MAHONING COUNTY TRIAL Woman tells of threats

The judge stopped testimony to admonish the defendant for acting up.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A Lansdowne Boulevard man accused of holding his former girlfriend at knifepoint and threatening to kill her two years ago is on trial in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
James E. Martin Sr., 49, is charged with kidnapping and felonious assault. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 18 years in prison.
During testimony Thursday, Annette Butler said she and her two children had gone to dinner the evening of May 22, 2002, with a longtime friend of hers who was visiting from Baltimore.
When they got back to Butler's home on Roslyn Drive around 10 p.m., Martin was waiting for them on the front porch. Butler told jurors that she and Martin had an "on-and-off" relationship, which she had recently ended because he was controlling and verbally abusive.
Followed them into house
Butler said Martin was jealous that she had been out with another man, even though she assured him the man was only a friend. She said Martin followed them into the house.
After the man left, Butler said Martin pulled out a knife and began threatening to kill her and himself.
"Everywhere I went, he was right behind me," Butler said.
She said that at one point, Martin put the knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. When Butler's daughter, then 14, tried to pull them apart, Martin hit the girl in the head, causing her ear to bleed.
Assistant Prosecutor Dawn Krueger said the children were able to escape, but Martin kept Butler in the house for about six hours. Butler said she tried to take the knife from him, but he twisted her arm until it broke.
Police called in hostage negotiators who finally persuaded Martin to release Butler. They used a "flash back" device to divert Martin's attention and remove him from the house. He was hospitalized for minor burns caused by the device.
Reaction to testimony
Throughout Butler's testimony, Martin appeared agitated and upset, repeatedly shaking his head and saying that she was not telling the truth. At one point, he threw his hands into the air and asked her why she was lying.
Judge James C. Evans stopped the proceedings and took Martin into his chambers, along with the lawyers and two deputy sheriffs, and admonished him for his behavior. Martin also was cautioned several times by his lawyer, Maridee Costanzo, to behave himself.
In her opening statement, Costanzo said Martin is innocent of the offenses because he is "sick" and needs treatment. She did not elaborate on the nature of his illness.
"James has had a very difficult existence," Costanzo told jurors. "He is sick, and he needs our help."
She said that because he had not taken his required medication that night, he was "not in his right mind," and therefore didn't know what he was doing.
Costanzo said Martin will testify on his own behalf, probably today.
bjackson@vindy.com