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  • About Us
    • Mission & History
    • Board & Staff
    • Contact OTSE
  • Take Action
    • Join OTSE
    • Volunteer with OTSE!
    • OHIOANS TO STOP EXECUTIONS: THE PUSH FOR ABOLISHING THE DEATH PENALTY
    • Donate
    • Upcoming Events
    • Open Letter from Ohio’s Faith Leaders
    • Host an Event
    • Mental Illness Reforms
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News

June 25, 2020

Column: Begin reform of justice system by ending racist, expensive death penalty

As Ohio grapples with the dual challenges of racial injustice and the COVID-19 epidemic, lawmakers should look no further than the state’s death penalty if they want to address systemic justice issues, as well as the state budget crunch. Read more here.

May 14, 2020

Prosecutors Wield Too Much Influence in System

One of the least visible and most powerful actors in our entire system is the prosecutor — often referred to as a district attorney or the DA. They decide what cases take precedence, which crimes to charge, and what sentences to pursue — including, in 25 states, whether or not to seek the death penalty. […]

March 5, 2020

Death penalty: road to repeal

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A group of conservative lawmakers and stakeholders took to the podium on Tuesday with a common plea — stop executions in our state. Their reasons for wanting the death penalty out of Ohio range from theological, to moral, to financial It costs Ohio an estimated $1 million to try a death penalty case […]

March 5, 2020

Conservative group vows to end death penalty

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) — Activists have pushed to end the death penalty for years but there’s a new effort to abolish it by a new group of more recent converts – conservative Republicans. Read more here.

March 5, 2020

Conservative group seeks end to death penalty in Ohio

COLUMBUS (AP) — A newly formed conservative group is seeking an end to the death penalty in Ohio at a time when executions have ground to a halt in the state and the House speaker has questioned whether capital punishment should be reconsidered. Read more here.

March 5, 2020

In Ohio, talk of death penalty repeal is building

Ohio’s execution backlog is growing, with 25 scheduled to be put to death and 115 others sitting on death row. Meanwhile, Gov. Mike DeWine has granted 11 stays of execution since he took office just over a year ago as the state has struggled to find a humane, practical way to kill its condemned. Read […]

March 5, 2020

Conservatives add voices to death penalty repeal movement

COLUMBUS — Former Gov. Bob Taft, former Attorney General Jim Petro, and current state Rep. Craig Riedel (R., Defiance) are among nearly three dozen “conservatives” who’ve signed on to support repeal of Ohio’s death penalty. Read more here.

March 5, 2020

Conservatives organize to end Ohio’s death penalty

COLUMBUS, Ohio—As Ohio’s years-long struggle to obtain execution drugs continues with no end in sight, there’s a new effort underway to completely abolish capital punishment in the state – this time, with increasing involvement by conservatives. Read more here.

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RECOMMENDATION 52

Adoption of a rule directing that the trial judge is the appropriate authority for the appointment of experts for indigent defendants. The rule should further provide that the decision pertaining to the appointment of experts shall be made, on the record, at one of the prescribed Pre-Trial Conferences.

If defense counsel requests, the demand for appointment of the expert shall be made in-camera ex parte, and the order concerning the appointment shall be under seal.

Upon establishing counsels’ respective compliance with discovery obligations, the question of the appointment of experts (including determination of projected expert fees based upon analysis of expert’s time to be applied to the case as well as consideration of incremental payment of expert fees as case progresses) would be decided by the court, which decision would be subject to immediate appeal, under seal, to the appropriate Court of Appeals. The trial court judge shall make written findings as to the basis for any denial. Although concerns have been raised as to the ability of the Appellate Court to provide the anticipated, necessary expedited hearing within a reasonable time-frame, the Joint Task Force suggests that this issue be elevated to the status of a final appealable order and that the necessary expedited appellate process be spelled out in the statute.

RECOMMENDATION 54

Should the present process of appointment of indigent counsel by the judiciary continue, the main objective should always be to assure the best educationally experienced and qualified candidate, who is available (within the county or outside the county), and who is otherwise willing to take on the responsibilities associated with the case for an appropriate fee and accompanying expenses, is appointed. A uniform fee schedule for such services across the State of Ohio must be a necessary consideration to assure the equal protection and due process for the accused in a capital case.

RECOMMENDATION 55

Adoption of reporting standards to provide complete transparency of record, including requirements to ensure better record keeping by the trial judge and the provision of additional, detailed resource information necessary to assure strict compliance with due process, which information shall be submitted to the Supreme Court upon completion of the case. Such resource information may include unique Constitutional issues, unique evidentiary issues, significant motions, plea rationale, pre-sentence investigation, and any additional information required by the Rule 20 Committee or the Supreme Court of Ohio. Additional types of resource information could be developed as part of the mandated educational process conducted by the Ohio Judicial College.

RECOMMENDATION 56

The Joint Task Force believes that some of the recommendations above could be accomplished by the adoption of a separate Criminal Rule for Capital Cases. The Joint Task Force recommends that such a rule be adopted and provide for the mandatory training of attorneys and judges (Recommendation 49), the selection and appointment of indigent counsel in capital cases (Recommendation 51), and the enforcement of the ABA Guidelines for the Appointment and Performance of Defense Counsel in Death Penalty Cases and the Supplementary Guidelines for the Mitigation Function of Defense Teams (Recommendations 11 and 12).