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Tuesday, August 5, 2025

Five Jury Trials Mark a Busy Week for Muskingum County Courts

Zanesville, OH - Last week in downtown Zanesville Jurors were busy hearing multiple cases in numerous courtrooms. A total of five juries were empaneled during the week, with each one securing a conviction.

“It was an exciting week,” according to APA John Litle who handled two of the trial cases last week. “Every case our office tried this week had its own challenges, and it is empowering to work with a team of tough prosecutors taking on the difficult cases that justice requires us to pursue to the end.”



ROBERT GUY

On Tuesday, a panel of jurors convened in front of visiting Common Pleas Judge Dan Hogan to hear another case against Robert Guy.

In 2024 Guy was accused of sexually assaulting a minor. When he learned of the allegations, Guy armed himself with a handgun and threatened to shoot himself. During his trial for the sexual assault case, Guy admitted he possessed the firearm although he was legally prohibited from doing so.

Guy was charged with having weapons under disability, a felony of the third degree. During the trial for the sex offense, Guy’s wife invoked her marital privilege not to testify against her husband. Instead, her previous testimony about the gun was admitted.

Guy, represented by Columbus attorney Tamas Tabor, was convicted of the weapons offense in the case prosecuted by assistant prosecuting attorney Connor Dever.

The State will be requesting a maximum sentence for Guy at a later date, given his demonstrated danger to the community and his refusal to accept responsibility.



STEVEN STALL

In front of Muskingum County Court Judge Jay Vinsel, assistant prosecuting attorney Lucas Howard presented the State’s case against Steven Stall, who stood accused of a road rage incident. Stall, represented by local attorney Benjamin Whitacre, was convicted of assault after the two-day trial and was sentenced to sixty days in jail.

Stall previously had the opportunity to accept responsibility and serve thirty days.



DONALD CUNNINGHAM

In front of Common Pleas Court Judge Gerald Anderson, Donald Cunningham appeared before a jury of six men and six women who heard about an assault that occurred at a local drug house. The jurors deliberated for nearly two hours before finding Cunningham guilty of tampering with evidence for destroying the video of the event, as well as obstructing official business for attempting suicide-by-cop at the time of his arrest.

The jurors were unwilling to believe the victim because of several factors: the drug use that occurred in the home, the overall chaos surrounding the situation, and Cunningham’s decision to delete evidence that would have proven his guilt.

Judge Anderson immediately sentenced Cunningham to the maximum consecutive sentence of four years in prison as a result of the guilty verdicts in the case.



JOHN PULLIE

Thursday morning, assistant prosecuting attorney Connor Dever began the case of John Pullie. Pullie is a Zanesville man who was on trial for violently intimidating personnel at the Zanesville Municipal Court, including Municipal Court Judge Andrew Joseph. Jurors listened to Pullie’s threatening messages demanding payment from the Municipal Court because of a previous case in that court.

Jurors heard from witnesses, including Judge Joseph, who described Pullie’s violent threats against the Judge and his staff. The jurors found that Pullie was guilty of menacing, but not guilty of demanding money.



DAVID KIRKBRIDE

Finally, also on Thursday, assistant prosecutor Lucas Howard presented the case of David Kirkbride to a jury in front of Common Pleas Judge Gerald Anderson. Kirkbride, who hid from deputies in a van because he had an active arrest warrant, was convicted of obstructing official business, a felony of the fifth degree, as well as assaulting a police dog.

Jurors heard testimony explaining how Kirkbride refused to follow police orders to get out of the van. Due to Kirkbride’s refusal to follow orders a K9 unit was used to secure the cooperation of the defendant. K9 Deputy Panzer accomplished the arrest of Kirkbride by leaping into the vehicle, conducting a single apprehension bite, and dragging Kirkbride to a safe position for deputies to take him under control.

When a person obstructs law enforcement officers in the completion of their duties, the crime is a misdemeanor. But when they do so in a manner that risks or results in physical harm to themselves or others, the crime is a felony.

At the conclusion of the case, Judge Anderson revoked Kirkbride’s bond and ordered a pre-sentence investigation. Due to Kirkbride’s decades-long history of criminal behavior, his refusal to accept responsibility, and his failed attempt to obtain false testimony on his own behalf, the State will be requesting a maximum sentence at a later date.

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