Latest news with #Liv'sLaw
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Liv's Law now in effect in Ohio, increases penalties for driving under the influence
CLEVELAND (WJW) — Liv's Law is now in effect in the state of Ohio. The law, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine in January, imposes harsher penalties on individuals caught driving under the influence. Driver without headlights arrested on 9th OVI: OSHP Liv's Law is named after Ohio native Olivia Wright who was killed by a drunk driver in September of 2020. Under the law, those charged with Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence (OVI) will face increased fines. The law also increases the maximum fine for Aggravated Vehicular Homicide. Liv's Law also allows police officers to collect oral fluid samples from drivers suspected of driving under the influence. Before, the law only permitted blood, urine and breath tests. Oral fluid samples can return results within minutes, and refusing such tests can result in criminal charges. It also targets repeat offenders, increasing the maximum prison time from 15 years to 20 years when the defendant has had three or more OVI-related convictions in the past 10 years, according to Fox 8 sister station WCMH. 11-year-old boy charged after making Stark County Library threats: Police Additionally, the law will now mandate those who have been charged with an OVI two or more times to use breathalyzers in order to start their vehicles. Recently in Tuscarawas County, a man was charged with his ninth OVI when he was pulled over for driving without his headlights on. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
All about six new laws in Ohio that go into effect today
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Multiple new Ohio laws are going into effect on Wednesday, including a statute that requires public schools to allow religious release time and another that increases penalties for drunk driving. On Jan. 8, Gov. Mike DeWine announced he signed 29 bills into law, all of which are set to go into effect on Wednesday. A list of six notable new laws can be found below. House Bill 8, dubbed the Parents' Bill of Rights, requires school districts to adopt a policy that allows students to attend off-premise religious classes during the school day. Formerly, districts were allowed to permit religious release time, but not required to. In Ohio, religious release time programs are legally allowed to teach public school students during the school day as long as they have parental permission, do not use school resources and teach off of school property. The new law does not change these requirements. How Gov. DeWine, Ohio parents feel about proposed bill to ban cellphones in schools Although districts are required to have a religious release time policy enacted by Wednesday, schools have until July 1 to implement most other newly required policies in the law. This includes a policy ensuring content depicting 'sexual concepts or gender ideology' is available for parents to review, in case they would like their children to opt out. Starting in July, staff will also be required to 'promptly notify' a parent if their child requests to be referred to with a name or pronouns that vary from their biological sex at school. Liv's Law increases the fines for the offense of Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence (OVI). Specifically, the statute adds an extra $190 compared with the previous law. For example, the minimum fine for a first-time offense rises from $375 to $565. Video shows disagreement between Columbus principal, police officer The law also increases the maximum fine for aggravated vehicular homicide to $25,000, which is $10,000 more than the law previously allowed. Additionally, Liv's Law allows police to collect oral fluid samples from drivers suspected of driving under the influence, while the law previously only permitted blood, urine and breath testing. Similar to the other kinds of testing used in the state, refusing an oral fluid swab can result in criminal charges. House Bill 206 allows public schools to indefinitely expel a student who poses an 'imminent and severe endangerment' to others' safety. Ohio law previously allowed schools to expel students up to 180 days – or one school year – for bringing a gun or knife to school, making a bomb threat or causing serious physical harm to another person. Students aged 16 years or older could be permanently expelled only if they were convicted in court of a serious criminal offense, according to the nonprofit Ohio Legal Help. The new law allows expulsions past 180 days for students who bring a firearm or knife to school, make a bomb threat, cause serious physical harm to someone at school, make a hitlist, create a threatening manifesto or share a menacing post on social media. Organization offering 'bounty' for removal of invasive trees in central Ohio Under the statute, after 180 days, a student's expulsion can be extended for 90 days at a time, with no limit on how many extensions are allowed. To be reinstated, students are required to undergo a psychological evaluation by a psychiatrist. After the expulsion period, the superintendent, along with a 'multidisciplinary team' they select, will decide whether to reinstate the student. To make a decision, school officials will determine if the student has shown 'sufficient rehabilitation,' while taking the psychological assessment into consideration. House Bill 531, named Braden's Law, classifies sextortion, short for sexual extortion, as a felony in Ohio. Sextortion occurs when an individual is blackmailed over intimate images. The law categorizes sextortion as a third-degree felony; however, the charge could be upgraded to a second- or first-degree felony depending on a variety of factors, including if the victim is a minor or disabled, and if the perpetrator is a repeat offender. In Ohio, a third-degree felony carries a prison sentence of nine months to three years, and a judge may impose a maximum fine of $10,000. A first-degree felony is punishable by 3-11 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $20,000. Will speeding fines in Ohio increase? The law also provides immunity from prosecution to victims who sent explicit images, and implements fines for telecommunications companies who fail to give parents or guardians access to a device that belonged to a deceased minor within 30 days. House Bill 29 ends the practice of suspending driver's licenses for failure to pay court fines or fees, along with some other minor offenses such as school truancy. Residents whose driver's license or motor vehicle registration was suspended