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Newspaper
Middletown Journal
Location
Middletown, Ohio, United States of America
Date
Jan 13, 1974
Page
21
Ohio moves to a new criminal code effective January 1 with wide reach across cities villages and townships. Journal reporters interviewed law enforcement in Middletown and Hamilton about effects on policing and the judiciary after eight years of study by the legislature.
Police Chief James Howerton says the new Ohio code creates initial workload and skepticism but will aid law enforcement long term. Officers faced 40 hours of supervised study of a 1000 page manual before Jan 1. The code aims to standardize decisions for better public protection despite rocky transition.
Captain William Brewer notes most officers welcomed the streamlined code, and Mike McLeod says its clearer wording speeds acceptance, comparing to his 25 years on the force last June.
A new state statute and the criminal code effective January 1 ban cognovit notes. These instruments let lawyers enter pleas for signers without prior notification, risking wage garnishment before the debtor learns of the action. The ban aims to prevent such shocks for late payers and noncompliant borrowers.
City Prosecutor Jerry Bryant says Ohio's new criminal code will expand plea bargaining in Middletown Municipal Court as offenses are subdivided into levels. He notes wider latitude to tailor charges to guilt, reduce caseloads, and allow weekend jail terms, while criticizing the code for drug abuse status gaps.
Butler County Common Pleas Judge Robert Marrs describes the 1815 old code replacement by a sweeping 165 new sections and 292 amended ones. The law expands judge discretion on sentencing and gun permits and revives the death penalty with jury safeguards, while stressing victim aggravation and presentence reports.
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