Cases | 2006-Ohio-6220(Ohio Ct. App. 2006) | 2018
The defendant pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter following the shooting death of the defendant’s girlfriend by the defendant’s friend. The friend claimed the death was accidental as he had only intended to scare the victim into dropping domestic violence charges against the defendant. The state awarded four individuals a total of $50,000 from the Crime Victims Reparations Fund in connection with the death of the victim. The Fund filed suit against the defendant to obtain repayment of the money distributed to the victims. The trial court found for the Fund and ordered the defendant to pay the $50,000. The defendant appealed, arguing that he could not be liable to the Fund as he did not kill the victim and that the award would be collected twice as the defendant’s friend, convicted of murder, was already making payments to the Fund. The appellate court found that the defendant was convicted of an offense connected to the death of the victim and that defendants are jointly and severally liable to the Fund for repayment of awards connected with the criminal conduct that gives rise to the payments to victims. The order of repayment was affirmed.