Colleges and Drinking Underage

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 [...]

“Pharm” Parties and Teenagers

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 [...]

Self Defense

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 [...]

Prescription Drugs and DUI / OVI

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 [...]

Pulled Over?

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 [...]

Routine Traffic Stop Turns Into Arrest

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

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. [...]

Juvenile Defense

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 [...]

Longer Prison Sentences for Drug Crimes Are Unproductive

Longer prison sentences do not reduce crime, according to a new study from the Pew Center. The study compares length of prison sentences by state and type of crime from 1990 to 2009. The study also analyzes the relationship between time served and the resulting impact on public safety.  This study is completely upside down [...]

Entrapment Defense in Ohio

Entrapment is a defense that can be used in a criminal case.  This type of defense will give the alleged offender a justification for the offending conduct. Entrapment occurs when law enforcement and/or confidential informants give the alleged offender an opportunity to commit criminal conduct.  The key to the entrapment defense is that the alleged [...]

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