Criminal Justice & Policing
U.S. Senate Republicans block bill requiring agencies monitor domestic terrorism
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a bill that would require federal agencies to monitor domestic terrorism incidents, including those potentially related to white supremacy. The failure of the Senate procedural vote showed again how difficult it is for Congress to agree on any response to U.S. gun violence. It followed a racist […]
Opponents line up against bail reform as cash bail gets cleared for the ballot
The Ohio House and Senate approved a measure to send a cash bail proposal to the ballot. The resolution, which orders judges to consider public safety when setting the monetary provisions of bail, will come before voters in November as a proposed constitutional amendment. Meanwhile, opponents lined up against a different, wide-ranging bail reform measure […]
Frustrated Democrats call for GOP help on federal gun laws after mass school shooting
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday implored Senate Republicans to work with Democrats to pass bipartisan gun control legislation, following a mass school shooting that took the lives of 19 children and two teachers in Texas. Tuesday’s massacre was the nation’s second-deadliest mass school shooting since another at Sandy Hook Elementary […]
Here are the gun laws in Ohio your legislators are considering this General Assembly
The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. Here are the gun laws Ohio legislators are considering this General Assembly. […]
New Ohio bill would decriminalize fentanyl drug testing strips
The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. Thousands of Ohioans die every year from overdosing on drugs, and […]
Federal judge allows continued Title 42 migrant expulsions at the border
WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Louisiana on Friday temporarily blocked the Biden administration from ending Title 42, a designation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that has allowed border patrol officials to turn migrants away at the border. The order from U.S. District Court Judge Robert Summerhays for a preliminary nationwide injunction will stop […]
Bail reformers call on familiar evidence to advocate against reliance on cash bail
The day after Ohio House leaders put the brakes on cash bail-centric legislation, a different, long-simmering bail reform measure got it’s third hearing in committee. The measures offer alternative approaches to protecting public safety, and their supporters are invoking some of the same cases to make their point. When the proponents of the cash bail […]
House leaders press pause on cash bail provisions
A proposal directing judges to consider public safety when setting cash bail is in limbo after House leaders backtracked on holding a floor vote. The provisions — one statutory and one meant for the ballot — faltered because some Republican members want to see a broader bail reform measure pass alongside them. “There was discussion […]
Bill would require testing of an untold number of rape kits from human trafficking victims in Ohio
The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. Ohio doesn’t have a requirement to test rape kits when investigating […]
Ohio Republicans introduce bill that would criminalize ‘swatting’
The following article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland. A new bill in the Ohio Senate would criminalize ‘swatting,’ which […]
House committee approves ‘public safety’ measures that could expand cash bail in Ohio
The House criminal justice committee passed two measures Wednesday that could lead to a greater reliance on cash bail. Meanwhile, lawmakers amended a different bail reform measure to set explicit limits on the calculation of cash bail. Although the proposals appear to be at cross-purposes, advocates are hoping the two could work together. The proposals […]
Measure expanding reliance on cash bail gets first hearing in the Senate
The Attorney General-backed bid to change limits on cash bail got its first hearing in the Ohio Senate Tuesday. The effort comes as a direct response to a state supreme court ruling and would require a constitutional amendment to take effect. The purpose of bail is to ensure defendants return to court for their trial […]