×

Davis, Mincks take stand in Rings trial

Washington County Prosecutor Kevin Rings and his lawyer Dennis McNamara wait for the start of the second day of Rings’ trial on Tuesday in Washington County Common Pleas Court. (Photo by Chad Plauche-Adkins)

The second day of Washington County Prosecutor Kevin Rings’ trial was dominated by the emotional testimony of Amy Davis.

Rings is accused of using his power as prosecuting attorney to coerce Davis into a sexual encounter. Davis pleaded guilty in June 2017 to drug trafficking charges that were prosecuted by Rings. At the same time, Davis was the victim in a kidnapping and felonious assault case which Rings, 56, was also prosecuting. Rings began texting the first of hundreds of messages between himself and Davis which culminated with Davis visiting Rings at his office in the Washington County Courthouse Annex on July 6, 2017, where Rings allegedly assaulted Davis.

Davis was questioned by Jennifer Reed, Ohio Attorney General assistant prosecutor, and defense attorney Dennis McNamara for more than two hours Tuesday. She was one of eight witnesses to take the stand. Testimony will continue today.

Davis, 33, of Belpre, discussed her drug addiction while on the stand, saying that after the birth of her third child via cesarean section, she became addicted to percocet.

When her prescription ran out Davis said she turned to finding drugs on the street. During the time she began harder drugs, which Davis said was when she was 25 or 26, she ended up losing custody of all three of her children.

Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks answers questions from the prosecution about video footage from the Washington County Courthouse on July 6, 2017. Mincks said on Tuesday that the footage shows Amy Davis leaving Kevin Rings’ office with her clothes and hair disheveled. (Photo by Chad Plauche-Adkins)

“I’m way stronger today then I was back then,” Davis said of her year-long sobriety.

Reed showed Facebook Messenger posts from Davis’ attorney Eric Fowler from June 30, 2017, the day she pleaded guilty in the drug trafficking case. The messages showed Fowler requesting Davis’ cell phone number for Rings.

Davis said she thought the messages were an odd way to communicate with the prosecuting attorney. Davis said she thought it was in regard to a case that Rings was working on where she was a victim of kidnapping and assault. She gave Fowler her cell number and Rings texted Davis a short time later.

“Hey there pretty lady send me something,” was Rings’ first text to Davis.

Davis said she began corresponding with Rings in hopes of getting on his good side because she believed he could help with her sentencing on the drug case.

In the texts, Davis sent Rings at least five texts that had suggestive photos attached, including at least one where she was wearing lingerie. Davis tried to explain to the court her reasoning behind the pictures.

“I was a train wreck back then. I was rock bottom as rock bottom gets,” she said. “I don’t know why I (sent the pictures). I wasn’t in the right frame of mind…and it felt good to be complimented.”

Davis said she was afraid of not giving Rings what he wanted in the texts.

“He had total control over a lot of things that were happening in my life,” she said. “I was scared he could max out my sentence.”

Davis was facing up to 18 months in prison for her fourth-degree felony charge.

After declining an invitation for a walk and to meet Rings in his office on July 4, Rings sent a text that the prosecution said shows coercion.

“Seems like you don’t really want to talk to me (neutral face emoji). I guess we’ll talk about all of this in court someday soon. Enjoy the fireworks,” Rings’ text said.

Davis said she was frightened about what Rings would do if she didn’t respond, so she let Rings know about her fragile state of mind in a return text.

“I’m one step away from blowing my head off…I can’t handle the stress,” Davis said in the text.

On July 6, 2017, Davis went to the Washington County Courthouse for a pre-sentencing investigation. After the investigation was complete, Davis said she went to the prosecutor’s office to talk to Rings. She claimed she was assaulted as soon as she walked through his door.

“The second I walked into the door he latched onto me,” she said.

She said Rings shut the door all but about six inches before returning to her.

“He started kissing me and making me kiss him,” she said.

She said that Rings then began unbuttoning her shirt and tried to force his hand beneath her undershirt. Davis said she held her garments tight against herself which stopped Rings from actually touching her skin. She said she finally had to push Rings off of her.

“He looked rejected. He looked pissed,” she said.

Davis said she was escorted out of Rings’ office and was taken by him down the annex’s stairs and out its door onto Putnam Street where she got into the vehicle of Timothy Collins.

