Prosecutor: New Sex Offender Tiers Streamline Process

COLUMBUS, Ohio – It's been a little more than two weeks since sex offenders in Ohio began to be classified in one of three tiers depending on the severity of their crime.

While it's making more work for some sheriffs' offices, one county prosecutor said it's making less work for him, NBC 4's Tom Brockman reported.

Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost said that 16 days into the new classification system things are good.

"The major difference is that under the old system there had to be hearings, psychological exams…" he explained. "We were kind of guessing as to how serious of an offender you were and whether you were likely to re-offend. Well, the crystal ball doesn't work very well in the courtroom and the new law just streamlines it."

Yost said that although the old classification hearing typically lasted three minutes, some could last up to an hour. However, now, he said, those hearings are much faster.

"A minute or a minute and a half to say to them 'this is what you gotta' do, do you have any questions?'" he said.

According to Yost, there's no longer room for negotiation or compromise in the courtroom. Based on what crime has been committed, the offender's tier has already been determined.

But not everyone is so positive about the changes.

Margie Slagle, of the Ohio Justice and Police Center, said it's a mistake to take the human element out of the classification of sex offenders.

"Under the new system the classification is based solely off the crime they committed… whether a person is dangerous has nothing to do with their crime of conviction," she said. "I'm more concerned as a parent with the court getting things correctly, not the court running more efficiently."

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