The Law Office of Scott J. Friedman

05/03/2026

https://scottjfriedmanlaw.com/news-%26-blog/f/can-police-search-your-car-for-ma*****na-in-ohio

In State v. Lewis, 2026-Ohio-1382 (8th Dist.), the court reaffirmed an emerging principle in Ohio law: in light of ma*****na legalization, the smell of ma*****na, standing alone, is no longer sufficient to establish prob...

03/16/2026

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/03/this-middleburg-heights-law-targets-violent-offenders-heres-why-it-will-fail-leila-atassi.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawQk_sRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE1U1dxYWRPOUV6MEpOc1hPc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHjIS4ULwACaKwsslfAdcBOS1q7FeVBVRBcmBgKbjZOaEVCOcdu3t0BojQLVC_aem_DG9HPEzFgMXoOboQLyZLdg

A Middleburg Heights ordinance barring s*x offenders and people with past violent convictions from public spaces may sound like it protects children, but research suggests broad exclusionary policies like this rarely improve safety and can undermine rehabilitation and long-term public safety.

03/15/2026

https://scottjfriedmanlaw.com/news-%26-blog/f/marcy%E2%80%99s-law-doesnt-override-defendant%E2%80%99s-right-to-obtain-evidence

In State v. McFarland, 2026-Ohio-835 (8th Dist.), the Cuyahoga County Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court’s decision denying an alleged victim’s motion to quash subpoenas issued by a criminal defendant to the accuser...

03/10/2026

https://www.courtnewsohio.gov/cases/2026/FeaturedDecisionVehicularAssault_022626.asp

The Supreme Court of Ohio has affirmed the conviction of a Lorain County man who injured a state trooper directing traffic while he was driving under the influence of ma*****na. The case is the latest in the “Featured Decision” video series.

03/07/2026

https://scottjfriedmanlaw.com/news-%26-blog/f/conviction-reversed-after-judge-refuses-to-dismiss-complaint

In City of Cleveland v. Shaker Heights Apts. Owner LLC, 2026-Ohio-737 (8th Dist.), the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals recently addressed an unusual situation: a municipal court refused to dismiss criminal charges ...

02/21/2026

https://scottjfriedmanlaw.com/news-%26-blog/f/court-reverses-assault-conviction-over-self-defense-evidence

02/12/2026

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/oh-cuyahoga/ohio-supreme-court-hears-case-of-firefighter-killed-on-i-90

The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office testified at the Ohio Supreme Court Wednesday and asked the justices to overturn a ruling that overturned the murder conviction of Leander Bissell.

02/08/2026

https://scottjfriedmanlaw.com/news-%26-blog/f/ohio-court-orders-disclosure-of-officer%E2%80%99s-investigatory-file

In State v. Malik Aziz, 2026-Ohio-353 (8th Dist.), the Eighth District Court of Appeals delivered an important win for criminal defendants and defense attorneys, holding that prosecutors must disclose investigatory files...

01/11/2026

https://scottjfriedmanlaw.com/news-%26-blog/f/confidential-informants-and-the-limits-of-disclosure

Law enforcement agencies frequently rely on confidential informants during criminal investigations, particularly to help establish probable cause for a search warrant. In most cases, the identity of these informants is n...

12/28/2025

https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2025/12/cases-of-defendants-representing-themselves-in-federal-court-in-northern-ohio-spiked-in-2025.html

The number of self-represented defendants jumped from two in 2024 to eight in 2025. All eight were found guilty.