep. He
Washington App. No. 19CA14 8
consented and so she left to go to her boyfriend’s house. She testified that as she
was stopped at a stop sign, she sent a text to her boyfriend. She stated that she was
not in the middle of the road, and that you have to pull out to be able to see at that
intersection.1
She testified that a car came upon her and instead of passing her on
her driver’s side, the car passed her on her passenger side, causing her to have to
swerve.
{¶11} She testified that the car pulled into a driveway where her former
friend, Kim Holdren, lives. She assumed it was Kim and also assumed Kim knew
it was her in the Jeep. She testified that the she backed up, but did not block
anyone in, and rolled down her window and yelled to ask if Kim was in the car.
When no one answered her, she got out of the car and walked over. She testified
that Kim came out of the house, grabbed her, and then Kim slipped and fell. She
stated Kim proceeded to kick mud in her face.2
She testified that upon hearing
Brooklyn ask her not to hurt her mom, she walked down over the hill to her Jeep
and tried to move it but couldn’t. She testified that she gathered her things and
walked home. She further testified that she had cans of beer in her bag and that
she drank two beers really quickly as she walked home. She stated once she
arrived home and woke her grandfather up, she drank four more beers and even
1
Although it appears McPherson was referring to a map throughout her testimony, the map is not part of the record. 2
A video of the events that was taken on Brooklyn Holdren’s cell phone was played for the jury.
Washington App. No. 19CA14 9
had a beer in her hand when Deputy Brown came to her door. She stated that it
was a while before law enforcement came to her door and disagreed with the
timeframe described by the Holdrens. She explained that she was not intoxicated
at the time of the incident at the Holdren residence and, at that time, she had only
had one margarita nearly two hours prior. She testified that she refused to take
field sobriety tests because of the way she was treated by one of the officers.
{¶12} George Wulfert, McPherson’s grandfather, testified next. He testified
that McPherson seemed normal and was not under the influence of alcohol when
she left the house that night. He testified that when she came back home that
night, she was loud, nervous, “a little bit out of it,” and had a beer in her hand. He
testified that she had a beer in her hand when the deputy came to the door. He
testified that he believed she drank at least one or two beers at the house after she
returned. He further testified that only four or five minutes passed from the time
McPherson woke him up until the deputy arrived. The defense rested after Mr.
Wulfert testified.
{¶13} Thereafter, the State called two rebuttal witnesses. First, Deputy
Brown was called. He testified that McPherson did not have a beer in her hand
when she answered the door and did not indicate to him that she had been drinking
immediately prior to his arrival. He testified regarding the timeframe of the events.
Specifically, he explained that the dispatch call came in at 11:50 p.m. and that one
Washington App. No. 19CA14 10
minute and fifty seconds into the call you can hear an engine revving (which was
explained to be McPherson trying to get her Jeep out of the mud). He testified he
arrived at the Holdren residence at 11:53 and then found McPherson at her
residence two to three minutes after that. Kim Holdren was also called as a
rebuttal witness. She testified that she didn’t see McPherson drinking anything
when she took off running, but she could see that she was carrying a purse and a
bottle of something. While she couldn’t tell what kind of bottle it was, she testified
that McPherson smelled like alcohol when she was assaulting her.
{¶14} The two OVI charges were submitted to the jury for deliberation.
McPherson was ultimately acquitted on the charge of driving under the influence
of alcohol but was found guilty of the charge of driving with a prohibited
concentration of alcohol in her breath. Further, the trial court found her guilty of
the driving under suspension charge. McPherson now brings her timely appeal,
setting forth a single assignment of error for our review.
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR
I. “APPELLANT’S CONVICTION FOR OPERATING A VEHICLE WITH
A PROHIBITED BLOOD-ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION WAS
AGAINST THE MANIFEST WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE IN
VIOLATION OF ARTICLE IV, SECTION 3 OF THE OHIO
CONSTITUTION.”
Washington App. No. 19CA14 11
LEGAL ANALYSIS
{¶15} In her sole assignment of error, McPherson contends that her
conviction for OVI was against the manifest weight of the evidence. In support of
this contention, McPherson argues that the evidence introduced by the State failed
to demonstrate that she was legally impaired at the time she was operating her
vehicle. More specifically, McPherson points to testimony that she consumed
alcohol between the time she was operating her vehicle and the time she took a
breathalyzer test. She also argues that the breathalyzer reading was not credible.
The State contends, however, that McPherson’s conviction was supported by the
weight of the evidence and should not be reversed.
