Ohio Supreme Court rejects new trial for Trumbull County man charged with murder
The Ohio Supreme Court has refused to hear the appeal of Felix Brown, a Trumbull County convicted murderer who wanted a new trial, according to the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s office.
In March, Ohio’s 11th District Court of Appeals denied the bid by Brown, 65, who was sentenced to an aggregate 18 years to life in prison for the 1995 shooting death of 26-year-old Monica Brandon in Niles.
In a statement from Chief Justice Kennedy, the court denied jurisdiction in the case, which means Brown will continue to serve his sentence at Grafton Correction Institution, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Officials said Brown was also eligible for parole, but the Ohio Parole Board earlier this year continued his sentence until his next parole hearing, which is set for December 2027.
In a letter written by Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins opposing Brown’s parole, the public official urged the parole board to reject any bids for release by Brown, calling him a sociopath and a “high-risk” offender.
“He had been sentenced to prison previously four times, and it only took him 22 days on parole to kill an innocent victim,” Watkins wrote.
In August 2023, Brown’s motion for a new trial was denied by retired Trumbull County Judge Andrew D. Logan. Brown’s claims of abuse of discretion and prejudice against him were then rejected by 11th District Judges Eugene Lucci, Matt Lynch and Robert Patton. In 2000, the Supreme Court denied jurisdiction in another rejected appeal by Brown.
Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Sanders represented the state in the recent appeals made by Brown.