(A) Imposition of a mandatory prison term of one, two, or three years pursuant to division (G) of section 2929.14 of the Revised Code upon an offender who committed a felony that is an offense of violence while participating in a criminal gang is precluded unless the indictment, count in the indictment, or information charging the felony specifies that the offender committed the felony that is an offense of violence while participating in a criminal gang. The specification shall be stated at the end of the body of the indictment, count, or information, and shall be in substantially the following form:

Terms Used In Ohio Code 2941.142

  • Child: includes child by adoption. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59

“SPECIFICATION (or, SPECIFICATION TO THE FIRST COUNT). The grand jurors (or insert the person‘s or the prosecuting attorney’s name when appropriate) further find and specify that (set forth that the offender committed the felony that is an offense of violence while participating in a criminal gang.)”

(B) The specification described in division (A) of this section may be used in a delinquent child proceeding in the manner and for the purpose described in section 2152.17 of the Revised Code.

(C) As used in this section, “criminal gang” has the same meaning as in section 2923.41 of the Revised Code.