ent was reversed and remanded for a new trial (5-6). Even though the appellate court reversed and remanded the trial court's decision, it was not done for the right reasons. The testimony given by the appellant, immediate family, and experts should have clearly persuaded the jury to find Williams not guilty. The appellate court's decision shows how ineffective expert testimony on battered women's syndrome can be in our present court system. Case #3- State v. Thomas On September 15, 1993, Teresa Thomas was indicted for killing her boyfriend Jerry Flowers. At the trial, the defendant claimed that she had shot Flowers in self-defense and that she suffered from the battered woman syndrome. Thomas was found guilty of murder with a firearm violation on December 20, 1993. The Ohio Appellate Court's 8th district reviewed the case and affirmed the appeal. Appellant argues that the trial court failed to instruct the jury on the retreat doctrine and that the court failed to properly instruct the jury on the battered woman syndrome. The Ohio Supreme Court reviewed the case (State v. Thomas, 1). Appellant testified that she had a very violent relationship with Flowers. She told the court that Flowers had forced her to quit her job, sent her to the emergency room for a shoulder injury, and gave her an ovarian cyst from punching her in the stomach. Appellant also testified that Flowers had denied her food for three to four days at a time, forced her to clean up his defecated clothing, and forced her to have sex without her consent. A few weeks prior to the shooting, Flowers had repeatedly threatened the appellant's life and forced her to have anal intercourse against her wishes. Appellant used BWS testimony to further support her claim of self-defense. Dr. Jill Bley, a renowned psychologist, testified that the appellant did suffer from the battered woman syndrome and that she reasonably believed she was in imminent danger at the time of the sho...
