(A) The fire marshal, an assistant fire marshal, or a certified fire safety inspector may arrest, or may cause the arrest of, any person whom the fire marshal, assistant fire marshal, or certified fire safety inspector finds in the act of violating, or who the fire marshal, assistant fire marshal, or certified fire safety inspector has reasonable cause to believe has violated, sections 3743.60 to 3743.66 of the Revised Code. Any arrest shall be made in accordance with statutory and constitutional provisions governing arrests by law enforcement officers.

Terms Used In Ohio Code 3743.68

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Fireworks: means any composition or device prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or an audible effect by combustion, deflagration, or detonation, except ordinary matches and except as provided in section 3743. See Ohio Code 3743.01
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • Property: means real and personal property. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.

(B) If the fire marshal, an assistant fire marshal, or certified fire safety inspector has probable cause to believe that fireworks are being manufactured, sold, possessed, transported, or used in violation of this chapter, the fire marshal, assistant fire marshal, or certified fire safety inspector may seize the fireworks. Any seizure of fireworks shall be made in accordance with statutory and constitutional provisions governing searches and seizures by law enforcement officers. The fire marshal’s or certified fire safety inspector’s office shall impound at the site or safely keep seized fireworks pending the time they are no longer needed as evidence. A sample of the seized fireworks is sufficient for evidentiary purposes. The remainder of the seized fireworks may be disposed of pursuant to an order from a court of competent jurisdiction after notice and a hearing.

Fireworks manufactured, sold, possessed, transported, or used in violation of this chapter shall be forfeited by the violator. The fire marshal’s or certified fire safety inspector’s office shall dispose of seized fireworks pursuant to the procedures specified in sections 2981.11 to 2981.13 of the Revised Code for the disposal of forfeited property by law enforcement agencies, and the fire marshal or that office is not liable for claims for the loss of or damages to the seized fireworks.

(C) This section does not affect the authority of a peace officer, as defined in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code, to make arrests for violations of this chapter or to seize fireworks manufactured, sold, possessed, transported, or used in violation of this chapter.

(D) Any fines imposed for a violation of this chapter relating to the sale, purchase, possession, or discharge of fireworks shall be distributed in the following manner if a municipal corporation, county, or township either filed or enforced the complaint regarding the violation. One-half of the amount of the fine shall be distributed to the municipal corporation, county, or township which filed the complaint regarding the violation and one-half of the amount of the fine shall be distributed to the municipal corporation, county, or township which enforced the complaint. If the same municipal corporation, county, or township both filed the complaint regarding the violation and enforced the complaint, the entire amount of the fine shall be distributed to that municipal corporation, county, or township.

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