A Hamilton County jury acquitted UC nursing student Jasmine Blake of murder on Sept. 25 but convicted her of two felonious assault counts related to the Feb. 1 shooting death of her girlfriend, Diamond Rice. The verdict left unresolved whether Blake acted in self-defense.
Blake testified that Rice attacked and strangled her, and that she shot because she feared for her life. Prosecutors said Blake had not told 911 operators or police about strangulation and showed no physical signs of strangulation or abuse; they cited cellphone videos showing Blake striking Rice with a gun and argued Rice was unarmed when shot. Blake’s lawyer said the videos did not show the shooting or what happened immediately beforehand.
Blake’s attorney, Clyde Bennett II, called the verdict “legally erroneous” and said she intends to appeal. She faces five to 11 years in Ohio prison and is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 29. If an appeals court orders a retrial, prosecutors cannot pursue murder charges again; the new proceeding would be limited to the felonious-assault counts.
