[OH] Chief Nussle wins! No one produced pics of girlfriend's injuries at his jury-less trial

...[M. D.] claimed Nussle slapped her across the face, knocking her down... kicked her and spit on her 18 times at her home. Special prosecutor Terry Swauger produced no photos of injuries as evidence... Nussle said he never hit the woman... [Niles Municipal Judge Thomas] Townley's decision simply said, ''After review of the evidence, the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt''...

Bench trial finds Warren fire chief innocent of misdemeanor assault
The judge said Warren police failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Youngstown Vindicator, OH
October 15, 2008
[Excerpts] Warren Fire Chief Ken Nussle has been found innocent of hitting a former girlfriend in her Trumbull Avenue home. Niles Municipal Court Judge Thomas Townley rendered a verdict in the case Tuesday, saying the Warren Police Department “failed to establish the case beyond a reasonable doubt”... Warren Municipal Court Judges Terry Ivanchak and Thomas Gysegem had recused themselves from the case, as had the Warren city prosecutor. The misdemeanor assault case was handled as a bench trial, meaning without a jury. Nussle, reached Tuesday afternoon by phone, said he is glad the case is behind him... Nussle’s former girlfriend, [M. D.], filed a report Feb. 2 with the Warren Police Department, saying Nussle, 44, of Warren, hit her with an open hand, kicked her in the ribs and spat on her in the early hours of Jan. 31. During the trial, witnesses [? the bar owner and a cop?] testified that DiCenso had been drinking wine at a private club on Chestnut Street in Warren that evening and Nussle was drinking a nonalcoholic beverage. Another person at the club had to carry the woman to Nussle’s car, witnesses said. Nussle said he never hit the woman. [Full article here]

Fire chief cleared in assault case
Tribune Chronicle
By CHRISTOPHER BOBBY cbobby@tribtoday.com
October 15, 2008
[Excerpts] Warren fire Chief Ken Nussle said he felt vindicated Tuesday morning after Niles Municipal Judge Thomas Townley found him not guilty of a misdemeanor assault charge filed by a former girlfriend. ''There was an (plea) offer. But if you're innocent, it's more about principle. I wouldn't take a plea,'' Nussle said. ''If I would have touched that woman, I would have considered any plea offer a gift." Townley's decision simply said, ''After review of the evidence, the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.'' Both Nussle and his former girlfriend [M. D.] testified in the bench trial... Although allegations originated in Warren, the case was transferred to Niles after Warren Municipal Judge Thomas Gysegem cited a potential conflict with hearing the case. [M. D.] claimed Nussle slapped her across the face, knocking her down... kicked her and spit on her 18 times at her home. Special prosecutor Terry Swauger produced no photos of injuries as evidence. Nussle, who lives on Fairmont Avenue N.E., testified he picked up [M. D.] at her home and went to the club, where she drank wine and he drank a non-alcoholic beer. The choice of drinks was confirmed in other testimony from the club operator and an off-duty Warren police officer, who was at the club at the time and another patron. Nussle said that after a disturbance [?] inside the bar, [M. D.] was carried out to his car by the bar owner and taken home. He said [M. D.] crawled ''on all fours'' up the stairs and went to bed, and he did likewise after taking off his boots in the dining room. Nussle said he was awakened about 1 or 1:30 a.m. with [M. D.] nudging him and telling him to go home. The chief said he put on his clothes and went home, where he received a series of threatening calls from [M. D.] - calls he said continued after a protection order was issued. She filed a police report three days later. [Full article here]

OLDER:

Pretrial hearing set
Youngstown Vindicator, OH
February 7, 2008
[Excerpt] ...Police noticed injuries on DiCenso, but she refused medical assistance. Nussle declined to comment, only to say he wasn't guilty. [Full article here]