Columbus OVI/DUI Attorney Blog
Being charged with Vehicular Homicide or Vehicular Assault is stressful. Individuals in that situation often experience feelings of guilt and fear. For those individuals, it would be helpful to have a solid understanding of the offense they are charged with, the penalties they are facing, and the court process ahead of them. It would also be beneficial for them to learn about the evidence used in court and possible defense strategies. Two new books contain this useful information: the Ohio Vehicular Homicide Guide and the Ohio Vehicular Assault Guide.
Why These Books Were Written
During the pandemic, I wrote the Ohio DUI / OVI Guide. I wrote that book because, for the past two decades, I have been asked recurring questions about DUI cases (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio). The guide answers most of the questions people have when charged with OVI. It is a great resource for my clients, and it also allows me to help people who are not my clients by providing them with answers to frequently asked questions.
After writing that guide, I felt a desire to create the same type of resource for people charged with Vehicular Homicide and Vehicular Assault. Some of the topics covered in the Ohio DUI/OVI Guide apply to these serious vehicular crimes. However, there are complexities in cases of Vehicular Homicide and Vehicular Assault which are not encountered in OVI cases and are therefore not discussed in the Ohio DUI/OVI Guide.
Separate Books for Separate Offenses
When I began planning, I intended to write one book which would cover both Vehicular Homicide and Vehicular Assault. As I began writing, I decided to instead write one book on Vehicular Homicide and one book about Vehicular Assault. I figured a reader would likely be charged with either Vehicular Homicide or Vehicular Assault, so it would be more reader-friendly to have a separate book on each offense.
The Contents of the Books
The first part of each book describes the offenses and their consequences. Both Vehicular Homicide and Vehicular Assault can be committed in various ways. The way the offense is committed is the primary factor in determining the level of the offense and the potential sentence. Each offense has misdemeanor and felony versions, and the nuances become complicated. Writing this paragraph confirms I made the correct decision to separate the content into two books!
The second part of each book describes the evidence used in court. One category of evidence in these cases, which is not part of the typical OVI case, is accident reconstruction. The books explain the collection of evidence in the accident investigation, and the scientific evaluation of that evidence in the accident reconstruction.
The third part of the books illustrates defense strategies used in these types of cases. The strategies applied to a client’s case depend on the unique facts of that case. The fourth part of the book describes the court process. The process depends, in part, on whether the case is a felony or misdemeanor. The process may vary slightly from court-to-court, but this section of the books gives clients a clear picture of what to expect when they appear in court.
The final part of each book is designed to help readers make decisions about how to handle their cases. It is the last part of the book because the decisions should be made after the reader has developed a good understanding of the evidence, defenses, penalties, and court process. The books are available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats.
Defendants Deserve Representation and Information
Every person in this country has a Constitutional right to effective representation, regardless of the nature of the offense. When the offense involves serious physical harm or death, it is common for the public to jump to conclusions, presume guilt, and demonize the accused. Those accused of Vehicular Homicide and Vehicular Assault deserve the presumption of innocence and need information. For those individuals, I hope these books are valuable resources.