Bipartisan Bill to Protect Jurors from Intimidation Passes the Ohio House

COLUMBUS — State Reps. Eric Synenberg (D-Beachwood) and David Thomas (R-Jefferson) today announced that House Bill (HB) 478, the Jury Tampering Prevention Act, unanimously passed the Ohio House.

“I am proud that the Ohio House passed this commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation,” said Rep. Synenberg. “Most people would be surprised to learn that offenses like jury tampering in criminal cases are not explicitly prohibited under Ohio law. Our justice system depends on jurors being able to fulfill their civic duty free from threats of intimidation, or outside influence. I would urge the Senate to move this quickly so we can get this bill signed into law and deliver these protections for Ohioans.”

“HB 478 does what all Ohioans believe should be true, juries should be independent and without worry of interference or tampering,” said Rep. D. Thomas.

HB 478 expands Ohio law by defining a juror and establishing clear penalties for jury tampering in criminal cases. The bill creates two tiers of offense:

• A first-degree misdemeanor for knowingly attempting to influence, intimidate, or hinder a juror; and
• A third-degree felony when such conduct involves force or the threat of harm.

This legislation is modeled in part on existing Pennsylvania law and is designed to align with current Ohio criminal statutes and has received strong support from interested parties who see this as a necessary step to protect jurors and uphold due process.

The bill now heads to the Ohio Senate for consideration.