Bill > HB457

This bill introduces new provisions to enhance penalties for crimes committed with political motivation. Specifically, the bill creates a new specification for felony offenses of violence that are politically motivated, which would trigger mandatory additional prison time. Under the new law, if an offender commits a felony offense of violence and the offense is determined to be motivated by the victim's political affiliation, association, belief, or ideology, the court must impose the maximum prison term for the underlying offense plus an additional mandatory ten-year prison term. The bill requires that any such politically motivated offense be specifically noted in the charging document, and it defines a politically motivated offense as one where the victim's political characteristics were a motivation for the crime, even if the offender was mistaken about those characteristics. The bill also adds political motivation as a factor for courts to consider when determining the severity of a misdemeanor sentence, expanding the existing list of sentencing considerations to explicitly include political affiliation and association as potential motivating factors for criminal behavior.

Justice

https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb457