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In Cuyahoga County, the Prosecutor’s Office dropped murder and voluntary manslaughter charges against a man who claims that he opened fire to defend himself, according to News 5 Cleveland. The new Ohio self-defense law not only affects future deadly force defense cases, it also has repercussions for those already charged with a crime. The new self-defense law doesn’t change Ohio’s “castle doctrine.” Under the castle doctrine, gun owners are allowed to use force in their homes or vehicles to defend themselves against intruders. Prior to Ohio passing its new self-defense law, it was the only state that required the victim of a deadly force encounter to prove self-defense if charged. Sounds really fair, right? That’s what 49 other states think too.

For example, in a case involving deadly force, the burden was on the person using the deadly force to convince police, prosecutors, or a jury that they had reasonable fear of serious bodily harm when they opened fire, that they did not start the confrontation or do anything to escalate it, and that, if possible, tried to retreat from the threat.

Up until this change in Ohio’s self-defense law, the burden rested with the person claiming self-defense to prove that self-defense was justified. Graham & Graham hopes that you never have to use a firearm to defend yourself, your loved ones, or your property, but if you do, our Zanesville criminal law attorneys want to make sure you understand your rights. The new law has significant implications for Ohio’s four million gun owners. This is a 180-degree turn-around from the previous, long-standing Ohio law that placed the burden on you-the defendant-to prove that your actions were legitimate and that you acted in self-defense.

The most important change you need to know is that if you wound or kill someone and claim it was an act of self-defense, you are innocent until the state proves that your actions were not self-defense. The state’s new self-defense law came into effect this past March. “What’s new,” you ask? Ohio’s self-defense law.