Section 2929.25 | Community control sanctions - misdemeanor.
(A)(1) Except as provided in sections 2929.22 and 2929.23 of the Revised Code or when a jail term is required by law, in sentencing an offender for a misdemeanor, other than a minor misdemeanor, the sentencing court may do either of the following:
(a) Directly impose a sentence that consists of one or more community control sanctions authorized by section 2929.26, 2929.27, or 2929.28 of the Revised Code. The court may impose any other conditions of release under a community control sanction that the court considers appropriate. If the court imposes a jail term upon the offender, the court may impose any community control sanction or combination of community control sanctions in addition to the jail term.
(b) Impose a jail term under section 2929.24 of the Revised Code from the range of jail terms authorized under that section for the offense, suspend all or a portion of the jail term imposed, and place the offender under a community control sanction or combination of community control sanctions authorized under section 2929.26, 2929.27, or 2929.28 of the Revised Code.
(2) The duration of all community control sanctions imposed upon an offender and in effect for an offender at any time shall not exceed five years.
(3) At sentencing, if a court directly imposes a community control sanction or combination of community control sanctions pursuant to division (A)(1)(a) or (B) of this section, the court shall state the duration of the community control sanctions imposed and shall notify the offender that if any of the conditions of the community control sanctions are violated the court may do any of the following:
(a) Impose a longer time under the same community control sanction if the total time under all of the offender's community control sanctions does not exceed the five-year limit specified in division (A)(2) of this section;
(b) Impose a more restrictive community control sanction under section 2929.26, 2929.27, or 2929.28 of the Revised Code, but the court is not required to impose any particular sanction or sanctions;
(c) Impose a definite jail term from the range of jail terms authorized for the offense under section 2929.24 of the Revised Code.
(B) If a court sentences an offender to any community control sanction or combination of community control sanctions pursuant to division (A)(1)(a) of this section, the sentencing court retains jurisdiction over the offender and the period of community control for the duration of the period of community control. Upon the motion of either party or on the court's own motion, the court, in the court's sole discretion and as the circumstances warrant, may modify the community control sanctions or conditions of release previously imposed, substitute a community control sanction or condition of release for another community control sanction or condition of release previously imposed, or impose an additional community control sanction or condition of release.
(C)(1) If a court sentences an offender to any community control sanction or combination of community control sanctions authorized under section 2929.26, 2929.27, or 2929.28 of the Revised Code, the court shall place the offender under the general control and supervision of the court or of a department of probation in the jurisdiction that serves the court for purposes of reporting to the court a violation of any of the conditions of the sanctions imposed. If the offender resides in another jurisdiction and a department of probation has been established to serve the municipal court or county court in that jurisdiction, the sentencing court may request the municipal court or the county court to receive the offender into the general control and supervision of that department of probation for purposes of reporting to the sentencing court a violation of any of the conditions of the sanctions imposed. The sentencing court retains jurisdiction over any offender whom it sentences for the duration of the sanction or sanctions imposed.
(2) The sentencing court shall require as a condition of any community control sanction that the offender abide by the law and not leave the state without the permission of the court or the offender's probation officer. In the interests of doing justice, rehabilitating the offender, and ensuring the offender's good behavior, the court may impose additional requirements on the offender. The offender's compliance with the additional requirements also shall be a condition of the community control sanction imposed upon the offender.
(D)(1) If the court imposing sentence upon an offender sentences the offender to any community control sanction or combination of community control sanctions authorized under section 2929.26, 2929.27, or 2929.28 of the Revised Code, and if the offender violates any of the conditions of the sanctions, the public or private person or entity that supervises or administers the program or activity that comprises the sanction shall report the violation directly to the sentencing court or to the department of probation or probation officer with general control and supervision over the offender. If the public or private person or entity reports the violation to the department of probation or probation officer, the department or officer shall report the violation to the sentencing court.
(2) If an offender violates any condition of a community control sanction, the sentencing court may impose upon the violator one or more of the following penalties:
(a) A longer time under the same community control sanction if the total time under all of the community control sanctions imposed on the violator does not exceed the five-year limit specified in division (A)(2) of this section;
(b) A more restrictive community control sanction;
(c) A combination of community control sanctions, including a jail term.
(3) If an offender was acting pursuant to division (B)(2)(b) of section 2925.11 of the Revised Code and in so doing violated the conditions of a community control sanction based on a minor drug possession offense, as defined in section 2925.11 of the Revised Code, the sentencing court may consider the offender's conduct in seeking or obtaining medical assistance for another in good faith or for self or may consider the offender being the subject of another person seeking or obtaining medical assistance in accordance with that division as a mitigating factor before imposing any of the penalties described in division (D)(2) of this section.
(4) If the court imposes a jail term upon a violator pursuant to division (D)(2) of this section, the total time spent in jail for the misdemeanor offense and the violation of a condition of the community control sanction shall not exceed the maximum jail term available for the offense for which the sanction that was violated was imposed. The court may reduce the longer period of time that the violator is required to spend under the longer sanction or the more restrictive sanction imposed under division (D)(2) of this section by all or part of the time the violator successfully spent under the sanction that was initially imposed.
(E) Except as otherwise provided in this division, if an offender, for a significant period of time, fulfills the conditions of a community control sanction imposed pursuant to section 2929.26, 2929.27, or 2929.28 of the Revised Code in an exemplary manner, the court may reduce the period of time under the community control sanction or impose a less restrictive community control sanction. Fulfilling the conditions of a community control sanction does not relieve the offender of a duty to make restitution under section 2929.28 of the Revised Code.
Available Versions of this Section
- September 23, 2011 – House Bill 5 - 129th General Assembly [ View September 23, 2011 Version ]
- September 13, 2016 – House Bill 110 - 131st General Assembly [ View September 13, 2016 Version ]
- April 4, 2023 – Amended by Senate Bill 288 - 134th General Assembly [ View April 4, 2023 Version ]