501.99 PENALTIES FOR MISDEMEANORS.
(a) Financial Sanctions. In addition to imposing court costs pursuant to Ohio R.C. 2947.23, the court imposing a sentence upon an offender for a misdemeanor committed under the Codified Ordinances, including a minor misdemeanor, may sentence the offender to any financial sanction or combination of financial sanctions authorized under this section and, if the offender is being sentenced for a criminal offense as defined in Ohio R.C. 2930.01, shall sentence the offender to make restitution pursuant to this section and Ohio R.C. 2929.281. If the court, in its discretion or as required by this section, imposes one or more financial sanctions, the financial sanctions that may be imposed pursuant to this section include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Restitution.
A. Unless the misdemeanor offense could be disposed of by the traffic violations bureau serving the court under Traffic Rule 13, restitution by the offender to the victim of the offender’s crime or the victim’s estate, in an amount based on the victim’s economic loss. The court may not impose restitution as a sanction pursuant to this section if the offense could be disposed of by the traffic violations bureau serving the court under Traffic Rule 13. If the court requires restitution, the court shall order that the restitution be made to the victim in open court or to the adult probation department that serves the jurisdiction or the clerk of the court on behalf of the victim.
B. The court shall determine the amount of restitution to be paid by the offender. The victim, victim’s representative, victim’s attorney, if applicable, the prosecutor or the prosecutor’s designee, and the offender may provide information relevant to the determination of the amount of restitution. The amount the court orders as restitution shall not exceed the amount of the economic loss suffered by the victim as a direct and proximate result of the commission of the offense. If the court imposes restitution for the cost of accounting or auditing done to determine the extent of economic loss, the court may order restitution for any amount of the victim’s costs of accounting or auditing provided that the amount of restitution is reasonable and does not exceed the value of property or services stolen or damaged as a result of the offense. If the court decides to or is required to impose restitution, the court shall hold an evidentiary hearing on restitution if the offender, victim, victim’s representative, victim’s attorney, if applicable, or victim’s estate disputes the amount of restitution. The court shall determine the amount of full restitution by a preponderance of the evidence.
C. All restitution payments shall be credited against any recovery of economic loss in a civil action brought by the victim or the victim’s estate against the offender. No person may introduce evidence of an award of restitution under this section in a civil action for purposes of imposing liability against an insurer under Ohio R.C. 3937.18.
D. The court may order that the offender pay a surcharge, of not more than five percent (5%) of the amount of the restitution otherwise ordered, to the entity responsible for collecting and processing restitution payments.
E. The victim, victim’s attorney, if applicable, or the attorney for the victim’s estate may request that the prosecutor in the case file a motion, or the offender may file a motion, for modification of the payment terms of any restitution ordered. If the court grants the motion, it may modify the payment terms as it determines appropriate but shall not reduce the amount of restitution ordered, except as provided in Ohio R.C. 2929.281(A).
(2) Fines. A fine in the following amount:
A. For a misdemeanor of the first degree, not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000);
B. For a misdemeanor of the second degree, not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00);
C. For a misdemeanor of the third degree, not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00);
D. For a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00);
E. For a minor misdemeanor, not more than one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00).
(3) Reimbursement of costs of sanctions.
A. Reimbursement by the offender of any or all of the costs of sanctions incurred by the government, including, but not limited to, the following:
1. All or part of the costs of implementing any community control sanction, including a supervision fee under Ohio R.C. 2951.021 and the costs of global positioning system device monitoring;
2. All or part of the costs of confinement in a jail or other residential facility, including, but not limited to, a per diem fee for room and board, the costs of medical and dental treatment, and the costs of repairing property damaged by the offender while confined.
B. The amount of reimbursement ordered under subsection (a)(3)A. of this section shall not exceed the total amount of reimbursement the offender is able to pay and shall not exceed the actual cost of the sanctions. The court may collect any amount of reimbursement the offender is required to pay under that subsection. If the court does not order reimbursement under that subsection, confinement costs may be assessed pursuant to a repayment policy adopted under Ohio R.C. 2929.37. In addition, the offender may be required to pay the fees specified in Ohio R.C. 2929.38 in accordance with that section.
(ORC 2929.28)
(b) Jail Terms.
