(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost issued the following statement on the passage of House Joint Resolution 2 and Senate Joint Resolution 5:
“Today’s vote by the General Assembly returns the power back to all Ohioans who will now decide if the safety of the public should be considered by judges when determining the monetary amount of bail.
I expect many Ohioans will be shocked to learn that judges are not currently permitted to consider the threat an offender poses to a community when setting financial conditions of bail. I want to thank Senator Theresa Gavarone, Representative Jeff LaRe and Representative DJ Swearingen for their leadership in this effort.”
AG Yost began working in March alongside Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph T. Deters and state legislators in response to Dubose v. McGuffey, a recent Ohio Supreme Court opinion upholding an appeals court ruling that public safety cannot be considered when determining the level of cash bond for a criminal suspect.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Steve Iriwn: 614-728-5417
-30-