If you are arrested for DUI (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio), you can lose your driver’s license immediately, before even going to court or seeing a judge. That loss of driving privileges, imposed by the BMV (not a court), is an Administrative License Suspension (ALS).
The ALS is triggered by a single document completed by the arresting officer: the BMV Form 2255. That form was revised in 2025. The revisions are important in the context of Ohio’s implied consent law and can affect the validity of an ALS.
An Ohio man was involved in a single-car accident. Officers responded to the accident scene and suspected the man was under the influence. The officers requested that the man perform field sobriety tests, and the man refused. He was then charged with Operating a Vehicle under the Influence (OVI). What happens when an OVI suspect refuses to perform field sobriety tests in Ohio?
A man driving a pink child’s jeep was arrested for driving under the influence (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio). The man was planning to walk to meet a friend for a Slurpee and decided to drive a toy Barbie Jeep instead. Could someone in Ohio be charged with OVI on a toy Jeep? What about other non-traditional ‘vehicles’?
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 breath test, commonly called a PBT. What you decide to do can have an impact on your court case if you are charged with DUI (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio) or another alcohol-related offense.
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 rationale behind the principle, and the process followed when the issue is raised.
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 combat this problem, Ohio law enforcement agencies are now using oral fluid testing to help determine intoxication from marijuana and other drugs.
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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 a lesser offense. The case is State v. Horst.
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 of OVI at least once? How are repeat OVI offenses in Ohio treated differently than first offenses?
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 those charges, and the judge imposed a prison term of 7 years to 10.5 years. Yuran appealed the sentence to the 11th District Court of Appeals, claiming the sentence was unlawful.
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 convictions; (3) Oral fluid testing in OVI cases; and (4) Aggravated Vehicular Homicide penalties when a defendant has prior OVI convictions. This article addresses the changes in that order.
Columbus OVI/DUI Attorney Blog