Ohio Criminal Defense Lawyers

This week, Ohio Governor John Kasich commuted a second death sentence this year. Joseph Murphy, convicted of murdering a 72 year old widow in 1987, was scheduled to die at the hands of the state on October 18. Now he will serve a life sentence with no chance of parole, thanks to the Governor and recommendations by the parole board. [read more...]

So far in 2011, there have been 9 officer involved shootings in Cincinnati. Last year there were only 2. According to Cincinnati.com, this means officers have fired on civilians more this month than all of last year. While the reasons aren’t certain, some suspect young gun owners are less afraid to confront officers than they were in the past. [read more...]

Last weekend an 18 year old high school student was killed when campus police at the University of Cincinnati used Tasers to subdue him. While the actual cause of death may not be known for weeks, UC has since suspended the use of Tasers on campus until more is known. [read more...]

A new policy being implemented by the Cleveland Police is requiring them to either charge a suspect or release them within 36 hours after their arrest. Although some police officers have complained, according to The Plain Dealer, Deputy Chief Timothy Hennessy says “If you have probable cause to arrest, you should have probable cause to charge.” [read more...]

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has been running a series of investigative reports lately on the local police department. These articles have called into question the integrity of the department and have ultimately led to some serious allegations of police brutality, cover ups, and the every present and impenetrable “blue wall of silence.” Now the local department says that changes in policy will be made as a response to these cases, though they may not admit any wrongdoing. [read more...]

Governor John Kasich plans to cut the state’s prison budget and send many inmates back to the county level. While the move would likely save the state some serious money, the counties aren’t completely confident that they could handle the influx of offenders. The state has reassured the counties that it will provide funding, but some remain unconvinced. [read more...]

Judge Stacy Cook of the Lucas County Common Pleas court has a unique way of dealing with some of the offenders she sees on a daily basis. While many judges are quick to order a traditional term of probation or even jail time, Judge Cook seems to think a little further outside the box. She commonly requires offenders to write reports, 5 page reports, on topics related to their offenses. And it seems to have a positive effect. [read more...]

The Ohio Parole Board recommended Governor Kasich grant Shawn Hawkins clemency this week in a ruling of 7-0. Their issue, they say, isn’t necessarily with his guilt (he was convicted of shooting and killing two men) but with other aspects at trial. [read more...]

A package of sentencing reforms initially included in the Governor’s budget has passed the Ohio House and now heads to the Senate. There is bipartisan support on this bill that would make several significant changes that would both increase sentencing effectiveness and potentially save the state millions of dollars. [read more...]

The Superintendent of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation Thomas Stickrath announced a complete review of the way the state crime lab handled DNA samples after a few cases of contamination have come to light. “I think folks could have been more careful,” Stickrath told the local news. [read more...]