YOUNGSTOWN, OH – The Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office announces that the Seventh District Court of Appeals of Ohio denied the appeals of John Morgan. Morgan was convicted in 2024 of Felonious Assault, Murder, and Voluntary Manslaughter after he shot and killed a man outside a home. During his jury trial, Morgan maintained his innocence, claiming he acted in self-defense.
His appeal argued that the jury instructions were confusing and misleading. However, the Court found that “The jury instructions given (during this trial) were a correct statement of the law as they followed OJI (Ohio Jury Instructions) on self-defense.” The Appellate Court found sufficient evidence that John Morgan did not act in self-defense. Morgan also alleged ineffective assistance of counsel, claiming his attorney failed to file a motion to suppress dash camera evidence. In response, the Court stated, “…The failure to file a motion to suppress the dash cam evidence does not amount to ‘a reasonable probability’ the result of the trial would have been otherwise had the motion been granted.” The Court ultimately rejected Morgan’s claims and denied his application to reopen the case. The 7th District Court of Appeals denied his request to reopen twice.
Assistant Prosecutor Kristie Weibling wrote the Prosecutor’s Office’s response to Morgan’s appeal.
