Tag Archives: homicide laws

It Was an Accident: Reckless and Negligent Homicide

By Yavitch & Palmer Co., L.P.A | Posted on December 23, 2013

Brandon Smith was lying in bed with his girlfriend in his Avon Lake Ohio apartment. His roommate, Ryan Raider, entered the bedroom drunk and playing with one of the guns the two men kept in the house. Suddenly, the gun went off, hitting Smith. He was flown to a Cleveland hospital, but died soon… Read More »

Manslaughter – a Less Culpable Homicide

By Yavitch & Palmer Co., L.P.A | Posted on December 9, 2013

In Geauga County, Ohio, Rita Greifenstein, a 66-year-old woman, shot and killed her 68-year-old husband in their kitchen. Mrs. Greifenstein claimed that she shot her husband in self-defense. The police stated that the two had been arguing for hours before the gunshot. The prosecutor decided to charge her with voluntary manslaughter after determining that… Read More »

Blogs

Does an OVI show up on a background check?

In Ohio (and probably most other states) the run-of-the-mill DUI or OVI is a misdemeanor traffic offense. That means it is not a criminal offense. Notice the italics in traffic and criminal. They are in italics because those are terms of art. That means they have a specific legal definition.…...Read More

Will I go to jail for my First Offense OVI in Ohio?

One of the main philosophies of our justice system is deterrence. The idea is to impose enough of a punishment for crimes to make others (who haven’t yet committed a crime) think twice. This happens in two ways. First, some laws have mandatory penalties. Anyone who reads the law should…...Read More

Why I am a “Science Denier” (and that is exactly what you want from your criminal defense attorney)

“The impression that serious scientific problems are far beyond the understanding of the average man constitutes a serious obstacle to the growth of this public interest. A caste system of specialists has been created, and it has produced a sort of intellectual defeatism, so that the layman tends to think…...Read More

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FAQs

Q: What kinds of crimes go to trial?

Answer

Any case can go to trial. Although we often see the most serious matters in trial, that is not always the case. Sometimes the more serious offenses carry the risk of greater consequences. We commonly have trials on all matters, including OVI, traffic, and complex criminal cases.

Q: How likely is it my case will go to trial?

Answer

Trials are rare, with just 2.5% of Ohio criminal cases in common pleas court going to trial in 2012. Most cases resolve by plea negotiations. However, every case is unique and you need a lawyer to help you figure out all your available options.

Q: What’s the difference between a civil law and a criminal law?

Answer

Civil law deal with disputes between individuals, organizations or both. Yavitch & Palmer deals with criminal law— crimes and legal punishments of criminal offenses, like assault, robbery, drug trafficking and much more.