Ohio Code 2921.02 – Bribery
(A) No person, with purpose to corrupt a public servant or party official, or improperly to influence a public servant or party official with respect to the discharge of the public servant’s or party official’s duty, whether before or after the public servant or party official is elected, appointed, qualified, employed, summoned, or sworn, shall promise, offer, or give any valuable thing or valuable benefit.
Attorney's Note
Under the Ohio Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Felony of the third degree | 9 months to 5 years | up to $10,000 |
Terms Used In Ohio Code 2921.02
- Another: when used to designate the owner of property which is the subject of an offense, includes not only natural persons but also every other owner of property. See Ohio Code 1.02
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
- Whoever: includes all persons, natural and artificial; partners; principals, agents, and employees; and all officials, public or private. See Ohio Code 1.02
(B) No person, either before or after the person is elected, appointed, qualified, employed, summoned, or sworn as a public servant or party official, shall knowingly solicit or accept for self or another person any valuable thing or valuable benefit to corrupt or improperly influence the person or another public servant or party official with respect to the discharge of the person’s or the other public servant’s or party official’s duty.
(C) No person, with purpose to corrupt a witness or improperly to influence a witness with respect to the witness’s testimony in an official proceeding, either before or after the witness is subpoenaed or sworn, shall promise, offer, or give the witness or another person any valuable thing or valuable benefit.
(D) No person, either before or after the person is subpoenaed or sworn as a witness, shall knowingly solicit or accept for self or another person any valuable thing or valuable benefit to corrupt or improperly influence self or another person with respect to testimony given in an official proceeding.
(E) No person, with purpose to corrupt a director, officer, or employee of a municipal school district transformation alliance established under section 3311.86 of the Revised Code, or improperly to influence a director, officer, or employee of a municipal school district transformation alliance with respect to the discharge of the director’s, officer’s, or employee’s duties, whether before or after the director, officer, or employee is appointed or employed, shall promise, offer, or give the director, officer, or employee any valuable thing or valuable benefit.
(F) No person, either before or after the person is appointed or employed as a director, officer, or employee of a municipal school district transformation alliance established under section 3311.86 of the Revised Code, shall knowingly solicit or accept for self or another person any valuable thing or valuable benefit to corrupt or improperly influence the person or another director, officer, or employee of a municipal school district transformation alliance with respect to the discharge of the person’s or other director’s, officer’s, or employee’s duties.
(G) As used in this section, “public servant” includes a humane society agent approved under section 1717.06 of the Revised Code.
(H) Whoever violates this section is guilty of bribery, a felony of the third degree.
(I) A public servant or party official, or director, officer, or employee of a municipal school district transformation alliance established under section 3311.86 of the Revised Code, who is convicted of bribery is forever disqualified from holding any public office, employment, or position of trust in this state.