(1) Except as provided in Ohio R.C. 2929.22 or 2929.23 of the Revised Code, and unless another term is required or authorized pursuant to law, if the sentencing court imposing a sentence upon an offender for a misdemeanor elects or is required to impose a jail term on the offender pursuant to this General Offenses Code, the court shall impose a definite jail term that shall be one of the following:
A. For a misdemeanor of the first degree, not more than one hundred eighty days;
B. For a misdemeanor of the second degree, not more than ninety days;
C. For a misdemeanor of the third degree, not more than sixty days;
D. For a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, not more than thirty days.
(2) A. A court that sentences an offender to a jail term under this section may permit the offender to serve the sentenced in intermittent confinement or may authorize a limited release of the offender as provided in Ohio R.C. 2929.26(B). The court retains jurisdiction over every offender sentenced to jail to modify the jail sentence imposed at any time, but the court shall not reduce any mandatory jail term.
B. 1. If a prosecutor, as defined in Ohio R.C. 2935.01, has filed a notice with the court that the prosecutor wants to be notified about a particular case and if the court is considering modifying the jail sentence of the offender in that case, the court shall notify the prosecutor that the court is considering modifying the jail sentence of the offender in that case. The prosecutor may request a hearing regarding the court’s consideration of modifying the jail sentence of the offender in that case, and, if the prosecutor requests a hearing, the court shall notify the eligible offender of the hearing.
2. If the prosecutor requests a hearing regarding the court’s consideration of modifying the jail sentence of the offender in that case, the court shall hold the hearing before considering whether or not to release the offender from the offender’s jail sentence.
(3) If a court sentences an offender to a jail term under this section and the court assigns the offender to a county jail that has established a county jail industry program pursuant to Ohio R.C. 5147.30, the court shall specify, as part of the sentence, whether the offender may be considered for participation in the program. During the offender’s term in the county jail, the court retains jurisdiction to modify its specification regarding the offender’s participation in the county jail industry program.
(4) If a person is sentenced to a jail term pursuant to this section, the court may impose as part of the sentence pursuant to Ohio R.C. 2929.28 a reimbursement sanction, and, if the local detention facility in which the term is to be served is covered by a policy adopted pursuant to Ohio R.C. 307.93, 341.14, 341.19, 341.21, 341.23, 753.02, 753.04, 753.16, 2301.56, or 2947.19 and Ohio R.C. 2929.37, both of the following apply:
A. The court shall specify both of the following as part of the sentence:
1. If the person is presented with an itemized bill pursuant to Ohio R.C. 2929.37 for payment of the costs of confinement, the person is required to pay the bill in accordance with that section.
2. If the person does not dispute the bill described in subsection (b)(4)A.1. of this section and does not pay the bill by the times specified in Ohio R.C. 2929.37, the clerk of the court may issue a certificate of judgment against the person as described in that section.
B. The sentence automatically includes any certificate of judgment issued as described in subsection (b)(4)A.2. of this section.
(ORC 2929.24)
(c) Organizations. Regardless of the penalties provided in subsections (a) and (b) hereof, an organization convicted of an offense pursuant to Section 501.11 shall be fined, in accordance with this section. The court shall fix the fine as follows:
Type of Misdemeanor | Maximum Fine |
First degree | $5000.00 |
Second degree | 4000.00 |
Third degree | 3000.00 |
Fourth degree | 2000.00 |
Minor | 1000.00 |
Misdemeanor not specifically classified | 2000.00 |
Minor misdemeanor not specifically classified | 1000.00 |
(1) When an organization is convicted of an offense that is not specifically classified, and the section defining the offense or penalty plainly indicates a purpose to impose the penalty provided for violation upon organizations, then the penalty so provided shall be imposed in lieu of the penalty provided in this subsection (c).
(2) When an organization is convicted of an offense that is not specifically classified, and the penalty provided includes a higher fine than the fine that is provided in this subsection (c), then the penalty imposed shall be pursuant to the penalty provided for the violation of the section defining the offense.
(3) This subsection (c) does not prevent the imposition of available civil sanctions against an organization convicted of an offense pursuant to Section 501.11, either in addition to or in lieu of a fine imposed pursuant to this subsection (c).
(ORC 2929.31)