Collins, who dated the grandmother of two of Davis’ children, said Davis had begun living with him approximately two years ago after he found out she was going to be homeless. He testified Tuesday that he could tell something was wrong with her when she got into his car.

“I look, her hair’s a mess…she looked all disheveled. She said ‘I can’t believe I just got molested by the prosecutor,'” Collins said.

Collins said he tried to talk about what had happened, but she just leaned her seat back in the car and didn’t say anything.

During cross examination, McNamara began questioning the texts sent to Rings by Davis after the alleged assault.

McNamara said Davis sent a text saying that Rings spending all day in an office was no way to live life.

“Casino plus strippers equals fun,” the text from Davis said.

McNamara said it was hard to believe that someone who was just assaulted would be sending texts about having a good time with someone who just assaulted them. He also said the multiple pictures sent between June 30 and July 6, 2017, didn’t show that she was offended by Rings contacting her.

McNamara also showed the court three documents pertaining to the custody and visitation rights of her three children that she swore under oath were true when she signed them.

In a document titled Change of Parental Rights signed on May 15, 2017, McNamara said Davis stated in the document that she was currently in rehab, but she was already out.

In another document titled Affidavit of Income and Expenses, McNamara said she stated that she was currently unemployed, even though she was employed, in order not to have to pay the filing fees of the document.

Regarding the final document titled Parenting Affidavit signed on Nov. 2, 2018, McNamara said in trying to gain visitation of her son, Davis said she hadn’t been convicted of any crimes even though she had already pleaded guilty to felony drug charges.

McNamara said that she had lied under oath on all the documents.

“Why should we believe you today?” he asked.

Also on Tuesday, photos were produced by the prosecution of video surveillance cameras in the Washington County Prosecutor’s Office from July 6, 2017.

Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks testified that he tried to locate Davis in the security footage after the allegations against Rings arose. He said he found footage from July 6, 2017, where Davis entered the prosecutor’s general office. Mincks described to the court what the pictures showed.

“Davis was wearing a blouse that was buttoned up…except for maybe the top button,” he said.

Mincks said the footage showed Rings escorting Davis back into his personal office before coming out almost an hour later.

“Now her blouse was completely unbuttoned all the way down,” he said. “Her hair was messed up when she came out compared to when she went in.”

Washington County Assistant Prosecutor Joe Derkin testified he remembered seeing Davis come in that day as well. He said he took notice when Rings escorted Davis back to his office and almost closed the door.

“You don’t shut the door when you’re alone with a female,” Derkin said.

Mincks said he first heard of the allegations when he was driving back from a conference in Columbus with Lt. Joshua Staats of the Major Crimes Task Force. He said Staats received a call from Vienna Police Officer Don Lindsey about Davis.

Lindsey testified that on July 16, he received a call from a confidential informant who knew Davis, and told him of the harassment Davis was receiving from Rings. After talking to Davis, Lindsey said she sent him all the texts between herself and Rings.

“Miss Davis blew my phone up,” he said.

Lindsey said he contacted Staats about the texts which Staats picked up from Lindsey a short time later and gave to Mincks via a SD storage card. Mincks then sent them to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which opened the case against Rings.

Lt. Brian Lockhart, a detective with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, testified that he spoke about Davis with Rings during an Aug. 2 meeting that was intended to discuss a plea deal with the suspects in the kidnapping and assault case. He said the conversation quickly changed to information about the interactions between Rings and Davis. He said Rings began talking about an informant who was claiming that Rings had given Davis $1,000 for drugs.

“I thought it was kind of bizarre,” Lockhart said. “I was stunned that this was going on and we really didn’t talk about the plea.”

Detective Tyson Estes of the Marietta Police Department also testified about talking to Rings about Davis after he had heard rumors.

“I heard he had met Miss Davis alone,” he said.

Estes told the court that Rings had told him that Davis “oozed with sexuality.”

Estes said he gave Rings advice about meeting Davis.

“If you’re meeting her alone, you’re (expletive) stupid,” he said.

The prosecution’s case continues today at 9 a.m. at the Washington County Courthouse.

Rings faces up to 150 days in jail and up to a $1,250 fine if convicted of the two misdemeanor charges of coercion and sexual imposition.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.15/week.

Subscribe Today