Ohio House passes two bills to protect jurors from being intimidated

The Ohio House passed two bills to ensure jurors are not intimidated, and they are now heading to the state Senate for consideration.

The first bill passed by the legislators on Wednesday was House Bill 478, also known as the Jury Tampering Prevention Act, which was sponsored by state Reps. David Thomas, R-Jefferson, and Eric Synenberg, D-Beachwood. The bill intends to penalize jury tampering for criminal proceedings in Ohio, according to the press release.

The legislation was introduced by lawmakers after a juror in Ashtabula County received a threatening message on social media from someone who knew the defendant during an active criminal trial, with the intent to influence the juror’s vote, which nearly resulted in a mistrial.

Even though Ohio law currently criminalizes bribery of jurors, the bill was introduced because the state lacks clear statutory language addressing intimidation or other forms of jury tampering, according to a release.

“HB 478 does what all Ohioans believe should be true: juries should be independent and without the worry of interference or tampering,” Thomas said in a release.

Synenberg agreed, adding in a release that he is “proud that the Ohio House passed this commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation.”

“Most people would be surprised to learn that offenses like jury tampering in criminal cases are not explicitly prohibited under Ohio law,” he said in a release. “Our justice system depends on jurors being able to fulfill their civic duty free from threats of intimidation or outside influence. I would urge the Senate to move this quickly so we can get this bill signed into law and deliver these protections for Ohioans.”

The bill, developed in collaboration with Ashtabula County judges and others supporting it, defines a juror and establishes clear penalties for jury tampering in criminal cases, as well as creates two tiers of offense: “a first-degree misdemeanor for knowingly attempting to influence, intimidate, or hinder a juror, and a third-degree felony when such conduct involves force or the threat of harm.”

In testimony to the Judiciary Committee, Marisa Myers of the Ohio State Bar Association supported the bill and praised Thomas and Synenberg for sponsoring it.

“The jury system is a critical component of our justice system. Jurors represent the community, bringing a peer perspective to legal proceedings to guard against government overreach and help ensure a fair trial,” she said. “To fulfill their important role, jurors must be protected from undue influence or intimidation throughout the legal process.”

Louis Tobin of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association also testified in support of the bill.

Meanwhile, another bill, House Bill 565, was passed by the state House on Wednesday. The bill, also known as the Grand Jury Privacy and Protection Act, was sponsored by state Reps. Mike Odioso, R-Green Twp., and Dontavius Jarrells, D-Columbus, according to another press release.

The bill introduced last year aims to protect the names and residential addresses of grand jurors, as well as the signature of a grand-jury foreperson, from being released in response to public records requests, according to a release.

“Grand jurors play a critical role in our justice system and should be able to fulfill their civic duty without fear that their personal information could be publicly exposed,” Odioso said in a release. “This legislation provides commonsense protections that help safeguard the privacy and security of individuals serving in these sensitive proceedings.”

Connie Pillich of the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office and Tobin supported the bill in their February 11 testimonies.