Ohio Criminal Justice Reforms Take Effect on July 6th

A landmark number of sweeping criminal justice reforms contained in Ohio SB 77 take effect next week on July 6, 2010. According to the Governor's office, this bill "expands DNA testing for certain convicted felons, eliminates DNA testing for felons who pleaded guilty or no contest, preserves biological evidence in criminal proceeding and improves eyewitness identification procedures." Amogn other changes, the bill specifically requires anyone 18 or older who is arrested for a felony offense after 7/1/11 to submit to a DNA collection procedure. The bill also requires law enforcement agencies to adopt specific procedures regarding live and photo lineups. The new law also specifies what types of biological evidence (including blood, saliva and hair) must be preserved for up to 30 years in killings and sexual assaults. Click here to read a recent article from Cincinnati.com with pros and cons about the bill.

From: Cleveland Law Library Weblog

State Environmental Compliance Doesn't Have to Be Difficult

Now available in the Wayne County Law Library (Section A-15)

Environmental Compliance in OH provides expert analysis of Ohio's environmental regulations, along with comparisons between federal and state environmental protection agency regulations. Every key 40 CFR topic is available.

Lawyer Judgement Often Wrong. Scholars Explain Why.

If you're a lawyer, predicting the outcome of a case is an important part of your job. It helps you advise your client, decide what strategy to employ, know when to settle, etc. But—guess what?—lawyers aren't so good at evaluating those odds, according to a new paper published in Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. Read more at http://tinyurl.com/2dhz46s

Advising Small Businesses 2010 Updates

These chapters have been revised for 2010 --

• Chapter 17: Private Placements and Limited Offerings of Securities ... exemptions from registration that may be available for private placements or limited offerings of securities.
• Chapter 24: Operating in Other States: ... new and revised sections on change in the state of the organization, qualified foreign entities, due process and the commerce clause as it pertains to state taxation of nonresident business.
• Chapter 34: Patents ... new and revised sections on judicial exceptions to statutory classes, limitations on remedies - notice and marking, limitations of patent rights discussing patent exhaustion and ownership assignments and licensing.
• Chapter 46: Structuring the Business Sale: Tax issues ... discusses the tax consequences of bootstrap sales, the manner in which the sales price for a business is paid, the tax treatment of business acquisition costs the taxation of earnings on any funds escrowed in connection with a business sale

Powell on Real Property, Release 130, March 2010

Highlights of the lastest release (130) include:

• Top Cases (Chapter Top 2009, vol. 1)
• Powell in the Courts (Chapter pc2009, vol. 1)
• Eminent Domain (Updates to Chapter 79F)
• New HUD Booklet for Compliance with RESPA (vol. 1, practice guide 3)
• Updated discussion of residency restrictions for sex offenders (Sec. 79D.07[2][h])
• The second in the Wolf Family Lecture Series on the American Law of Real Property on THE RIGHT TO EXCLUDE by Professor Gregory S. Alexander.

Practical Guide to Equal Employment Opportunity: Release 44

The Law Library has filed the latest release to this publication. Highlights include information on Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), which has recently taken effect and makes it illegal to discriminate against employees or applicants because of their genetic information. Release 44 also covers recent case law developments on significant issues such as:

• Denial of FMLA leave
• Hiring standards
• Discriminatory failure to promote
• "Cat's paw" theory in discriminatory discharge cases
• Gender Stereotyping claims
• Retaliatory acts
• Mandatory retirement for public safety officers
• Same-sex harassment
• Medical examinations under ADA
• Affirmative action plans

Pro Se Litigants Guide for Preparing Appeals to Supreme Court of Ohio

Filing an Appeal in the Supreme Court: a pro se Guide has been published (2010) as a guide for litigants preparing appeals from one of Ohio Court of Appeals.