Imagine you’re stopped by a police officer, and the officer suspects you’ve been drinking. They ask a few questions and mention they smell alcohol. The officer then reaches for a small handheld device and says, “I just need you to blow into this for me.” That device is a portable…
An Ohio appellate court affirmed a judge’s finding that a defendant charged with DUI (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio) was competent to stand trial. The requirement of competency to stand trial is a long-standing principle based on traditional philosophies of fairness in criminal proceedings. This article discusses the definition of incompetency,…
The defendant in an Ohio Vehicular Homicide/Vehicular Assault case filed a motion to suppress the results of his blood test. Blood test results may be suppressed for various reasons. In this case, the defendant argues the blood test did not comply with the requirements of the Ohio Revised Code and…
The headline from a recent article read, “Narcotics-based OVIs Rise in Ohio”. A police officer interviewed for the article said he has observed an increase in the number of drug-related OVIs. A representative of the Ohio State Highway Patrol reported fatal marijuana-related crashes rose 52% from 2019 to 2023. To…
A recent appellate case involves two legal issues which are often litigated in Vehicular Homicide and Vehicular Assault cases in Ohio. The first issue is the admissibility of expert witness testimony. The second issue is whether the jury should be instructed about the option of finding the defendant guilty of…
Imagine you are camping in your RV and enjoying some adult beverages. A police officer approaches your RV, and you are sitting in the driver’s seat with the keys in the ignition. The officer smells the odor of alcohol and asks you to get out for sobriety testing. The next…
A previous article in this blog discussed the potential impact of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) on an investigation for DUI (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio). Hypoglycemia is not the only blood sugar condition which may affect an OVI investigation. Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) may also cause symptoms which overlap with the…
With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, many people in Ohio will be celebrating at bars. Most of those people will drive home, and some of those people will be arrested for DUI (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio). How many of those arrests will involve drivers who have already been convicted…
A former Pennsylvania state trooper was involved in a two-vehicle automobile crash, and the driver of the other vehicle died as a result. The former trooper, Joseph Yuran, was charged with Aggravated Vehicular Homicide as a second-degree felony and Operating a Vehicle under the Influence (OVI). Yuran pled guilty to…
The law governing DUI (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio) is going to change. House Bill 37, signed by Governor Mike DeWine, becomes law on April 9, 2025. The legislation changes four separate areas of law: (1) Driving privileges and ignition interlock devices for OVI license suspensions; (2) Financial penalties for OVI…