for such offenses before the law was passed are able to have their license reinstated. The law also allows those who have had their license suspended for being in default on child support payments to prove that a suspended license prevents them from making the payments and they could be granted 'limited driving privileges.' Within 30 days, impacted individuals will be notified and provided instructions on how to get their license reinstated. Senate Bill 58 enacts the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act, which bars credit card companies, banks and other institutions from categorizing or tracking firearm-related purchases. Mail carriers say new contract failed union wishes The law states companies also cannot compile lists of gun purchasers and share such information with third parties, including government agencies, unless required by law through due process. The statute also prohibits the state or any local government from requiring liability insurance to possess a firearm. The legislation was a proactive move, as no local governments in Ohio required firearm liability insurance for gun owners before the law's passage. Nationally, some jurisdictions such as New Jersey and San Jose, California, have enacted such mandates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Ohio cracking down on OVI penalties
(WKBN) — Ohio is cracking down on the penalties for OVI charges. Liv's Law, or House Bill 37, goes into effect Wednesday, changing how OVI offenses are handled. Under the new law, all the fines are increased by hundreds of dollars and an aggravated vehicular homicide's maximum penalty is raised to 20 years of jail time. With the law being so new, Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Mike Burnett says some of the current penalties may change, but the law's message is clear. 'So it's tragic and it's hard for the victim's families to understand why we're not more harsh on penalties, and it's hard to argue with them. It needs to be dealt with in such a fashion that people stop drinking and driving period,' Burnett said. Another part of the law allows law enforcement to collect oral fluid testing for DUI enforcement. Burnett says this will help with drug-related OVI offenses, especially after the legalization of marijuana. However, he says it might be a while before law enforcement agencies are equipped with the kits. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
Harsher penalties for those caught driving under the influence to take effect in Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio motorists who are caught driving under the influence will be hit with harsher penalties next week when Liv's Law goes into effect. After unanimously passing the Statehouse and gaining Gov. Mike DeWine's signature, Liv's Law will go into effect on Wednesday, April 9. The legislation, sponsored by Reps. Mark Johnson (R-Chillicothe) and Kevin Miller (R-Newark), was named after Olivia Wright, 22, who was killed by a drunk driver near Ashville in September 2020. 'A constituent, Bryan Wright, brought this issue to my desk after losing his daughter, Olivia, to a drunk driver,' Johnson said in a news release. 'He pointed out to me how weak Ohio's laws are compared to other states in the nation, and that is what inspired me to work on this legislation in an attempt to try and deter any drunk driver from becoming a repeat offender.' The implementation of the law means those charged with an OVI (Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence) will face increased fines, specifically an extra $190 compared with current law. For example, the minimum fine for a first-time offense will rise from $375 to $565, and the minimum fine for a second offense will rise from $525 to $715. Liv's Law will also increase the maximum fine for aggravated vehicular homicide to $25,000, which is $10,000 more than the current law allows. Additionally, right now the offense is punishable by up to 15 years in prison when the defendant has had three or more OVI-related convictions in the past 10 years; the incoming law will increase the maximum sentence to 20 years and allow courts to consider offenses within the last 20 years. 'It is my hope that Liv's Law will serve as a deterrent for those who have repeatedly decided to put the lives of others at risk all for the sake of their convenience,' Miller said in a statement. The law will also allow police to collect oral fluid samples from drivers suspected of driving under the influence, while current law only permits blood, urine and breath testing. Oral fluid testing allows law enforcement to test for substance use on-site and receive results within minutes. Similar to the other kinds of testing used in the state, refusing an oral fluid swab can result in a misdemeanor charge and penalties such as fines or jail time under Ohio's implied consent laws. Liv's Law will also mandate those who have been charged with an OVI two or more times to use ignition interlocks, or breathalyzers, in order to start their cars. Currently, the court may or may not require the device on a second offense depending on what the individual's blood alcohol content was. Introduced in February 2023, Liv's Law did not receive any opponent testimony before it passed the Statehouse in December 2024. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Yahoo
Montgomery County to have sobriety checkpoint for St. Patrick's Day
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – Drivers at an unannounced location Monday evening will see an OVI sobriety checkpoint. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday that it will work with the Montgomery County Combined Agency OVI Task Force to conduct the checkpoint St. Patrick's Day night. 'Liv's Law' looks to make impact in Ohio with harsher drunk driving penalties The location will be revealed closer to the day. A press conference Monday will be held to discuss the checkpoint. Besides the checkpoint, law enforcement will also put more troopers on the roads to combat impaired driving. Every day approximately 37 people die because of drunk-driving crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For people planning to drink on the holiday, it is important to remember not to drive. Plan your safe ride home before partying. Ask a non-drinking friend to be your designated driver or use a ride-share service. If you see someone trying to drive drunk, take their keys, keep them away from the car and book a ride-share for them. If you're hosting a party ensure everyone leaves with a sober driver. If you see a driver you suspect is impaired, call the police. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
