Legal Question in Criminal Law in Ohio

I was with some friends fishing a couple weeks ago and the two friends were smoking a marijuana cigarette when a wildlife ranger came up and caught them. Even though I was not smoking it, he gave us all a ticket for possession. I went to court today and plead not guilty. I am a stay at home father with no way to afford an attorney to fight my case. The two friends that I was with say that they would write a statement saying that I had nothing to do with smoking it and I also could volunteer to take a drug test to prove that I was not smoking. Is there any way I can win this case without having a lawyer to represent me or what can I do to help me win the case?


Asked on 6/15/10, 10:25 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Neil Rubin Neil S. Rubin, Attorney at Law, LLC

You sound like you have a good start. The friends' statements need to be under oath so have them sign before a notary. Then take these statements to the first pre-trial hearing and show them to the prosecutor. If the prosecutor does not budge you may need to go to trial and have them appear as witnesses. Now, having said all this, your case sounds like a minor misdemeanor pot offense. This is the lowest offense on the books if you purportedly had 100 or less grams. The penalty is just a fine like a speeding ticket. It might be much easier to just pay it. (Or have your friends pay it!)

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Answered on 6/15/10, 2:22 pm


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