Court dismisses former teacher's appeal

The Twelfth District Court of Appeals has dismissed the appeal of a Clinton County woman who was convicted of sexual battery involving a former student.

According to a press release from the court's Web site, Robin Pickering pleaded guilty to sexual battery, a second-degree felony. The charge alleged that Pickering, a teacher in the East Clinton School District, was sexually involved with a former female student, beginning when the child was in sixth grade. The Clinton County Common Pleas Court found Pickering guilty and sentenced her to four years in prison.

On appeal, according to the release, Pickering's attorney informed the court he could find no basis for any error at the trial court level and requested that the court of appeals conduct an independent review of the record for possible errors.

In a unanimous decision filed Feb. 22, appellate judges William W. Young, Stephen W. Powell and Robert P. Ringland dismissed the appeal. The appellate judges independently reviewed the record and concluded that no errors were committed at the trial court level, and that there was no basis for a reversal.

The decision of the Twelfth District Court of Appeals dismissed Pickering's appeal and granted her appellate counsel's motion to withdraw.