An Ohio man pled guilty to Aggravated Vehicular Homicide and other charges. A few days before the sentencing was to be held, the defendant hired a new lawyer and filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea. The judge held a hearing and denied the motion. The defendant pled guilty and was sentenced to eight years in prison. The defendant recently appealed the judge’s decision to Ohio’s Third District Court of Appeals.
The Ohio Senate passed a bill which could significantly change Ohio’s law prohibiting marijuana DUI (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio). Senate Bill 55, passed on October 8, 2025, would amend and limit the types of marijuana OVI charges. It would also revise the rules regarding evidence admissibility in marijuana OVI trials.
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 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 Ohio Administrative Code.
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.
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 thing you know, you are facing a charge of DUI (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio). Could this happen?
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 symptoms of alcohol intoxication. In addition, hyperglycemia may inflate the results of a breath alcohol test.
Columbus OVI/DUI Attorney Blog