Wayne County Seal Wayne County Seal
Martin Frantz
Prosecuting Attorney
Managing Editor

John M. Williams
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
Publisher and Contributing Editor

Jocelyn Stefancin
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
Contributing Editor



The History The Publication The Disclaimer

Selected Articles Links of Interest



THE HISTORY

Wayne County, Ohio, is a rural county with approximately 100,000 residents. Although we are home to several nationally known companies, our primary industry is agriculture, and our Amish population is one of the largest in the world.

The Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is not unlike the population of Wayne County. We are modest in number but practical and diligent in our endeavors. We presently employ two misdemeanor prosecutors, two juvenile prosecutors, a child support prosecutor, two felony prosecutors, and the elected prosecuting attorney who handles most of our civil law duties. I am one of the felony prosecutors.

In the summer of 1995, the state legislature passed Senate Bill 2, a comprehensive act which totally redesigned Ohio's felony sentencing structure. Law enforcement officers and public officials needed to know about these changes, and being a small county, we knew that much of the responsibility would fall upon us. But how could we do that efficiently?

I discussed the issue with Martin Frantz, the senior felony prosecutor*, and we decided to publish a newsletter. We vowed that this newsletter would be more than just a brief discussion of the new sentencing law; it had to be a continuing publication addressing the many legal issues affecting law enforcement officers and public officials. Thus, on September 18, 1995, Crime & Punishment was born.

* Frantz has since taken office as the elected Prosecuting Attorney.


THE PUBLICATION

Crime & Punishment was designed using Lotus AmiPro V3.1. It is published monthly and distributed to all law enforcement agencies, our statutory clients, and numerous public officials in our county.

The format is a single page, containing one or two articles, always supplemented with an interesting graphic, and sometimes containing charts, tables and "boxed" commentaries. Although the single-page format requires fairly small print, it allows the publication to be posted on a bulletin board where all interested officers and employees can read it. The selected articles published on the World Wide Web contain the text of the original publication, and readers using graphical web browsers will be able to view some of the graphics, charts and tables. Whenever feasible, and if time permits, alternative documents will be added which are fully compatible with text-based browsers.


THE DISCLAIMER

After all, we are attorneys, so you should have expected this. The opinions expressed in Crime & Punishment are solely those of its publisher, editors and authors. It is not intended as a legal treatise, and it should not be relied upon as a detailed exposition of prevailing law. Anyone who wishes to rely upon the legal principles expressed in this publication should review the applicable law and seek competent legal counsel. Finally, no portion of this publication may be reproduced or distributed without our prior written consent.

John M. Williams


SELECTED ARTICLES


1995

September 1995: Truth In Sentencing
November 1995: The New Firearms Penalties
December 1995: Helpful Hints On Suspect Interviews

1996

January 1996: New Law Creates Tougher Juvenile Penalties
February 1996: Malicious Prosecution Lawsuits
March 1996: New Law Limits Post-Conviction Claims
May 1996: Improving Witness Testimony
July 1996: High Court Gives Green Light To "Pretext" Stops
August 1996: New Legislation Helps Police Track Sex Offenders
September 1996: Expert Witness May Attack Sex Abuse Interview
October 1996: Prisoners Not Entitled To Full Law Libraries
November 1996: Laws May Ban Voluntary Intoxication Defense
December 1996: Victims May Drop Charges Over Prosecutor's Objection
December 1996: New Laws Refine Ohio Criminal Code

1997

January 1997: Ohio's Strict Limitation On Consent Searches Overturned
February 1997: The Real Teeth Behind Ohio's Domestic Violence Law
February / March 1997: Could This Be A Wiretap Problem?
April 1997: Detention Of Unruly Children Limited To 24 Hours
April 1997: Ordering Passengers Out Of Vehicles For Officer Safety
May 1997: Officers Must Express Their Suspicions In DUI Cases
June 1997: Interviewing Low-I.Q. Suspects
July 1997: Ohio Court Recognizes Limit On "Plain Feel" Exception
August 1997: No-Knock Warrants Not Automatic In Drug Cases
September 1997: Supreme Court Upholds Sexual Predator Laws
October 1997: Communication Is Essential To Good Public Relations
November 1997: Canine Drug Inspections
December 1997: Ohio Supreme Court's Newest Rule On Consent Searches

1998

January 1998: Ohio Welfare Reform Becomes Reality
February 1998: Entering Homes To Serve Arrest Warrants
March 1998: The Risk Of Induced Confessions
April 1998: Required Videotaping Of Child Abuse Victims?
May 1998: Domestic Violence Law Applies To Gay Couples
June 1998: State and County Take Action Against Criminal Gangs
July 1998: Investigating Corporal Punishment as Domestic Violence
August 1998: Pay-To-Stay: A New Concept In Criminal Justice
September 1998: Random Searches of School Lockers Ruled Unconstitutional
October 1998: Unusual Criminal Proceedings
November 1998: Robbers, Murderers & Drug Dealers: Justice Awaits
December 1998: Ohio Courts Place Limits On Terry Investigatory Stops

1999

February 1999: EMS Records Subject To Ohio's Public Records Law
February 1999: Local Government Can Seek Better Deals On Purchases
March 1999: Miranda Warnings: When Are They Really Necessary?
May 1999: GHB: Legal Socializer or Date Rape Nightmare?
May 1999: New Correctional Facility To Open / Jury Returns Death Verdict
June 1999: Sentencing Commission Recommends New Law For Juvenile Crimes
August 1999: Public Meetings & Secrecy Under Ohio's Open Meetings Act
August 1999: What Police Officers Should Not Do In Suspect Identifications
September 1999: Warrantless Motor Vehicle Searches: No Exigent Circumstances Required
September 1999: Sheriff Says No To Newspaper
October 1999: Public Records: What's New, What's Good, What's Bad

This section will be updated ... more articles to come


LINKS OF INTEREST

General Research:
National Archive of Criminal Justice Data
National Criminal Justice Reference Service
West Arm Consulting Services Law Enforcement Links
Meta-Index For U.S. Legal Research
Ohio:
Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association
Ohio Revised Code Online
Ohio Administrative Code Online
Decisions Of The Ohio Supreme Court Online, 1992 - Present
Ohio Offender Database
United States:
National District Attorneys Association
United States Code Online
Code of Federal Regulations Online
Decisions Of The United States Supreme Court Online: Federal Bureau of Prisons


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