The Ohio Supreme Court is poised to consider if a 2003 law designed to reduce the cost of medical malpractice insurance can bar a 94-year-old Marine veteran from taking home the entirety of his $1.5 million jury award. After John Paganini, of Mentor, lost an eye due to an ophthalmologist’s error following routine cataract surgery,

On September 16, 2025, the Ohio Supreme Court declined to review State v. Shepherd, a case addressing a change of plea. Only Justice Patrick Fischer dissented.   When a defendant pleads guilty to criminal charges, Ohio’s Rules of Criminal Procedure allow a defendant to seek the withdrawal of their plea either before or after a judge imposes their sentence. Under Ohio Supreme Court precedent, although presentence motions to withdraw a plea are not an “absolute right,” it is equally established that they

In a 6-1 decision, the Supreme Court of Ohio recently declined to review State v. Joseph, a case that raised issues of juror bias during a controversial trial in Springfield, Ohio. On August 22, 2023, a tragic accident occurred when a school bus was struck by a vehicle driven by Hermanio Joseph, a Haitian immigrant. One child died. Several others

A recent Eighth District decision overturning a rape conviction raises fundamental questions about how Ohio law defines consent when victims are impaired. Under the governing statute, prosecutors must prove that a defendant knew or had reasonable cause to believe the victim’s ability to resist or consent was substantially impaired because of a mental or physical condition. “Substantial impairment” refers to a

In August, the Ohio Supreme Court agreed to review the state’s appeal of an Eighth District Court of Appeals decision concerning firearm enhancements and the trial court’s authority to determine the appropriate sentence for a criminal defendant. With only Justices Jennifer Brunner and Joseph Deters dissenting, the Court may very well alter the current power distribution inherent in Ohio’s criminal justice system where the prosecution brings the charges, the defense presents mitigating factors in favor of leniency, and the judge ultimately determines the appropriate

The Supreme Court of Ohio recently agreed to review a case addressing whether the signal of a drug-sniffing dog that jumped up to a car window during a traffic stop can be used as probable cause to search a car for drugs. Justices Pat DeWine, Joe Deters, and Megan E. Shanahan dissented, indicating they would not have taken up the case.  The issue in State v. Barton centers on whether such a canine sniff constitutes a “search” within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment, particularly when it involves