Several large, publicly traded companies call Cincinnati their home, while many other big corporations have regional offices or other important business hubs here.
Likewise, lots of individuals in the area, and throughout Ohio, invest in the stock market and other regulated securities. One need not be independently wealthy in order to do so.
Ohio prisons are 30 percent over capacity right now, which is one of the reasons that many experts are supporting a ballot measure that would make the possession of a low-level drug a misdemeanor instead of a felony. Ohio is heading to the polls and will be voting on Issue 1, a proposal that's getting a lot of pushback.
Non-criminal parole violations would also not be sent back to prison if Issue 1 passes. As a result, it is expected that the state would save around $100 million, and the measure would put aside a major proportion of that for addiction treatment. This is because many believe that incarceration often comes in the way of recovery. Where the threat of punishment would work for the majority of the population, those familiar with treating drug addicts believe that the average drug addict does not think the same way an average sober person does.
White collar crime charges are serious, even when it does not seem like it. It may be tempting to underestimate the potential impact that a conviction of these charges can have, but in reality, a person may be facing years behind bars. Individuals facing allegations of white collar criminal activity, including environmental crimes, would be wise to start learning more about their defense options.
Environmental crimes are those that harm or could potentially harm the environment. Both individuals and organizations can face charges over violation of state or federal regulations, such as illegal waste dumping and much more. Environmental law is complex, and it may be beneficial to seek experienced guidance when facing these charges.
Ohio residents reading the newspapers or listening to the news often hear that a certain person or group has been charged with committing a number of crimes and mostly assume that if someone has been charged with committing a crime, they most certainly must have committed it. However, many people are not aware of the process known as criminal charge stacking-the process of adding more criminal charges than is actually fair.
Police officers have a lot of discretion when pressing criminal charges and this ends up in charges that are not substantiated by the facts existing at the time of the arrest. This is quite common when it comes drug crimes, as the crimes of drug trafficking and possession are often conflated together. Arguments such as why would someone have multiple small amounts of drugs if they were not intending to sell it are common in front of jurors and more often than not, they work. The podcast 'Serial', focusing its third season on the legal system in Ohio, also brought the matter into the limelight, pointing out that this is often a tactic employed by prosecutors to get defendants to plead down to lesser crimes.
While many people facing criminal charges may find themselves getting a prison sentence, this is not always the result of a conviction. Depending on the type of the crime one has committed, the severity of it, the defendant's criminal history, their age and the effect of the crime on others, different types of sentences could be pursued. Alternative sentencing can be especially beneficial when it comes to dealing with minor drug crimes, as an Ohio defendant could get treatment for an addiction rather than penalized for it.
One of the options available, known as pretrial diversion, is taking the defendant out of the ordinary course of prosecution to get the charges dropped if certain conditions are met. For minor drug offenses, as mentioned above, this could mean counseling and probation, along with the condition that the individual stay out of trouble. This gives the defendant the opportunity to demonstrate that he or she can behave responsibly. If the requirements are met, the charges could end up being dropped.
It happens quite more frequently than we like to think-we see a nice quote or picture on the Internet and we include it in our speeches or presentations. Most of the time, we portray the work as our own without realizing that someone is actually the author and might own the copyright to that work. As a result, many Ohio residents end up infringing a copyright without even realizing it.
Copyright infringement takes place when a copyrighted work is reproduced, performed, distributed or displayed without the author's permission. The author is the person who created the original work and the owner has the copyright in a work unless they have signed a written agreement assigning the copyright to someone else. This usually happens when an author assigns their copyrights to their publisher.
Many Ohio residents may not even be aware that they have controlled substances in their pockets or that they commonly ingest substances that are considered drugs. Prescription drugs, such as opioids, are considered controlled substances, but possessing them is legal if the person has a valid prescription for it.
So what then is prescription drug abuse? It is when someone takes a drug that was not prescribed for them or takes a dosage larger than what was intended. Additionally, it can also be a crime to transport medicines across state borders in containers they were not originally in. Furthermore, it can also take place when the person who prescribes the medicine does not have the proper license to do so. There are also strict limitations on who can refill a prescription and how many times. In Ohio, drugs obtained through prescription fraud can result in serious penalties.
When Ohio voters go to the polls on Nov. 6, they will have many important decisions to make. Perhaps you are among those reading about the issues and learning about the candidates so you can make informed choices. One of the most controversial questions the election seeks to answer involves the fate of those arrested for drug possession.
With the nickname "Issue One," the Neighborhood Safety, Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Amendment seeks to change the penalties for drug possession by amending the state's constitution. If you face drug charges, you may be interested in knowing what the ballot initiative proposes and how it affects your case and your future.
A previous post highlighted how lightly many individuals take the term 'misdemeanor' and accept criminal charges, including those related to drug crimes, classified as such. However, even the slightest blemish on one's record can have long-term repercussions-it can prevent someone from getting the job they want, live in the building they have been coveting and even play a role in child custody and visitation disputes.
Additionally, the financial costs add up-court fees, costs of coming to and fro the court and even lost employment opportunities while someone was waiting in prison for their day in court. Those proposing to push a criminal charge to a misdemeanor do not mention all of these factors and as a result Ohio residents may rush to accept a settlement that is not beneficial for them in the long run.
When someone has made the offer of pleading down a felony conviction to a misdemeanor, many people jump at the chance without fully understanding what it is that they are agreeing to. This is especially the case when someone is facing drug charges, as a means to avoid the uncertainty of a criminal trial and the cost of going through the long haul. But a new podcast focusing on the criminal justice system in Ohio highlights the flaws in this way of thinking.
Serial, perhaps the most popular podcast of all time, is focusing on an Ohio city for this season and attempting to point out how life is for someone caught, rightly or wrongly, on the other side of the law. The first episode follows someone who is arrested on criminal charges-she faces assault charges for responding to a provocation and accidentally striking a police officer in the face in the process.
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