Law Changes in June 2016

In June, there were numerous changes to laws after the Governor signed
bills on June 13 and 14. These changes are effective 90 days after the
date they were signed.

• Am. Sub. H.B. 164 – According to the new
  bill, a person convicted of a non-sealable offense may apply for the conviction
  to be sealed under various circumstances. They may apply if prior to the
  application, a change in the offense allows it to now be sealed and specifies
  that Inspector General maintained reports are not official records. Under
  the Not Guilty / Dismissed Charges / No Bill Record Sealing Law, they
  would not be considered sealable.
• H.B. 171 – This bill decreases the required
  minimum heroin amount to be determined a trafficking or possession charge
  before the violation is considered a first degree felony, and the offender
  is considered a “major drug offender.”
• Am. Sub. S.B.
  97 – The new bill increases mandatory prison terms for subsequent
  firearm convictions by 50%. It also prohibits criminals with various violent
  charges from using, purchasing, or carrying a firearm and makes a mandatory
  prison sentence a requirement for a violent career criminal who is now
  facing a felony offense while armed. The bill also corrects provisions
  concerning child dispositions and provides specific prisoners with time
  spent credits when applying for release. Finally, the bill also specifies
  that no investigation report is necessary for the grant of shock probation
  for a conviction prior to July 1, 1996.
• Sub. SB 204 –
  Under this bill, the driver’s license suspension for specific drug
  offense violations will be discretionary, except in certain situations
  where the suspension will remain mandatory. The courts will also be allowed
  to terminate a suspension imposed for an out-of-state drug offense. The
  courts can also terminate a previous mandatory suspension and suspend
  a driver’s license for the possession of nitrous oxide in the vehicle.
  The new bill also provides consistency in the laws governing how a court
  grants limited driving privileges.
• Sub. HB 110 –
  This bill provides an increase for the failure to stop penalty when the
  traffic accident results in a serious injury or death, also naming the
  penalties Brandon’s Law. It also makes reporting the administration
  of naloxone by law enforcement agency request mandatory. When a person
  commits a minor drug possession offense and seeks medical assistance for
  himself or herself, or another person experiencing an overdose, the bill
  provides immunity from arrest, prosecution, or conviction, or to permit
  drug treatment consideration. The bills also makes certain 9-1-1 operators
  go through training regarding the new immunity, as well as makes it so
  the operator receiving a call regarding overdose has to make a reasonable
  effort to inform the caller of the immunity.

At Koffel Brininger Nesbitt, our
Columbus criminal defense attorneys want to make sure you understand your rights. If you have been charged
with a crime,
contact our firm to discuss your potential defenses.