Bill > HB487

This bill creates a "repeat drug offender" specification for individuals convicted of certain drug-related offenses. Specifically, the bill defines a "repeat drug offender" as a person who is currently being sentenced for a felony violation of drug trafficking (section 2925.03 of the Revised Code) and who has previously been convicted of or pleaded guilty to two or more felony violations of the same section. For such offenders, the court is required to impose both the longest prison term authorized for the offense and an additional mandatory prison term of one to ten years. The bill also establishes procedural requirements for how this specification must be charged in an indictment, including specific language that must be used to notify the defendant. The specification can only be applied if the indictment explicitly states that the offender is a repeat drug offender, and the court must determine whether the offender meets the definition. The goal appears to be imposing stricter sentences on individuals with multiple drug trafficking convictions.

Justice

https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb487