Trumbull County sex offender’s appeal won’t be taken by Ohio high court

The Supreme Court of Ohio this week announced it won’t hear the appeal of a convicted sex offender from Trumbull County.

Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy made an entry stating the court declines to accept jurisdiction of the appeal of Elijah D. Peters, 21, formerly of Thompson-Sharpsville Road.

Peters on July 21, 2022, had pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, two counts of gross sexual imposition, two counts of rape and one count disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. He was later sentenced by Judge Ronald J. Rice to serve an indefinite prison term of 10 to 15 years.

Peters, who is now housed in Belmont Correctional Institution, was convicted of engaging in sexual conduct with two minor victims and sending nude pictures of himself to a third minor.

After his sentencing hearing in September 2022, Peters appealed to the 11th District Court, claiming the trial court erred in finding him competent to stand trial saying such finding was against the manifest weight of the evidence.

However, 11th District Judges Matt Lynch, John Eklund and Eugene A. Lucci in June 2023, found there was reliable, credible evidence to support the competency finding. The appellate court cited the testimony of Przemyslaw Kapalczynski, a staff psychiatrist at Heartland Behavioral Healthcare, who had treated Peters for over four months since his admission to the Massillon facility on Dec. 9, 2021.

The doctor told the trial court he believed Peters could assist in his own defense at trial, including testifying competently.

Arguing the case in 11th District appeal for the state was Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Sanders of the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s office. The defense attorney was Michael A. Partlow of Stow.