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SHOOP v. CASSANO 

THOMAS, J., dissenting 

(Ohio App., Nov. 10, 1976).  Over his first 21 years in cus-
tody, Cassano participated in over 100 fights and stabbed 
four  people.  Once,  he  stabbed  a  fellow  inmate  approxi-
mately  32  times  before  the  victim  escaped.    State  v.  Cas-
sano, 96 Ohio St. 3d 94, 98, 2002-Ohio-3751, ¶¶3, 25, 772 
N. E. 2d 81, 87, 89. 

In 1997, prison officials assigned Walter Hardy to be Cas-
sano’s cellmate.  That decision angered Cassano, who said 
he “ ‘didn’t want that snitching ass faggot in his cell.’ ”  Id., 
at 95, 772 N. E. 2d, at 87.  Cassano told other inmates that 
if Hardy was not removed, he would “ ‘remove [Hardy] him-
self.’ ”  Ibid.  It was no bluff.  A few days later, a corrections 
officer responded to a scuffle in the cell.  He found Cassano 
standing  over  Hardy  and  stabbing  him  with  a  shank.
Hardy pleaded for help, yelling, “ ‘he’s killing me, he’s stab-
bing me.’ ”  Ibid., 772 N. E. 2d, at 88.  As the officer waited 
for backup, he ordered Cassano to stop.  Ibid.  But Cassano 
kept stabbing Hardy until backup arrived and the officers
entered the cell.  Hardy later succumbed to the roughly 75
stab wounds Cassano inflicted on his head, neck, back, and 
chest.  Id., at 96, 772 N. E. 2d, at 88.  A nurse checked Cas-
sano  for  injuries.  Ibid.    His  only  complaint  was  that  his 
shoulder was tired.  Ibid. 

State prosecutors charged Cassano with capital murder
in March 1998, and the state trial court appointed him de-
fense counsel.  But, by May 14, 1998, Cassano no longer ap-
proved  of  his  appointed  counsel.    That  day,  he  filed  two 
pro se  motions.    One,  labeled  a  “Waiver  of  Counsel,”  said 
that Cassano wanted to control his own defense.  The other, 
labeled a “Motion for Appointment of Substitute Counsel,” 
said that his counsel was ineffective and asked the court to 
appoint  him  another  lawyer.    When  the old  counsel  with-
drew, the trial court appointed the requested attorney along
with  two  others.    The  court  did  not  explicitly  rule  on  the
motion  for  waiver  of  counsel.  See  1  F. 4th  458,  462–463 
(CA6 2021).