CINCINNATI — The man accused of threatening WCPO 9 chief meteorologist Steve Raleigh before an assault outside the Montgomery Inn Boathouse last June was delivered a mixed verdict by a jury after a three-day trial.
Troy Morrow was the defendant accused of posing a threat of violence against Raleigh after a car accident on June 22 in the parking lot of the Montgomery Inn Boathouse. A jury on Friday found Morrow not guilty of misdemeanor menacing, but he was found guilty of disorderly conduct.
Morrow was issued a $50 fine, and his court costs were waived.
The trial centered around the events that led up to an assault after the car accident. Kyle Raleigh, Steve's son, previously pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor assault charges for his role in the assault involving Morrow and his parents, Doug, 79, and Lois, 76.
The trial arguments hinged on the moments before Kyle Raleigh tackled Troy Morrow. At issue was whether Troy Morrow took a fighting stance when he approached Steve Raleigh after the accident, and whether he took his shirt off in an aggressive manner. Steve Raleigh took the stand and said he felt threatened. Kyle Raleigh took the stand and told the jury that he was acting to protect his dad. Troy Morrow did not take the stand, but the prosecution argued that the threat of violence wasn't there based on video evidence, and the specific details of that interaction that were shared with police in the immediate aftermath of the incident, compared to what was shared later, were inconsistent.
The jury ultimately decided that Troy Morrow's acts did not rise to the level of menacing, but did find him guilty of disorderly conduct.
Lois and Douglas Morrow on June 20 filed a civil lawsuit against Kyle Raleigh. They're seeking compensatory damages in excess of $25,000, claiming their medical bills and lost wages from their injuries as a result of the assault total more than $44,000.
In that lawsuit, the Morrows wrote that Kyle Raleigh "at the time of the assault was under the mistaken belief that his father was in danger and that acting physically and violently to protect his father was a necessary action."
