A criminal record can have profound and enduring consequences on various aspects of one's life. These repercussions extend far beyond the initial legal penalty. 1. Employment barriers A criminal record can be a formidable obstacle when seeking employment. Many...
Criminal Defense
Ohio Distracted Driving Laws – You Could Now Get a Ticket!
You may or may not have heard that Ohio passed a law allowing law enforcement to stop drivers for the use of a cell phone while driving. You may have also noticed that you have not heard of anyone getting a citation in this way. That is because, after the law...
What factors does a judge consider for sentencing?
After a criminal conviction, the judge has the final say in what will happen to you. The sentencing phase of the legal process has a lot of rules, though. A judge must follow sentencing guidelines and adhere to the general criminal sentencing principles when deciding...
How to create a strong criminal defense case
You must follow a particular set of steps when officials charge you with a crime. These are the same whether you are responsible for a petty misdemeanor or drunk driving. During your trial, you will fight your district court's prosecutor. Therefore, you need to know...
New Laws in 2023 and Expungement in Ohio
For the past several years Expungement has been one of the most sought-after topics on our website. Not only can sealing or expunging a criminal record be beneficial to many individuals, but the laws governing expungement in Ohio have been shifting and changing,...
Proposed New Law Could Change Marijuana OVI in Ohio
Marijuana laws in Ohio have become rather complicated in recent years. When medical marijuana became legal, we wrote an article called "Medical Marijuana: an OVI Trap?" We saw medical marijuana as a potential OVI trap because marijuana, unlike alcohol, can stay in a...
Do not talk to police, even when innocent
Many people believe that if they are innocent of a crime, they have nothing to fear by talking to the police. However, this is not always the case. Even if you are innocent, it is crucial to understand your rights and the potential consequences of speaking to the...
DUI and OVI while Underage / Juveniles
As you are probably aware, you have to be 16 to obtain a driver's license, 18 to be considered an adult, and 21 to be considered of legal drinking age. Because these legal ages are all different, OVI is handled differently depending on how old you are. Most drivers...
Common Questions About DUI/OVI in Ohio
Is DUI/OVI in Ohio a Felony? Whether or not a DUI/OVI is a felony depends mainly your previous OVI record. An OVI becomes a felony if you have: 3 or more OVIs in 10 years 5 or more OVIs in 20 years Any felony OVI from any period of time We go into more detail about...
When Does a Civil Protection Order Case Become a Criminal Case?
Our article on Civil Protection Orders covered the topic in a broad way. We got into most of the details in that article, but in this one we will focus on one specific important detail. Specifically, when a CPO case becomes a criminal case. Quite simply, violating...