{¶16} “In determining whether a criminal conviction is against the manifest
weight of the evidence, an appellate court must review 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.” State v. Brown, 4th Dist. Athens No. 09CA3, 2009-Ohio-5390,
¶ 24, citing State v. Thompkins, 78 Ohio St.3d 380, 387, 678 N.E.2d 541. A
reviewing court “may not reverse a conviction when there is substantial evidence
upon which the trial court could reasonably conclude that all elements of the
offense have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.” State v. Johnson, 58 Ohio
Washington App. No. 19CA14 12
St.3d 40, 42, 567 N.E.2d 266 (1991), citing State v. Eskridge, 38 Ohio St.3d 56,
526 N.E.2d 304, paragraph two of the syllabus (1988).
{¶17} Even in acting as a thirteenth juror we must still remember that the
weight to be given evidence and the credibility to be afforded testimony are issues
to be determined by the trier of fact. State v. Frazier, 73 Ohio St.3d 323, 339, 652
N.E.2d 1000, citing State v. Grant, 67 Ohio St.3d 465, 477, 620 N.E.2d 50. The
fact finder “is best able to view the witnesses and observe their demeanor, gestures,
and voice inflections, and use these observations in weighing the credibility of the
proffered testimony.” Seasons Coal Co. v. Cleveland, 10 Ohio St.3d 77, 80, 461
N.E.2d 1273 (1984) (per curiam). Thus, we will only interfere if the fact finder
clearly lost its way and created a manifest miscarriage of justice. Moreover, “[t]o
reverse a judgment of a trial court on the weight of the evidence, when the
judgment results from a trial by jury, a unanimous concurrence of all three judges
on the court of appeals panel reviewing the case is required.” Thompkins at
paragraph four of the syllabus, construing and applying Section 3(B)(3), Article IV
of the Ohio Constitution.
{¶18} Here, McPherson was convicted of one count of OVI in violation of
R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(d), which provides, in pertinent part, as follows:
Washington App. No. 19CA14 13
(A)(1) No person shall operate any vehicle, streetcar, or trackless
trolley within this state, if, at the time of the operation, any of the
following apply:
* * *
(d) The person has a concentration of eight-hundredths of one
gram or more but less than seventeen-hundredths of one gram by
weight of alcohol per two hundred ten liters of the person's
breath.
As set forth above, McPherson’s breathalyzer test resulted in a reading of .118,
which is above the per se limit and falls within the range contained in R.C.
4511.19(A)(1)(d).
{¶19} Throughout the trial, the defense argued that the main question at
issue was whether McPherson was under the influence or had a prohibited
concentration of alcohol in her system at the time she was driving her vehicle on
the night in question. As we’ve already noted, McPherson was acquitted on the
under the influence charge. As such, the question of whether she was under the
influence at the time she was operating her vehicle is not at issue on appeal.
Instead, the primary question before us is whether the jury’s determination that
McPherson had a prohibited concentration of alcohol in her breath at the time she
Washington App. No. 19CA14 14
was operating her vehicle, as opposed to the time she submitted to a breathalyzer
test, was against the manifest weight of the evidence.
{¶20} McPherson claims her breathalyzer result of .118, which was clearly
over the legal limit, was due to alcohol she ingested after the incident with Kim
Holdren that night, and that she had only had one margarita approximately two
hours before she became involved in an altercation, which led to her Jeep rolling
over a hill. She claims the bulk of the drinking she did that night took place during
her walk back to her grandparents’ house after the incident and before law
enforcement arrived. She directs us to her trial testimony as well as Mr. Wulfert’s
testimony to support her argument.
{¶21} McPherson argues on appeal that she didn’t inform Deputy Brown the
beer she had been drinking took place after the incident because she thought he
was there to charge her with assault, not OVI. She further argues that although the
State introduced testimony indicating both law enforcement and witnesses stated
she smelled of alcohol, there was no testimony regarding from where the smell was
originating or the intensity of the smell. She raises multiple additional arguments
that primarily relate to the question of whether she appeared to be under the
influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. However, because she was
acquitted on that charge, we conclude these arguments are not relevant on appeal.
