State v. Adaranijo

Mark P. Painter, Judge.

{¶ 1} Courts should be slow to intervene between parent and child. The criminal court is not the place to resolve petty issues of discipline. The domestic violence laws are meant to protect against abuse, not to punish parental discipline.

{¶ 2} Defendant-appellant, Matthew Adaranijo, appeals his conviction for domestic violence. 1 Adaranijo was accused of hitting his teen-age daughter and of threatening to “beat the shit” out of her. After a bench trial, the trial court found Adaranijo guilty. We reverse.

A Slap and a “Threat”

{¶ 3} One evening, Adaranijo’s 13-year-old…