The moment you are charged with a crime in Ohio, the state has already started building its case. Prosecutors have access to law enforcement reports, evidence gathered during the investigation, and the full resources of the government. What you have is the right to a defense, and the outcome depends almost entirely on how well that defense is mounted from the very first hours after charges are filed.
At Kruger & Hodges, criminal defense is not a side practice. It is part of what we do for people in the communities we’ve served for years. Our attorneys have worked on both sides of the courtroom — we’ve represented defendants and we’ve worked with the full range of evidence that law enforcement and prosecutors assemble. That experience shapes how we approach every criminal case we take.
If you or someone you know has been charged with a crime in Ohio, contact us today. Consultations are free, confidential, and available at all nine of our offices across southwest and central Ohio.
The Ohio Sentencing Framework
Most people generally understand that criminal charges are serious. Fewer understand exactly what Ohio law prescribes for specific charge levels — and why the difference between a fifth-degree felony and a fourth-degree felony, or between a first-degree misdemeanor and a felony, can determine years of a person’s life.
Ohio classifies criminal offenses under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 2929 in a tiered structure:
Felonies are divided into five degrees. First-degree felonies carry prison terms of three to eleven years under the Reagan Tokes Law’s indefinite sentencing structure, with a minimum and maximum set by the court. Second-degree felonies carry two to eight years. Third-degree felonies: nine months to five years. Fourth-degree felonies: six to eighteen months. Fifth-degree felonies: six to twelve months — though for F4 and F5 offenses, Ohio law under ORC § 2929.13 creates a presumption in favor of community control rather than prison when certain conditions are met.
Misdemeanors are divided into four degrees plus minor misdemeanor. First-degree misdemeanors carry up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Second-degree misdemeanors: up to 90 days and $750. Third-degree: up to 60 days and $500. Fourth-degree: up to 30 days and $250.
Those numbers matter — but they are only part of the picture. A felony conviction in Ohio carries consequences that extend well beyond the sentence: loss of certain professional licenses, ineligibility for specific employment categories, firearm rights, housing eligibility, and the permanent mark of a felony record that appears in background checks indefinitely. Protecting against those collateral consequences is often as important as the sentence itself.
Ohio Criminal Defense Cases We Handle
Southwest and central Ohio have their own criminal landscape, shaped by the communities, the roads, and the economic and social conditions specific to this part of the state. Here are the charges our clients most commonly face:
- OVI — Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence: The charges that generate the most volume across all nine of our counties. A first OVI offense in Ohio is a first-degree misdemeanor carrying a mandatory minimum of three days in jail (or a driver intervention program), a fine of $375 to $1,075, and a license suspension of one to three years. Second and subsequent offenses escalate sharply — a fourth OVI within ten years is a fourth-degree felony with a mandatory minimum of 60 days in jail. The prior OVI history, the BAC level, the method of testing, and the circumstances of the stop all shape both the charge and the defense strategy.
- Drug possession and trafficking: Ohio’s drug laws have been in ongoing flux, and the specific substance, quantity, and circumstances of a charge determine everything. Under Ohio’s revised drug offense table — updated by HB 1 in 2023 — bulk amounts and aggravated trafficking charges carry mandatory prison terms that severely limit judicial discretion. Drug charges in Ohio also frequently involve Fourth Amendment questions: was the stop legal, was the search authorized, was the warrant valid. Suppression of evidence obtained through an unlawful search has resolved many of these cases favorably without ever reaching trial.
- Assault and domestic violence: Assault charges in Ohio range from fourth-degree misdemeanors for simple offensive touching to first-degree felonies for felonious assault involving serious physical harm or a deadly weapon. Domestic violence charges carry additional consequences including protective orders, potential loss of firearm rights under federal law, and mandatory reporting implications for licensed professionals. These cases frequently turn on witness credibility, the physical evidence, and the accuracy of the initial law enforcement response.
- Theft, fraud, and property offenses: Ohio’s theft statute under ORC § 2913.02 scales by the value of property taken — from a fourth-degree misdemeanor for theft under $1,000 to a first-degree felony when the value exceeds $1,500,000. White-collar fraud cases involving healthcare billing, workers’ compensation, or financial instruments involve complex document discovery and expert analysis that requires attorneys comfortable with both criminal procedure and the underlying industry.
- Weapons charges: Carrying a concealed weapon without a valid license, having weapons under disability for those with prior felony convictions, and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle are among the most common weapons charges we see across our region. Federal law complications arise in cases involving defendants with prior felony records, where even a state-level weapons charge can trigger federal firearms disability questions.
- Traffic felonies: Aggravated vehicular assault and aggravated vehicular homicide are felony charges that frequently arise from traffic crashes — particularly those involving OVI, excessive speed, or reckless operation. These cases sit directly at the intersection of our criminal defense and personal injury practices, and our experience with crash reconstruction, traffic law, and the evidentiary standards in both systems gives us a specific advantage in defending them.
Where Our Criminal and Civil Practice Intersect
One of the things that genuinely differentiates Kruger & Hodges from firms that handle only criminal defense is our experience on the civil side of cases that involve the same set of facts.
When a car crash results in both criminal charges against a driver and a civil injury claim by a victim, the two proceedings run simultaneously on different legal tracks. Evidence gathered in the criminal investigation — crash reports, toxicology, officer observations — becomes relevant to the civil case. Statements made during criminal proceedings can be used in civil litigation. How a criminal defense is structured affects the civil exposure, and vice versa.
Our attorneys are fluent in both tracks. We know how to defend criminal charges in ways that don’t inadvertently compromise civil positioning, and we know how the civil and criminal processes interact in the types of cases that are most common in our region. That integrated understanding is not something every criminal defense attorney brings.
Kruger & Hodges is in Your Community
Criminal charges are stressful in a way that is hard to describe to someone who hasn’t faced them. The uncertainty, the stakes, the speed at which decisions have to be made. We don’t add to that stress by making you drive an hour to a large-city firm.
We have offices in Hamilton, Middletown, Eaton, Wilmington, Washington Court House, Circleville, Urbana, Xenia, and Bellefontaine. One of which is almost certainly close to where you are. We answer calls directly, explain what you’re actually facing in plain language, and give you an honest assessment from the start. Your first consultation is free. Schedule a free consultation.