Whether McPherson appeared to be under the influence of alcohol ultimately has
Washington App. No. 19CA14 15
no bearing on whether she tested above the legal limit. She also argues that both
Brooklyn and Kim Holdren had a motive to testify unfavorably toward her.3
{¶22} As to the breathalyzer tests results, however, McPherson argues, for
the first time on appeal, that “[t]he State’s evidence with respect to the breathalyzer
itself was also not credible.” She argues the officer who administered the test did
not calibrate the machine either before or after her test, and that the deputy who did
the calibrations was not on duty at the time she was tested. She further argues that
Deputy Schwendeman’s qualifications to administer the test were in question
because he testified he was no longer a senior operator at the time of trial. None of
these arguments were raised at the trial court level. Moreover, McPherson did not
object to the admission of the breathalyzer test results at trial. Thus, to the extent
McPherson is arguing that the deputies’ testimony regarding the testing should not
have been allowed or that the breathalyzer test results should not have been
admissible, the arguments are waived. It is well-settled law in Ohio that appellate
courts will not consider as error issues that are raised for the first time on appeal.
State v. Osborne, 4th Dist. Adams No. 18CA1064, 2018-Ohio-3866, ¶ 15, citing
Schade v. Carnegie Body Co., 70 Ohio St.2d 207, 210, 436 N.E.2d 1001 (1982);
see also Ohio Performance, Inc. v. Nelson, 4th Dist. Scioto No. 94CA2226, 1995
3 Although it was never elaborated upon, it appears McPherson had accused Kim Holdren of stealing $30,000.00
from her grandparents. This allegation is what caused the rift in the friendship.
Washington App. No. 19CA14 16
WL 103634, (Mar. 7, 1995) (“It is axiomatic that a litigant's failure to raise an
issue in the trial court waives the litigant's right to raise that issue on appeal. * * *
Litigants must not be permitted to hold their arguments in reserve for appeal, thus
evading the trial court process.”).
{¶23} Here, the record before us includes evidence that McPherson drove
erratically, left her vehicle in the street, engaged in a physical altercation with a
neighbor, and allowed her own vehicle to roll over a hill and hit a tree. There is
witness testimony indicating there was a smell of alcohol coming from McPherson
as she was yelling at the Holdrens and McPherson admitted she had consumed
alcohol prior to the incident. Although she testified she had only consumed one
margarita prior to the incident, the arresting officer testified she told him she had
consumed four beers, without any explanation that it was after the incident.
Furthermore, there was testimony that she told the officer who administered her
breathalyzer that she had consumed a margarita. Additionally, there is evidence in
the record regarding the manner and method in which her breathalyzer test was
administered, and there was no objection to the admission of the test results.
{¶24} As we have already explained, the weight to be given evidence and
the credibility to be afforded testimony are issues to be determined by the trier of
fact. State v. Frazier, supra, at 339, citing State v. Grant, supra, at 477. The jury,
as the trier of fact, is free to accept or to reject any and all of the evidence and to
Washington App. No. 19CA14 17
assess witness credibility. Further, a verdict is not against the manifest weight of
the evidence simply because the fact finder opts to believe the State's witnesses.
State v. Brooks, 4th Dist. Ross No. 15CA3490, 2016-Ohio-3003, ¶ 32, citing State
v. Chancey, 4th Dist. Washington No. 15CA17, 2015-Ohio-5585, ¶ 36, citing State
v. Wilson, 9th Dist. Lorain No. 12CA010263, 2014-Ohio-3182, ¶ 24, citing State v.
Martinez, 9th Dist. Wayne No. 12CA0054, 2013-Ohio-3189, ¶ 16. A fact finder is
free to believe all, part, or none of a witness's testimony. Brooks at ¶ 32, citing
State v. Scott, 4th Dist. Washington No. 15CA2, 2015-Ohio-4170, ¶ 25; State v.
Jenkins, 4th Dist. Ross No. 13CA3413, 2014-Ohio-3123, ¶ 37. Thus, in the case
sub judice, the jury, after hearing and observing the witnesses, obviously found the
testimony of the State's witnesses credible. “It is not our job to second-guess the
jury where there is evidence from which it could reach a guilty verdict; we must
defer to the jury's credibility and weight determinations.” State v. Burris, 4th Dist.
Athens No. 16CA7, 2017-Ohio-454, ¶ 31. Furthermore, we cannot conclude this is
an “ ‘exceptional case in which the evidence weighs heavily against the
conviction.’ ” Thompkins, supra, at 387, quoting State v. Martin, 20 Ohio App.3d
172, 175, 485 N.E.2d 717 (1st Dist.1983).
Outcome: As such, after review of the record, we cannot say that the jury lost its
way or created a manifest miscarriage of justice when it found McPherson guilty of
OVI in violation of R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(d). Accordingly, we find that
McPherson’s conviction was not against the manifest weight of the evidence. We
therefore overrule McPherson’s sole assignment of error.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: