(a) No person shall knowingly cause or attempt to cause physical harm to a family or household member.
(b) No person shall recklessly cause serious physical harm to a family or household member.
(c) No person, by threat of force, shall knowingly cause a family or household member to believe that the offender will cause imminent physical harm to the family or household member.
(d) As used in this section:
(1) “Family or household member” means any of the following:
A. Any of the following who is residing or has resided with the offender:
1. A spouse, a person living as a spouse or a former spouse of the offender;
2. A parent or a child of the offender, or another person related by consanguinity or affinity to the offender;
3. A parent, or a child of a spouse, person living as a spouse, or former spouse of the offender; or another person related by consanguinity or affinity to a spouse, person living as a spouse or former spouse of the offender.
B. The natural parent of any child of whom the offender is the other natural parent or is the putative other natural parent.
(2) “Person living as a spouse” means a person who is living or has lived with the offender in a common law marital relationship, who otherwise is cohabiting with the offender, or who otherwise has cohabited with the offender within five (5) years prior to the date of the alleged commission of the act in question.
(e) Whoever violates this section is guilty of domestic violence. A violation of division (a) or (b) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree, if the offender has not previously been convicted of domestic violence or a violation of RC 2903.11, 2903.12, 2903.13, 2903.14, 2909.06, 2909.07, 2903.211, 2911.12, 2911.211, or 2919.22, or Section 621.03 of the General Offenses Code involving a person who was a family or household member at the time of such violation. A violation of division (c) of this section is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. If the offender has a prior conviction of domestic violence under this section or a code section enumerated in this division (e), then on a first offense, a violation of division (c) of this section is a misdemeanor of the second degree. A violation of division (c) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree if the offender has two (2) prior convictions of domestic violence under this section or a code section enumerated in this division (e).
(RC 2919.25)
(f) The same relief available under the Ohio Revised Code for filing a complaint for violation of RC 2919.25 shall be available for filing a complaint for violation of this section.
(Ord. No. 1631-05. Passed 3-20-06, eff. 3-24-06)