R.C. § 2971.03 Sentencing For Sexually Violent Predator Specification

• Library: Ohio Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current with legislation from 2024 received as of February 15, 2024.
• Year: 2023
• Citation: R.C. § 2971.03

(A) Notwithstanding divisions (A) and (D) of section 2929.14, section 2929.02, 2929.03, 2929.06, 2929.13, or another section of the Revised Code, other than divisions (B) and (C) of section 2929.14 of the Revised Code, that authorizes or requires a specified prison term or a mandatory prison term for a person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a felony or that specifies the manner and place of service of a prison term or term of imprisonment, the court shall impose a sentence upon a person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a violent sex offense and who also is convicted of or pleads guilty to a sexually violent predator specification that was included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information charging that offense, and upon a person who is convicted of or pleads guilty to a designated homicide, assault, or kidnapping offense and also is convicted of or pleads guilty to both a sexual motivation specification and a sexually violent predator specification that were included in the indictment, count in the indictment, or information charging that offense, as follows:

(1) Except as provided in division (A)(5) of this section, if the offense for which the sentence is being imposed is aggravated murder and if the court does not impose upon the offender a sentence of death, it shall impose upon the offender a term of life imprisonment without parole. If the court sentences the offender to death and the sentence of death is vacated, overturned, or otherwise set aside, the court shall impose upon the offender a term of life imprisonment without parole.

(2) Except as provided in division (A)(5) of this section, if the offense for which the sentence is being imposed is murder; or if the offense is rape committed in violation of division (A)(1)(b) of section 2907.02 of the Revised Code when the offender purposely compelled the victim to submit by force or threat of force, when the victim was less than ten years of age, when the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to either rape committed in violation of that division or a violation of an existing or former law of this state, another state, or the United States that is substantially similar to division (A)(1)(b) of section 2907.02 of the Revised Code, or when the offender during or immediately after the commission of the rape caused serious physical harm to the victim; or if the offense is an offense other than aggravated murder or murder for which a term of life imprisonment may be imposed, it shall impose upon the offender a term of life imprisonment without parole.

(3)

(a) Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(3)(b), (c), (d), or (e) or (A)(4) of this section, if the offense for which the sentence is being imposed is an offense other than aggravated murder, murder, or rape and other than an offense for which a term of life imprisonment may be imposed, it shall impose an indefinite prison term consisting of a minimum term fixed by the court as described in this division, but not less than two years, and a maximum term of life imprisonment. Except as otherwise specified in this division, the minimum term shall be fixed by the court from among the range of terms available as a definite term for the offense. If the offense is a felony of the first or second degree committed on or after March 22, 2019, the minimum term shall be fixed by the court from among the range of terms available as a minimum term for the offense under division (A)(1)(a) or (2)(a) of that section.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in division (A)(4) of this section, if the offense for which the sentence is being imposed is kidnapping that is a felony of the first degree, it shall impose an indefinite prison term as follows:

(i) If the kidnapping is committed on or after January 1, 2008, and the victim of the offense is less than thirteen years of age, except as otherwise provided in this division, it shall impose an indefinite prison term consisting of a minimum term of fifteen years and a maximum term of life imprisonment. If the kidnapping is committed on or after January 1, 2008, the victim of the offense is less than thirteen years of age, and the offender released the victim in a safe place unharmed, it shall impose an indefinite prison term consisting of a minimum term of ten years and a maximum term of life imprisonment.