Ohio Criminal Defense Lawyers

In his latest attempt to crack down on drug smuggling in the state, Governor John Kasich announced his support of a proposed law that would make having a secret compartment in your vehicle a fourth degree felony. The compartment wouldn’t actually have to be used for drugs for you to be charged, its mere existence would be enough. [read more...]

The Cincinnati Police Department has a fairly modern policy for when police can initiate and continue a traffic pursuit. But this policy definitely hasn’t stopped the cops from making hasty decisions and occasionally getting involved in accidents as a result. As a matter of fact, city police chases end in accidents far more often than the national average, despite these stricter policies, according to Cincinnati.com. [read more...]

Federal agents will soon be knocking on doors in some of the more violence-prone neighborhoods of Cleveland. They will be asking questions and hoping for willing cooperation in their attempt to assist the city in reducing gun violence. [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...]

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...]

An investigation by The Plain Dealer reported this week that Cleveland police were improperly closing sexual assault investigations-leading to potentially  dozens of cases where suspects were never identified and allowed continued freedom, potentially hurting others. [read more...]

The Department of Justice has joined a class action civil suit against the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department that alleges deputies have used stun guns in an “excessive, cruel, and inhumane” manner, depriving inmates and detainees of their rights. While it isn’t the same as filing criminal brutality charges against the department and deputies involved, it could serve to usher some major change in the way the department uses their taser weapons. [read more...]