No Justice in Springfield, Allegations of Police Officer Misconduct

Join the fight to expose the corruption in the Springfield Justice System

This video clearly demonstrates that the "entering space" theory is legally fallacious under current Ohio law and factually incorrect, based on the spatial dynamics captured in multiple videos. Mr. Steward and Mrs. Donahue were attempting to navigate a public thoroughfare when they were intercepted, encircled, and assaulted by a coordinated group—a "mob" as defined by ORC § 3761.01 4—acting with a common unlawful purpose.

Mr. Steward was surrounded. He was struck first by Cara Graham (a convicted felon), and then by Amanda Ovando, and finally by Tyla Mays. He used open hands to deflect the first two blows—a textbook application of self-defense under Ohio’s "Stand Your Ground" statute (O.R.C. § 2901.09) and then proceeded to defend himself from further aggression.

The most chilling aspect is not the violence of the mob, but the complicity of the police. On body camera footage, the mob organizer, David Rose, explicitly states that Chief of Police Allison Elliot gave them "permission" to control the street. When Sgt. Mercado arrived, he did not arrest the aggressors; he arrested the victim, justifying it with the legally absurd claim that Mr. Steward "entered their space"—as if the mob had been granted sovereignty over the public way.

The system is now attempting to silence Mr. Steward through procedural warfare. In a move reminiscent of the Soviet psikhushka, our court-appointed counsel has filed a motion for a competency evaluation (O.R.C. § 2945.37), alleging that James suffers from "dementia."

This is a fabrication. Mr. Steward is lucid and intelligent and is actively assisting in his own defense. This motion is a trap designed to achieve a "soft" liquidation of the case. By labeling a criminologist, former Assistant Professor, and retired Army Medical Service Officer as "demented," the state achieves two goals: they avoid a trial where the Chief’s "permission" to the mob would be exposed, and they permanently discredit the author of the book exposing their corruption. Under O.R.C. § 2945.38, a finding of "unrestorable" incompetence would result in dismissal and the threat of civil commitment. We refuse to accept a dismissal based on a lie. We demand exoneration based on the truth.

We possess the evidence to sustain a § 1983 claim for False Arrest, Malicious Prosecution, and State-Created Danger. The damages here are significant, not only for the violation of rights but for the reputational destruction of a distinguished veteran.