Under an Ohio Supreme Court ruling this month, prosecutors can keep DNA on file to use as evidence for future cases, even if there was an acquittal on the charges for which the DNA was taken. When you hear about DNA evidence in the criminal justice system it typically involves those wrongfully accused being exonerated [...]
Accused of committing a sex offense in Ohio? There is a lot to be concerned about. In Ohio, almost any type of non-consensual contact or any type of sexual activity or communication with a minor is criminalized. Unfortunately, a number of Ohio sex crimes are prosecuted as felonies, which means that if the defendant is [...]
Colleges around the country are actively taking measures to reduce the number of underage drinking incidents on their campuses. Many schools have completely eliminated the use of alcohol during fraternity and sorority recruitment. Some, monitor the tailgating activities that involve alcohol and some have even banned outdoor activities that involved alcohol in the past. Of [...]
Have you seen all the news reports on “Pharm Parities” recently? These parties are small groups of gathered kids/teens who have collected an assortment of prescription pills – usually stolen from their parents or bought on the black market. Many different scenarios; to get into the party, they have to have supply, or they might [...]
In Ohio, a person has a legal right to use force to defend himself, another person, his house, or even his property. The level of force that may be lawfully used varies, of course, depending on the circumstances of the case. A claim of self-defense is typically raised by a person accused of murder, attempted [...]
Everyone, it seems, is taking a prescribed pill for something. Some of these pills are more dangerous than others. Blood pressure pills won’t be much of a problem. What about Percocet or Xanax? How about Prozac or common ADHD medicines? These can cause some problems. Occasionally, prescription pills can make appear like you have been [...]
IF you ever see the blue/red lights behind you and were to get pulled over; know this, the officer will be observing your driving behavior at THAT moment for anything unusual: attempting to flee; responding slowly or failing to respond to the stop command; swerving abruptly; stopping suddenly or striking the curb or another object [...]
Last month, an Ohio college football player was arrested during a routine traffic stop. Now he faces a drug charge. This is the perfect example of how things can escalate beyond the simple traffic violation in Ohio. Because of this, you, as a driver in Ohio must be familiar with your automobile rights and possible [...]
Conspiracy is when two or more people agree to commit a crime or participate in something illegal. According to Ohio law, only general intent has to be proven in court , even if the illegal act was never carried out, only the intent to break the law is enough to get you charged with conspiracy. [...]
Complicated for anyone, the Ohio legal system can both overwhelm and intimidate those who do not have legal knowledge. In particular, minors accused of juvenile defenses. Most are unaware of their rights and the legal protection that is available to them. This summer, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of requiring some juvenile offenders facing possible [...]