Columbus Legal Issues Blog

You may be among many licensed drivers in Ohio who have paid fines for traffic tickets at some point in their lives. When a police officer pulls you over, it's understandable to feel nervous. Many times, things turn out a lot better than you expected, perhaps with the officer in question issuing a warning to slow down and then allowing you to leave.

Other times, a patrol officer might not only pull you over, he or she may ask you to exit your vehicle. If that happens, it's typically because the officer thinks you have committed a crime, such as driving under the influence of alcohol. After you exit your vehicle, the officer might ask you to take a field sobriety test. The more you know about such tests ahead of time, the better able you'll be to protect your rights, especially if you face arrest.

Perhaps, you and your spouse have determined that your marriage is no longer sustainable. You can count yourselves among hundreds of other Ohio couples who are currently having similar thoughts about their own relationships. Divorce is definitely not easy and, when children are involved, can be quite stressful. In all matters of custody, visitation and support, the court has your children's best interests in mind.  

Problems can arise, however, if you and your spouse disagree about what is best for your kids. Whether you are writing the terms of your own co-parenting plan or you have determined a need to litigate the situation, the court must either approve your plan or make decisions on your behalf, as needed. To better understand the court's thought process when making such decisions, it helps to seek clarification about how judges typically interpret children's best interests.  

Have you always been the type of person who gets nervous if you see a police officer? Even if you know you have done nothing wrong, your heart rate may increase a few beats per minute when you see a law enforcement officer in uniform. Many other people in Ohio also have this kind of anxiety. It can make for an extremely stressful experience if a police officer pulls you over or knocks on your front door at home.  

If a cop starts asking you questions or requests that you allow a search of your home, person, vehicle or private property, it's best to try to remain calm and cooperate as much as possible. However, you never have to do or say anything that violates your personal rights. The officer, too, must act in accordance with your rights at all times. This is why it's critical that you understand Miranda regulations as well as how they apply to your situation.  

You may be like many other Ohio residents in that when you hear about the "RICO Act," you envision mobsters and their organized crime syndicates. It is true that the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (passed by Congress in 1978) began as a way to get to higher ranking officials in mob organizations who weren't actually "on the ground" committing the crimes.

Historically, state and federal agencies used the RICO Act to deal with obviously illegal activities such as trafficking of drugs, weapons and people, along with counterfeiting and prostitution. Later, when these types of activities no longer provided the same anonymity and profits, the mob moved into more traditionally white-collar criminal activities, and state and federal law enforcement officials used the RICO Act to prosecute for these crimes as well.