State v. Wilson

I. Introduction

{¶ 1} In this case, the court of appeals held that the trial court’s determination that the defendant is not a sexual predator was against the manifest weight of the evidence. We find that the court of appeals erred because it did not apply the civil manifest-weight-of-the-evidence standard of review. Accordingly, we reverse.

II. Facts

{¶ 2} Appellant, Ralph Wilson, has a criminal history that goes back to 1966, when he was convicted, at the age of 17, of possession of a weapon. He was sentenced to three years’ probation and fined $50.

{¶ 3} In July 1974, a jury convicted Wilson…