Reps. Synenberg, Thomas Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Penalize Jury Tampering

COLUMBUS – State Reps. Eric Synenberg (D-Beachwood) and David Thomas (R-Jefferson) recently introduced House Bill (HB) 478, a bipartisan piece of a legislation that would penalize jury tampering in Ohio. The bill comes following a troubling incident in Ashtabula County where a juror was intimidated through a social media platform during an active criminal trial.

The juror received a Facebook message from an associate of the accused stating, “you better vote the right way to end this as not guilty.” The message prompted concerns of mistrial and exposed a gap in Ohio law: while bribery of jurors is prohibited, intimidation or tampering in criminal cases is not clearly addressed.

“Jury service is a civic responsibility that everyone shares when called, and those who serve deserve to do so without fear or intimidation,” said Rep. Synenberg. “We hope this commonsense bill will help protect jurors from interference and can ensure that those who serve can do so safely and fairly.”

HB 478 makes the following changes:

• Creates the offense of jury tampering, prohibiting attempts to influence, intimidate, or hinder a juror.
• Establishes penalties of:
  • A first-degree misdemeanor for general attempts; and
  • A third-degree felony for attempts involving force or threats.
• Expands the definition of “public servant” in existing law to include jurors.

“I am grateful to our judges in Ashtabula County for bringing this to the legislature’s attention and for our partners in the legal profession for helping refine this bill over the summer,” said Rep. Thomas. “It is just commonsense that we should not allow jurors to be intimidated or influenced in Ohio.”