Prosecutors take advantage of law

COLUMBUS (AP) — Prosecutors around Ohio, citing the ability to pursue harsh punishment without going through the complication and expense of a death penalty case, are starting to take advantage of a 2005 law.

The law allows prosecutors to seek the second-toughest punishment available for aggravated murders — life with no chance of parole — without first seeking a death sentence, according to a review of state records by The Associated Press.

The number of death penalty indictments sought statewide dropped 32 percent from 2004 to 2007, according to figures compiled by the Ohio Public Defender’s Office.

Meanwhile, the number of life without parole sentences rose by more than two-thirds in the three years since the law took effect compared with the three years before, when 45 inmates entered prison with the permanent life sentence, according to the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Ten offenders have received the sentence so far this year.

“Life without parole means it’s over,” said Clermont County Prosecutor Don White.