On Tuesday, a new law took effect in Ohio that makes strangulation a felony offense. Up until that time, Ohio was the only state in the U.S. that failed to recognize the potentially deadly crime as a felony.
The law was signed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in early January, with a 90-day effect rule in place. It was part of Senate Bill 288, a sweeping bill that covers everything from criminal justice reforms and sexual assault kits to distracted driving and drug offenses in its 500 pages.
As of April 4, 2023 in the state of Ohio, an individual is guilty of strangulation if they cause serious physical harm or cause a substantial risk of serious physical harm to another person by means of strangulation or suffocation. Now, strangulation can be charged as a second-degree, fourth-degree or fifth-degree felony.
According to the Domestic Violence Division of the Columbus City (Ohio) Attorney’s Office, in 2018, approximately 20% of an estimated 3,200 domestic violence cases involved strangulation or suffocation. Extrapolating that number to cover the entire state rather than just Columbus City—so 20% of about 38,000 charges—suggests that thousands of previously misdemeanor domestic violence cases involving strangulation or suffocation can now be charged as a felony.