Misdemeanors

Misdemeanors are criminal matters. The consequences of a misdemeanor conviction can be very serious and may include the imposition of a local jail sentence, a substantial fine, and court costs.

Examples of commonly charged misdemeanors are:

  • Assault — Per ORC 2903.13 assault is defined as knowingly causing or attempting to cause physical harm to another person.
  • Domestic violence — Per ORC 2919.25, domestic violence is defined as committing a sexually oriented offense; committing any act that would result in an abused child; or knowingly causing or attempting to cause, recklessly causing, or threatening force of physical harm to a family or household member.
  • Disorderly conduct — Per ORC 2917.11, disorderly conduct is defined as recklessly causing an alarm, annoyance, or inconvenience by insulting or taunting another, making an offensively coarse gesture, or preventing someone’s movement on a public street; or while intoxicated either: (1) acting in a way that presents a risk of physical harm to a person (including the offender) or to someone else’s property, or (2) engaging in offensive conduct in a public place (or in the presence of two or more people).
  • Theft — Per ORC 2913.02, theft is defined as the unauthorized taking of property, when the offender acts with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of the property.
  • Forgery — Per ORC 2913.31, forgery is defined as any of the following actions, when done with the purpose or intent to commit fraud: signing another’s name on a document, changing a document in some way without authority to do so, creating a false identification card or altering an identification card so that it contains false information, selling or distributing a forged identification card, or using or presenting a forged document (presenting a forged check to be cashed).
  • Receiving Stolen Property — Per 2913.51, receiving stollen property is defined as receiving, retaining, or disposing of property if you know or have reasonable cause to believe that the property was obtained through an act of thievery.
  • OVI — Under Ohio Revised Code 4511.19, it is illegal for you to operate a vehicle within the state if you are: (a) under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or a combination of them; or (b) have a concentration of .08 percent or more by weight per unit volume of alcohol in your blood.
  • Traffic Offenses — a multitude of traffic violations, including: speeding, driving without a valid license, and driving under a suspended license.

See Sentencing Guidelines.

Contact Hayes Law today to discuss the circumstances of your charge.