Ohio Supreme Court Settles Habitual OVI Offender Sentencing - DUI Appeals Reports - 4/15/2016

Ohio Supreme Court affirms the OVI Habitual Offender Specification found in the R.C. 2941.1413.

State v. Klembus, 2016 Ohio 1092 (2016).

http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2016/2016-Ohio-1092.pdf

March 22, 2016

Klembus was sentenced to one year for a Fourth Degree Felony OVI and one year for the repeat-OVI specification, to be served consecutively.  He appealed, and the Eighth District agreed, holding that the repeat OVI offender specification violated equal protection because OVI penalty and the specification require identical proof yet impose different penalties.  Subsequently, the First, Second, Third, Eleventh, and Twelfth Districts rejected the Eighth District opinion.

The Ohio Supreme Court reversed the Eighth District, and in upholding the specification reasoned, "The possibility of longer prison sentences for those who continue to violate Ohio's OVI statute is rationally related to the state's legitimate interest in punishing offenders and protecting the public from the dangers of impaired driving."

If you are interested in criminal defense services, or have been charged with an OVI, consider reviewing our DUI Defense Services at http://SivinskiLegal.com

DUI Appeals Reports 3/23/16

DUI Appeals Reports 3/23/16

The 9th District avoids an evaluation of the constitutionality of the OVI repeat offender specification by holding the trial court erred in granting motions to dismiss, before the defendants were found guilty of or sentenced to the specification.

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DUI Appeals Reports 3/11/16

DUI Appeals Reports 3/11/16

The 11th District holds that the OVI repeat offender specification is Constitutional and the only grounds to challenge prior convictions must be based on a lack of counsel, while the 12th District holds that the speedy trial clock for subsequent OVI charges based on chemical tests does not begin to run at the time of the original OVI charge.

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DUI Appeals Reports 01/04/16

DUI Appeals Reports 01/04/16

The Second District joins the Third, Eleventh, and Twelfth Districts in rejecting an equal protection challenge to the OVI Repeat Offender Specification statute, while the Eighth District's opinion finding an equal protection challenge is awaiting review with the Ohio Supreme Court.

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DUI Appeals Report 12/17/15

DUI Appeals Report 12/17/15

The 5th District holds that a police officer can detain a driver after an alleged hit and skip even when there is no obvious damage to the vehicles, and a person refuses a urine test when only attempting to provide a sample for 5 minutes without asking to try again; the 10th District rejects a constitutional challenge to the per se marijuana OVI statute; the 5th District concludes there is reasonable suspicion to conduct field sobriety tests when there are driving violations, eyes were bloodshot and glassy, there was an odor of alcohol coming the vehicle and the defendant outside of the vehicle, it was 11:35 p.m. on a Friday evening, and the defendant admitted to just leaving a bar; and the 11th District uses res judicata to reject constitutional challenges to the OVI specification when brought on a motion for post-conviction relief.

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DUI Appeals Reports 12/9/15

DUI Appeals Reports 12/9/15

The 1st District overturns a high tier conviction OVI conviction because it had been improperly amended from a low tier charge, the 12th District confirms that OVI and aggravated vehicular homicide charges need not be merged, the 11th District holds that the repeat OVI offender specification does not violated the Constitution, and the 12th District holds that tampering with drugs is not a crime when it is done during an impaired driving/bar fight investigation.

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DUI Appeal Reports 11/24/2015

DUI Appeal Reports 11/24/2015

The 8th District reaffirms that the maximum sentence for a third-degree felony OVI without a specification conviction is 3 years while the 5th District holds there is reasonable suspicion to stop a bicyclist who rides in the middle of the road, then rides into an OVI checkpoint, but jumps out of the checkpoint by riding his bicycle over the curb and on to the sidewalk.

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