Ohio bill seeks to bar death penalty for inmates with 'serious mental health disorders'

Bill 136 has been pushed to the Ohio House, proposing to bar the death penalty for people with "serious mental issues."The exemption would only pertain to inmates with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder or delusional disorder and the inmate had to have been diagnosed at the time of the offense. The condition also must have hindered the person’s judgement in following the law or understanding the consequences of their actions. The bipartisan the bill went through the House Criminal Justice Committee.Under the new bill, sentences would also change. Eligible convicted aggravated murderers would get life in prison with parole possibilities depending on the nature of the crime. Some lawmakers have expressed concern about the cost and difficulty of finding evidence in old cases.The bill now sits in the House where we’ll wait to see if lawmakers push it through.

Bill 136 has been pushed to the Ohio House, proposing to bar the death penalty for people with "serious mental issues."

The exemption would only pertain to inmates with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder or delusional disorder and the inmate had to have been diagnosed at the time of the offense.


The condition also must have hindered the person’s judgement in following the law or understanding the consequences of their actions.

The bipartisan the bill went through the House Criminal Justice Committee.

Under the new bill, sentences would also change. Eligible convicted aggravated murderers would get life in prison with parole possibilities depending on the nature of the crime.

Some lawmakers have expressed concern about the cost and difficulty of finding evidence in old cases.

The bill now sits in the House where we’ll wait to see if lawmakers push it through.