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Can You Shoot Someone Who Breaks Into Your House?
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the people the right to keep and bear arms. However, gun laws make things much more complicated than that. Federal and state laws regulate and govern the right to possess and use firearms. Some of the laws regarding using guns for self-defense in your home have changed in Ohio. It is important to understand gun laws in Ohio, especially related to your right to use force to defend yourself in your home. Self-Defense Laws Have Changed in Ohio In most cases, you have the right to take lethal force to defend yourself in your home from an intruder. Under previous Ohio…
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Police: Teen Handling Gun Shoots 2-Year-Old Nephew
Columbus police responded to a shooting on North Monroe Avenue on August 12, 2020, just before 8:00 p.m. A 14-year-old male had been babysitting his two-year-old nephew and 1-year-old niece. A gun went off and killed the two-year-old boy. According to the prosecutor during a court hearing the next morning, the teenager had twirled the gun and fired it four times. A bullet struck the toddler and killed him. The teenager has been charged with tampering with evidence and reckless homicide. Gun Safety in the Home The news report does not detail how the teenager got the gun. However, since he was at home babysitting his niece and nephew, the…
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How Hard is it to Pass the Ohio Bar Exam?
As with any examination, the difficulty of the Ohio Bar Exam depends on the person taking the test. According to the Ohio Supreme Court, the passage rate for the July 2019 bar exam was 73.1%. First time test-takers performed better, overall, recording an 82 percent pass rate. The exam is uniform, so its difficulty is the same for each examinee. A person’s abilities, skills, education, and knowledge determine whether the person finds the bar exam difficult. However, preparation is essential if you want to pass the UBE. Many law school graduates spend months preparing for the bar exam. Some dedicate several weeks of uninterrupted, full-time preparation for the UBE. How…
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Columbus Police Investigating Multiple Shootings in About 5-hour Span
Last week the Columbus police investigated multiple shootings that occurred in the city within five hours. These shoots are just a continuation of the increase in gun violence the city has experienced in 2020. On August 4, 2020, police officers responded to a call about gunshots at a business on Westerville Road near Thornapple Drive around 10:00 p.m. No one was shot in the incident, but gunfire struck a building and five vehicles. A one-year-old child in one of the vehicles sustained injuries by shattered glass. Just about an hour later, police officers responded to a deadly shooting just after 11:00 p.m. The shooting occurred on Seymour Avenue, just north…
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Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder Arrested in $60 Million Bribery Case
Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four other individuals were arrested and accused of being involved in a bribery scheme. Two lobbyists, Juan Cespedes and Neil Clark were also arrested. Householder adviser Jeffrey Longstreth and former Chairman of the Ohio Republic Party Matt Borges were also arrested. Getting Larry Householder Elected as House Speaker According to the criminal complaint, the parties took part in a $60 million bribery scheme that lasted for several years. The scheme began with having Householder elected as House Speaker. From March 2017 through March 2020, entities related to Company A paid $60 million to Generation Now. FirstEnergy Solutions is thought to be Company A. Generation…
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City Leaders Address Violence in Columbus Neighborhoods; 3 Killed in Shootings Over the Weekend
Columbus city officials blame the coronavirus pandemic, economic hardship, and illegal guns for the city’s rash of shootings and violent crimes. In a press conference, Police Chief Quinlan, Mayor Ginther, and other local leaders expressed their concerns about the violence in Columbus. Mayor Ginther was emotional as he reminded people that these individuals are not numbers, but that they are family members who will never come home again. Chief Quinlan pointed out that there has been a decrease in people coming forward to report what they know. Without people telling the police what they know about shootings and other crimes, the officers cannot make arrests to prevent the same people…
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Courts Get Creative to Restart Jury Trials Amid Pandemic
The judicial system is not immune to the effects of COVID-19. The coronavirus shut down court systems in Columbus and throughout the United States. However, the judicial process cannot be stalled forever. People need to have a resolution in their case. Individuals being held in jail awaiting trial cannot wait forever. It is simply not fair, and it is not justice. However, the courts must balance the need to continue hearings with the need to protect individuals from the virus. It is now known that COVID-19 is airborne. It spreads through the air, as well as contact with contaminated surfaces. Therefore, the problem is how to conduct hearings and jury…
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Columbus’s Rising Murder Rate Taking a Toll on City Teenagers
Since the beginning of the year, Columbus has had 62 homicides, compared to 54 homicides for the same period last year. Ten of the homicides were juveniles. So far, seven juveniles have been arrested and charged with murder in 2020. According to Columbus Police Sgt. Joe Albert, there has been an increase in the rate of serious crimes related to juveniles in Columbus. The most recent teenage shootings occurred over the July 4 weekend. Three teenagers were shot and wounded in a drive-by shooting in Linden. Less than 24 hours later, a 17-year-old boy died from gunshot wounds. The shooter was an 18-year-old boy. The boys had gotten into a…
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Columbus Shootings Up 340% This June Compared to Last June
Many cities in Ohio and throughout the United States have experienced increases in crime rates during the first half of 2020. Columbus, Ohio, is no exception. Shootings have increased by an astonishing 340 percent in June compared to the same month last year. During June 2020, there were 117 shootings in the city, compared to just 34 shootings one year ago. Do You Need a Criminal Defense Attorney to Handle Your Homicide Charges? Some of the shootings in Columbus have resulted in a variety of homicide charges. The shootings that did not result in a fatality may have resulted in other weapons charges. However, until the state proves their cases…
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1 Dead and Multiple People Taken Into Custody After West Columbus Shooting
A shooting in West Columbus resulted in multiple arrests by the police. According to the news report, a police sergeant on a routine patrol on Sullivant Avenue at Columbia Avenue heard gunfire around 6:05 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. Upon investigation, the officer witnessed individuals from two vehicles in an alley firing guns at each other. One of the stray rounds hit the police sergeant’s vehicle. Bullets struck two other vehicles and two houses during the gunfight. Officers were able to stop one of the vehicles at 2085 West Broad Street, after obtaining a description of the vehicle. Officers took two juveniles into custody on outstanding warrants. The police…
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