541.07 DESECRATION.

   (a)   No person, without privilege to do so, shall purposely deface, damage, pollute or otherwise physically mistreat any of the following:

      (1)   The flag of the United States or of this State;

      (2)   Any public monument;

      (3)   Any historical or commemorative marker, or any structure, Indian mound or earthwork, cemetery, thing or site of great historical or archeological interest;

      (4)   A work of art or museum piece;

      (5)   Any other object of reverence or sacred devotion.

   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of desecration, a misdemeanor of the second degree.

   (c)   As used in this section, “cemetery” means any place of burial and includes burial sites that contain American Indian burial objects placed with or containing American Indian human remains. (ORC 2927.11)

541.08 ETHNIC INTIMIDATION.

   (a)   No person shall violate Ohio R.C. 2903.21, 2903.22, 2909.06, 2909.07 or 2917.21(A)(3) to (5) or Sections 537.05, 537.06, 537.10(a)(3) to (5), 541.03 or 541.04 of the General Offenses Code by reason of the race, color, religion or national origin of another person or group of persons.

   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of ethnic intimidation. Ethnic intimidation is an offense of the next higher degree than the offense the commission of which is a necessary element of ethnic intimidation.

(ORC 2927.12)

541.09 POSTING BILLS WITHOUT CONSENT OF OWNER.

   (a)   No person shall paint, print, paste, stencil or otherwise mark, place upon or affix to a building, fence, wall, vehicle, post, pole, tree, billboard, sidewalk or street, or other similar structure, whether public or private, without the consent of the owner, lessee or agent in charge a word, letter, character, figure, sentence, or device or a handbill, notice, advertisement, sign or poster.

   This section does not apply to the posting of a handbill or notice of public sale by a sheriff, administrator, executor or licensed auctioneer or a notice required by law to be posted.

   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.

541.10 CIVIL LIABIILTY OF PARENTS.

   (a)   The City of Lorain is entitled to maintain an action to recover compensatory damages in an amount not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2,000) or any other amounts as set forth in Ohio R.C. 3109.09 or any amendments thereto, and costs of suit from the parents, having the custody and control of a minor under the age of eighteen years, who willfully damages property belonging to or under the control of the City. A finding of willful destruction of property is not dependent upon a prior finding of delinquency of such minor.

   (b)   Such action shall be commenced and heard as in other civil actions for damages.

(Ord. 14-79. Passed 1-15-79.)

541.11 VEHICULAR VANDALISM.

   (a)   As used in this section:

      (1)   “Highway” means any highway as defined in Section 301.42 of the Traffic Code or any lane, road, street, alley, bridge, or overpass.

      (2)   “Alley”, “street”, and “vehicle” have the same meanings as in Chapter 301 of the Traffic Code.

      (3)   “Vessel” and “waters in this State” have the same meanings as in Ohio R.C. 1546.01.

   (b)   No person shall knowingly, and by any means, drop or throw any object at, onto, or in the path of any of the following:

      (1)   Any vehicle on a highway;

      (2)   Any boat or vessel on any of the waters in this State that are located in the Municipality.

   (c)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of vehicular vandalism. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, vehicular vandalism is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the violation of this section creates a substantial risk of physical harm to any person, serious physical harm to property, physical harm to any person or serious physical harm to any person, vehicular vandalism is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law.

(ORC 2909.09)