What pretrial diversion or drug court programs exist in Ohio?
Ohio's diversion options are codified in Title 29 and supervised through Supreme Court-certified specialized dockets.
1. Pretrial Intervention / Diversion (DA-Run). R.C. § 2935.36 authorizes county prosecutors to establish pre-trial diversion programs for first-time, non-violent offenders; completion permits dismissal and expungement.
2. Statutory Deferred Adjudication / Judicial Diversion. R.C. § 2951.041 (Intervention in Lieu of Conviction, ILC) lets the court stay proceedings and place addicted/mentally ill defendants into treatment for up to 5 years; successful completion = dismissal. Eligibility excludes violent felonies and OVI.
3. Drug Court. Ohio Supreme Court Sup.R. 36.20 certifies drug court specialized dockets. 100+ certified drug courts statewide.
4. Veterans Treatment Court. Sup.R. 36.20 also certifies veterans dockets; first opened in Mansfield 2009; now 30+ statewide.
5. Mental Health Court. Sup.R. 36.20 certifies mental-health dockets; coordinates with county boards of ADAMH.
6. OVI / DUI Court. OVI courts certified under Sup.R. 36.20 for repeat OVI offenders; ignition interlock under R.C. § 4510.43.
7. Youthful Offender / Juvenile. R.C. Ch. 2152 (juvenile); serious youthful offender dispositional sentence under § 2152.13; no separate young-adult statute.
8. First-Time-Offender Statute. R.C. § 2953.32 (sealing); R.C. § 2953.36 limits sealing for some offenses; ILC completion supports sealing. R.C. § 2925.11(F) provides first-offender drug treatment in lieu of conviction in some cases.
9. Effects. ILC and diversion completion = dismissal; sealing follows. Federal databases may retain.
10. Federal Pretrial Diversion. 18 U.S.C. § 3154; NDOH and SDOH operate limited PTD.
This is legal information, not legal advice.
- You face a felony and want Intervention in Lieu of Conviction under R.C. § 2951.041
- You are eligible for a specialized drug or mental-health docket but the prosecutor objects
- You need to seal a prior conviction under R.C. § 2953.32 after completing ILC
- Ohio Rev. Code § 2935.36
- Ohio Rev. Code § 2951.041
- Ohio Sup.R. 36.20
- Ohio Rev. Code § 2953.32
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.