Ohio

Most Gun Laws Legal Under High Court Ruling, But Chicago’s Is an Issue

Most gun restrictions are likely to survive the U.S. Supreme Court ruling yesterday that found an individual right under the Second Amendment to own a handgun for self-defense in the home. Chicago, though, has a more comprehensive ban, the New York Times reports. A lawsuit (PDF filed by the New…

Jun 27, 2008 10:57 AM CDT

Mass Defection Shutters Buckingham’s Columbus Office, for Now

After 27 of 28 lawyers in its Columbus office jumped ship for a competing Ohio law firm, Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs has temporarily shuttered its shop there. But the president of the 140-attorney firm says it “probably” will reopen its Columbus office, reports the National Law Journal. It appears that…

Jun 17, 2008 4:11 PM CDT

Ohio Judge Bars Executions Using Three-Drug Cocktail, Orders Substitute

Citing a state law, an Ohio judge has barred executions in the state using a three-drug cocktail similar to the one upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge James Burge of Elyria ordered the state to substitute a single large dose of barbiturate, the New York Times reports. The execution…

Jun 11, 2008 11:26 AM CDT

Is This ‘Professional Objector’ a Safety Check or Frivolous Filer?

Ohio lawyer Edward Siegel is a transactional lawyer with an unusual source of extra income. In these cases, he doesn’t make money from bringing lawsuits and reaching settlements. Instead he earns fees by challenging the deals that other lawyers make. Siegel is a so-called professional objector who challenges attorney fees…

Jun 5, 2008 4:20 PM CDT

IRS Employee Charged With Checking Out Celebrity Tax Records

A tax examiner in Ohio has been arrested on charges he sneaked a peek at tax information for nearly 200 celebrities. John Snyder has been charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly accessing the information on the Internal Revenue Service database, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. He is accused of checking out…

May 30, 2008 3:59 PM CDT

Law School Dean to be Ohio AG on Interim Basis

The governor of Ohio is replacing the state’s former attorney general, Marc Dann, with Nancy Hardin Rogers, the dean of Ohio State University’s law school. She will serve until a new attorney general is elected, taking a leave of absence from the law school in order to do so, reports…

May 28, 2008 7:37 PM CDT

Twice Conned by Ex-Client, Ohio Judge is On Hot Seat

An Ohio judge is facing potential discipline after being twice conned by a former client in connection with business ventures, according to court records. Back when he was still in practice, Judge Jeffrey Hoskins of the Highland County Common Pleas Court helped David Bliss win a reduced sentence in a…

May 27, 2008 7:11 PM CDT

Ohio Judge Sanctioned for Allowing Cases to Languish

For the first time, the Ohio Supreme Court has sanctioned a judge for “unnecessary and unjustified delay” in issuing rulings in pending cases. The court publicly reprimanded Judge Harry Sargeant Jr. of Sandusky for allowing cases “to languish in his court for an inordinate amount of time,” its opinion (PDF)…

May 21, 2008 12:19 PM CDT

Motive Revealed For Man Who Threatened Justice Thomas, Others

The FBI has revealed that David Tuason wrote hundreds of racially charged letters and threats to black and mixed-race men because an ex-girlfriend left him for a black man. That wasn’t the profile the FBI expected. Tuason, who pleaded guilty last week to sending the letters, reportedly admitted the motive…

May 19, 2008 6:15 PM CDT

Who is Investigating Ex-Ohio AG Marc Dann? AP Counts Six Agencies

Marc Dann has resigned as Ohio’s attorney general, but that is by no means the end of the official investigation of the alleged fraternity house atmosphere in his office that drove Dann to resign from his job earlier this week. The Associated Press says at least six investigations are ongoing…

May 16, 2008 9:37 PM CDT

Judge Frees Ohio Dad Jailed for Daughter’s Truancy

Jailed for a week after his 18-year-old daughter failed to complete her high school equivalency degree, an Ohio man has gotten another chance. Brian Gegner was released today by a Butler County juvenile court judge after an emotional hearing, reports the Enquirer. He now has until July 16 to see…

May 16, 2008 9:18 PM CDT

Prosecutor Asks Supreme Court to Block Suit by Wrongfully Convicted Youth

An Ohio prosecutor is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block a civil lawsuit against her for the role she played in the conviction of a 12-year-old boy that was later overturned. The Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in January (PDF) that prosecutor Amanda Spies of Tuscarawas…

May 15, 2008 5:02 PM CDT

Ohio AG Marc Dann Resigns, But State Probe of His Office May Continue

After sidestepping yesterday afternoon when several media reports said he was about to resign, Ohio’s attorney general stepped up to the plate today. Marc Dann, 46, announced his resignation, apparently effective immediately, despite a reported failure to work out a departure deal with state legislators and the governor’s office, according…

May 14, 2008 10:11 PM CDT

Ohio AG to Resign Over ‘Dannimal House’ Scandal?

Despite media reports that Ohio’s embattled attorney general, Marc Dann, was expected to announce his resignation today, the latest news is that he is holding on to his office, at least for now. Dann, 46, had stood his ground so far, as state legislators threatened to seek his impeachment. But…

May 13, 2008 7:51 PM CDT

Ohio AG Admits to Affair, Fires Two Aides Tied to Sex Harassment Probe

The former Democratic chairman of Ohio is calling for the resignation of Attorney General Marc Dann following a sexual harassment scandal in his office. James Ruvolo told the Dayton Daily News that Democrats “can’t stand by and hem and haw” about the scandal. “We [Democrats] came into office because of…

May 5, 2008 2:59 PM CDT