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The 11th District Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Tabitha Dunch, who was sentenced to an indefinite prison term of four to six years on Oct. 23 for felony convictions of drug and firearm possession.
11th District Judges Robert J. Patton, Matt Lynch and Eugene A. Lucci rejected Dunch's appeal, stating the trial court made no error in applying factual findings to governing law. Dunch stated in her appeal the trial court errored in ruling against suppressing the drug and firearm evidence found during Dunch's traffic stop by Liberty police, according to the Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office.
Dunch, 39, of Cortland, was sentenced by Judge Sarah T. Kovoor on Nov. 5, 2025. During a previous evidence suppression hearing, Liberty officers claimed that the traffic stop was made because Dunch's vehicle had an improper license plate bracket and tinted plastic plate cover. Dunch claimed there was no legal reason for the stop.
During the search of the car, Liberty police officers uncovered nearly 60 grams of methamphetamine, 38 fentanyl pills, one amphetamine pill and a loaded firearm.
However, Patton wrote the judge properly denied Dunch's motion to suppress because the officer at the hearing testified he believed he had seen improper equipment and then noticed a bracket and decorative material had covered the bottom of the registration with tinted cover over the entire registration, which provided the officer with probable cause to make the stop.
Dunch will continue to serve her prison sentence for convictions of the seven drug and gun possession felonies at the Northeast Community Correction Center. She is scheduled for release in September 2029.
Assistant Prosecutor Gina Thomas represented the state during the trial, while the appeal was handled by Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Charles Morrow. Dunch was represented by attorney Alexander Keane at trial and by attorney Brian A. Smith during appeal