Cleveland Criminal Law Blog

I have often told clients that our next hearing is an "arraignment". I never really gave too much thought about it, until a new client innocently asked "what is an arraignment, and what happens at an arraignment?" Great question, that many lawyers (myself included),...

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine postponed three executions set for early 2021. The Governor cited the state's difficulty in convincing drug companies to sell the state new lethal injection drugs. The state is concerned that if pharmaceutical companies find out that they...

A Cleveland man has been charged in Federal Court with False Information and Hoaxes, after falsely claiming that he had coronavirus, when being arrested. The Cleveland man was arrested by Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority police, on an open parole violation...

Effective at 6 PM on July 23, 2020, Ohio will require people to wear masks. A mask will be required: 1) when in an indoor location that is not a residence (stores, restaurants & bars, offices, just about everywhere); 2) when outdoors and unable to maintain a safe...

Presently, there are approximately a dozen counties in Ohio which are under the Governor's mask order. This order is active in "code red" counties - those who are experiencing a high level of COVID-19 cases. The Governor has indicated that obtaining compliance with...

On July 8, 2020, the Ohio Governor issued an order requiring masks in seven counties with spiking COVID-19 cases. The order requires a mask to be worn in any indoor location that is not a residence (which means stores, offices, businesses and public buildings);...

For any defendant facing federal charges, the pressure to plead guilty is very strong. There are two main reasons for this: 1) the extreme financial burden of going to trial with a private lawyer; and 2) the long sentence that waits those who lose at trial. So when...

Does a court have the legal authority to require people to wear face masks in the courthouse? In most states, there are Governor's orders recommending, but not requiring, the use of masks in public. In spite of those orders, most courthouses throughout the country...

The U.S. Supreme Court recently refused to reexamine the much criticized doctrine of qualified immunity, which shields police from lawsuits over their misconduct. The doctrine of qualified immunity was originally developed decades ago in order to protect police from...

For anyone accused of a crime, the right to a jury trial is one of the most fundamental principles in the American criminal justice system. But what does that right look like when a pandemic strikes? Courts across the country have managed to conduct a variety of legal...