Supreme Court hears Youngstown man's appeal of lengthy sentence

COLUMBUS

A Youngstown man sentenced to more than a century behind bars for rape and kidnapping has asked the Ohio Supreme Court to overturn his sentence.

Legal counsel for Brandon Moore told justices Wednesday that the lengthy sentence, handed down for crimes committed as a teen-ager, amounted to life imprisonment and was unconstitutional.

“He’s not asking that he get out tomorrow or even be guaranteed release,” said attorney Rachel Bloomekatz. “But a new sentence that he’s given has to give him some sort of meaningful opportunity” for release.

Prosecutors countered that a co-defendant in the case, convicted on comparable charges, also received a lengthy sentence that has been upheld on appeal.

Moore was sentenced to prison for the robbery, kidnapping and rape of a 22-year-old female Youngstown State University student in August 2001, according to documents.

Moore and others kidnapped the woman as she arrived to work a midnight shift at a group home for disabled women. He and another man then raped her repeatedly.

Moore initially received a 141-year sentence for the crimes, but the duration was shortened to 112 years on appeal, according to documents.

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