Rausenberg appeals to Ohio Supreme Court

0

A former teacher currently serving a prison sentence after being convicted of more than 40 felonies including gross sexual imposition has filed with the Ohio Supreme Court after the Fifth-District Court of Appeals ruled against him in March.

Former Olentangy Schools teacher Matthew Rausenberg, 41, formerly of Columbus, was sentenced to 106 years in prison after he was found guilty of 34 counts of gross sexual imposition, which are third-degree felonies; four counts of kidnapping, first-degree felonies; and three counts of pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor, which are second-degree felonies, by a Delaware County Common Pleas Court jury on Jan. 25, 2016.

Since the Jan. 28, 2016 sentencing, Rausenberg has been appealing the ruling of the court.

According to court records, the attorney handling Rausenberg’s appeal, Todd Workman, argued to the Fifth-District Court of Appeals that the trial court erred several times during the case and argued that those errors led to Rausenberg’s conviction. Workman and prosecutors argued on the matter a hearing before the Fifth-District Court of Appeals on Jan. 17 and on March 23, the court issued a ruling against Rausenberg.

Court documents indicate that since the March ruling, Workman has left the case and was replaced by Columbus attorneys Jeremy A. Roth and Ermel R. Luckett.

Court records state that Roth and Luckett filed an appeal on May 5 with the Ohio Supreme Court, asking the court to overturn the ruling of the Fifth-District Court of Appeals.

First Assistant County Prosecutor Kyle Rohrer filed a response to the appeal with the Ohio Supreme Court on June 1 and requested the court dismiss the case.

“There are no substantial constitutional questions in Appellant’s propositions of law and none of the issues presented of public or great general interest,” Rohrer said.

The Ohio Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the matter.

Rausenberg’s criminal trial began on Jan. 19 and, over the course of four days, prosecutors called 25 witnesses, including nine victims and many of their parents, to testify. The defense called only two witnesses.

Rausenberg did not testify in his defense.

Many of Rausenberg’s victims and their family members testified that Rausenberg favored female students and gave them special treatment. The victims testified that Rausenberg would put them on his lap and have them read to him. However, the victims testified that he would rub their legs with his hands.

Prosecutors also showed a video that depicted Rausenberg touching a 7-year-old second-grader before making the girl rub the front of his pants. Rausenberg and members of the jury were visibly upset while the video was shown.

He resigned his teaching job at Arrowhead Elementary School after his March 2015 arrest.

Rausenberg
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2017/06/web1_rausenberg-prison.jpgRausenberg

By Glenn Battishill

[email protected]

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903 or on Twitter @BattishillDG.

No posts to display