Prosecutor urges yes vote on Issue 1

To the Editor:

A vote for Issue 1 is a vote to protect public safety.

• Earlier this year, four justices on the Ohio Supreme Court said that Ohio judges could no longer
consider public safety when setting bail, even for dangerous and violent offenders.
• The court majority upended decades of law, disregarded their own Rules of Criminal Procedure, and ignored the plain reading of the Ohio Revised Code.
• Ohio judges now have limited ability to keep dangerous and violent offenders off of our streets before trial.
• This decision changed public policy and imposed bail reform in Ohio with no input from Ohioans.
• A vote for Issue 1 is a vote to reverse this dangerous decision and protect public safety.

A vote for Issue 1 is a vote to protect crime victims, witnesses, and Ohio communities.

• Victims, witnesses, and Ohio communities are less safe because of this Court decision.
• Judges used to be able to consider the seriousness of the crime, the offender’s record as a career criminal, the heinous nature of the crime, and whether the offender used a gun.
• Now, dangerous and violent offenders are more likely to be caught and released.
• These offenders have more opportunity to intimidate victims and witnesses. They have more opportunity to obstruct the criminal justice process.
• A vote for Issue 1 is a vote to reverse this dangerous decision and allow your judges to again better protect crime victims, witnesses, and Ohio communities.

A vote for Issue 1 is a vote to promote law and order.

• Bail reform is resulting in tragedy everywhere it is being adopted.
• It is contributing to the rise in crime nationwide.
• It is undermining law enforcement efforts to get dangerous people off of our streets
• It is undermining law and order.
• A vote for Issue 1 is a vote for law enforcement and a vote to promote law and order in your community.
• Vote to protect public safety.
• Vote to protect crime victims, witnesses, and Ohio communities.
• Vote to promote law and order in your community.

Vote YES on Issue 1.

Eva J. Yarger
Van Wert County Prosecutor