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 [...]
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 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 [...]
Informants. They aid law enforcement and we hear about them all the time and know that they are out there. We hear about them on TV shows, movies, and the news stations report on arrests being made based on an “anonymous” tip. How important are informants and do they hold as much weight as they [...]
There are plenty of ways for young people to get into trouble with the law. Underage drinking, possession of alcohol, drug possession and DUI, coupled with the youthful desire to experiment. Parents need to know that normal adolescent development includes rebellion, experimentation and rejection of parental values. Teens are always trying to become an adult [...]
A basic tenet of the American legal system is that to be justly punished for a crime, a defendant must be found to have actually committed the offense in question (actus reus) and to have had the mental capacity to have committed the act consciously, knowingly, and purposefully (mens rea). The two major principles that [...]
When the Trayvon Martin case became a national story, it attracted a lot of attention to Florida’s "Stand Your Ground" law and implicitly every other state’s laws that determine when you can kill someone legally. Locally, the case raises a question: Under what circumstances can a person kill in self-defense in Hamilton County and avoid [...]
For many, having a large party or gathering of friends to celebrate Prom Night is a rite of passage. Not all kids, but for many there is also the temptation to either have alcohol served, or to consume alcohol at these parties. As much as parents may not like to think about it, the truth is [...]