(A)(1) A board hearing officer, a board member, or the office of victims’ services may petition the board for a full board hearing that relates to the proposed parole or re-parole of a prisoner, including any prisoner described in section 2967.132 of the Revised Code. At a meeting of the board at which a majority of board members are present, the majority of those present shall determine whether a full board hearing shall be held.

Have a question?
Click here to chat with a criminal defense lawyer and protect your rights.

(2) A victim of a violation of section 2903.01 or 2903.02 of the Revised Code, an offense of violence that is a felony of the first, second, or third degree, or an offense punished by a sentence of life imprisonment, the victim’s representative, or any person described in division (B)(5) of this section may request the board to hold a full board hearing that relates to the proposed parole or re-parole of the person that committed the violation. If a victim, victim’s representative, or other person requests a full board hearing pursuant to this division, the board shall hold a full board hearing.

At least thirty days before the full hearing, except as otherwise provided in this division, the board shall give notice of the date, time, and place of the hearing to the victim regardless of whether the victim has requested the notification. The notice of the date, time, and place of the hearing shall not be given under this division to a victim if the victim has requested pursuant to division (B)(2) of section 2930.03 of the Revised Code that the notice not be provided to the victim. At least thirty days before the full board hearing and regardless of whether the victim has requested that the notice be provided or not be provided under this division to the victim, the board shall give similar notice to the prosecuting attorney in the case, the law enforcement agency that arrested the prisoner if any officer of that agency was a victim of the offense, and, if different than the victim, the person who requested the full hearing. If the prosecuting attorney has not previously been sent an institutional summary report with respect to the prisoner, upon the request of the prosecuting attorney, the board shall include with the notice sent to the prosecuting attorney an institutional summary report that covers the offender’s participation while confined in a state correctional institution in training, work, and other rehabilitative activities and any disciplinary action taken against the offender while so confined. Upon the request of a law enforcement agency that has not previously been sent an institutional summary report with respect to the prisoner, the board also shall send a copy of the institutional summary report to the law enforcement agency. If notice is to be provided as described in this division, the board may give the notice by any reasonable means, including regular mail, telephone, and electronic mail, in accordance with division (D)(1) of section 2930.16 of the Revised Code. If the notice is based on an offense committed prior to March 22, 2013, the notice also shall include the opt-out information described in division (D)(1) of section 2930.16 of the Revised Code. The board, in accordance with division (D)(2) of section 2930.16 of the Revised Code, shall keep a record of all attempts to provide the notice, and of all notices provided, under this division.

The preceding paragraph, and the notice-related provisions of divisions (E)(2) and (K) of section 2929.20, division (D)(1) of section 2930.16, division (H) of section 2967.12, division (E)(1)(b) of section 2967.19 as it existed prior to the effective date of this amendment, division (A)(3)(b) of section 2967.26, and division (D)(1) of section 2967.28 of the Revised Code enacted in the act in which this paragraph was enacted, shall be known as “Roberta’s Law.”

(B) At a full board hearing that relates to the proposed parole or re-parole of a prisoner and that has been petitioned for or requested in accordance with division (A) of this section, the parole board shall permit the following persons to appear and to give testimony or to submit written statements:

(1) The prosecuting attorney of the county in which the original indictment against the prisoner was found and members of any law enforcement agency that assisted in the prosecution of the original offense;

(2) The judge of the court of common pleas who imposed the original sentence of incarceration upon the prisoner, or the judge’s successor;

(3) The victim of the original offense for which the prisoner is serving the sentence or the victim’s representative designated pursuant to section 2930.02 of the Revised Code;

(4) The victim of any behavior that resulted in parole being revoked;

(5) With respect to a full board hearing held pursuant to division (A)(2) of this section, all of the following:

(a) The spouse of the victim of the original offense;

(b) The parent or parents of the victim of the original offense;

(c) The sibling of the victim of the original offense;

(d) The child or children of the victim of the original offense.

(6) Counsel or some other person designated by the prisoner as a representative, as described in division (C) of this section.

(C) Except as otherwise provided in this division, a full board hearing of the parole board is not subject to section 121.22 of the Revised Code. The persons who may attend a full board hearing are the persons described in divisions (B)(1) to (6) of this section, and representatives of the press, radio and television stations, and broadcasting networks who are members of a generally recognized professional media organization.

At the request of a person described in division (B)(3) of this section, representatives of the news media described in this division shall be excluded from the hearing while that person is giving testimony at the hearing. The prisoner being considered for parole has no right to be present at the hearing, but may be represented by counsel or some other person designated by the prisoner.

If there is an objection at a full board hearing to a recommendation for the parole of a prisoner, the board may approve or disapprove the recommendation or defer its decision until a subsequent full board hearing. The board may permit interested persons other than those listed in this division and division (B) of this section to attend full board hearings pursuant to rules adopted by the adult parole authority.

(D) If the victim of the original offense died as a result of the offense and the offense was aggravated murder, murder, an offense of violence that is a felony of the first, second, or third degree, or an offense punished by a sentence of life imprisonment, the family of the victim may show at a full board hearing a video recording not exceeding five minutes in length memorializing the victim.

(E) The adult parole authority shall adopt rules for the implementation of this section. The rules shall specify reasonable restrictions on the number of media representatives that may attend a hearing, based on considerations of space, and other procedures designed to accomplish an effective, orderly process for full board hearings.