Ohio bills introduced

Five bills were introduced in the Ohio General Assembly last week that might be of some interest to local practitioners:

SB 150 IMMIGRATION LAW - To provide that a board of county commissioners may direct a sheriff to take custody of persons who are being detained for deportation or who are charged with civil violations of immigration law and to expressly authorize state and local employees and county sheriffs to render assistance to federal immigration officials in the investigation and enforcement of federal immigration law. [Referred to Ways and Means and Economic Development Committee]

HB 243 OFFENSE OF INTIMIDATION - To specify that the offense of intimidation of an attorney, victim, or witness in a criminal case also applies to delinquency cases and to any attempt to influence, intimidate, or hinder a witness to a criminal or delinquent act in the discharge of the duty of a witness, and to prohibit any attempt to influence, intimidate, or hinder a victim, witness, or attorney through any act of unlawful conduct. [Referred to Criminal Justice Committee]

HB 244 DIVORCE PROPERTY DIVISION - To permit a court to modify a division of property in a divorce decree or decree of dissolution of marriage upon the express written consent or agreement of both spouses.
[Referred to Judiciary Committee]

HB 248 PRISON TERMS - To provide a prison term of 20 years to life for a person convicted of murder when the victim is less than 13 years of age and the offender is not subject to sentencing under the Sexually Violent Predator Sentencing Law.
[Introduced July 1st.]

HB 247 UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS - To include any child that an individual claiming benefits has been granted custody of by court order in the calculation of dependents for the purpose of determining unemployment benefits. [Introduced July 1st.]