On Friday, the Ohio State Highway Patrol released a "Traffic Safety Bulletin" containing the statistics for OVI-related arrests and crashes [available HERE]. Some of the highlights...
Continue readingIn the wonderful play by Robert Bolt, A Man for All Seasons, we meet Sir Thomas More, Lord Chancellor in the Court of King Henry VIII. As an attorney and judge, More did much to strengthen the power of the jury by instituting reforms that both made the jury system more fair and strengthened the court in opposition to the growing power of the King. In the play, when the King begins to alter the rule of law to accomodate his divorces and remarriages, More refuses to assent. He loses his position and is eventually arrested and tortured for his...
Continue readingYour right to a speedy and public trial is enshrined in the Bill of Rights. The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides, "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of...
Continue readingIn 1982, Ohio declared “WAR” on drunk driving. Since that time Ohio has devised one of the toughest DUI systems in the nation. By creating a civil penalty called an automatic license suspension, even a first time DUI results in an immediate loss of your “right” to drive. A conviction can result in a jail sentence ranging from the mandatory minimum three days to a maximum of six months and a minimum fine of $375.00 up to $1,075. Conviction of a first time DUI will result in a license suspension lasting from six months to three years. If a driver...
Continue readingEi incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat In America you are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. "Presumption of innocence" serves to emphasize that the prosecution has the obligation to prove each element of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt and that the accused bears no burden of proof. This presumption is ancient, dating back to the Old Testament. In Genesis 18:23-32, it states, "Abraham drew near, and said, "Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous within the city? Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty...
Continue readingCharles M. Rowland II of Fairborn, Ohio has been selected to be a Fellow to the American Bar Foundation. The Fellows is an honorary organization of attorneys, judges, law faculty, and legal scholars who have been elected by their peers to become members of The Fellows. They have demonstrated outstanding achievements and dedication to the welfare of their communities and to the highest principles of the legal profession. The Fellows support the research work of the American Bar Foundation through their annual contributions and sponsor seminars and events of direct relevance to leaders of the legal profession.Established in 1955,...
Continue readingCharles M. Rowland II Charles M. Rowland II maintains an established DUI/OVI practice, representing the accused drunk driver in State and Federal Courts in the Miami Valley and throughout Ohio. An attorney since 1995, Charles Rowland dedicates his practice exclusively to representing the accused drunk driver and has worked to amass more credentials than any attorney in his field. DUI/OVI CREDENTIALS Charles served as the Xenia City Prosecutor and has served as a “Special Prosecutor” on high-profile felony cases. Charles is a proud member of the National College for DUI defense and in 2006 attended the intensive seminar on DUI law at Harvard University. ...
Continue readingToday, the Ohio State Highway Patrol released two press releases announcing they will be out in force this holiday season. You may have noticed the ubiquitous "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" commercials and increased law enforcement presence along our roadways. Through December 11, troopers have arrested 1,383 more drivers for OVI than during the same period in 2010. Last year fatalities increased to 1,080 over a record low of 1,022 in 2009. With the upcoming holidays, the Patrol is reminding drivers that this can be one of the most dangerous times of the year due to an increase in impaired...
Continue readingWhy do we Homo sapiens love alcohol? Could it be that our love of alcohol is genetically encoded in our species due to millions of years of evolution? Fossilized teeth show that between 45 million and 34 million years ago, human ancestors and our closest relatives -gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans - ate a diet that was rich in fruit. Natural selection favored primates who could detect and appreciate the smell of fruit and out-compete others in its collection. As the fruit fell from the source and lay on the ground, the yeast on the fruits skin would consume the sugar molecules...
Continue readingThere will be an OVI sobriety checkpoint tonight in Clark County, Springfiield, Ohio beginning at 8:30 pm on the 1200 block of West First Street. The DUI checkpoint will be conducted by the Clark County OVI Task Force. The Clark County OVI Task Force is made up of the Clark County Combined Health District, Springfield Police Division, Clark County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio Highway Patrol, the Ohio Department of Transportation, Clark County EMA, Springfield Fire and Rescue Box 27, Ohio Investigative Unit and police departments in North Hampton, Enon, South Charleston, Tremont City and German Twp. In addition to enforcement efforts, the OVI Task Force and...
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