(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — This afternoon, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland will sign into law the state’s first teen violence protection legislation. Substitute House Bill 10, introduced last year by State Rep. Edna Brown (D-Toledo), gives juvenile courts the power to issue protection orders. It will also allow adults to request the orders on behalf of minors.

Attorney General Richard Cordray is a strong proponent of the new law, which will be named the Shynerra Grant Law after a Toledo-area teen who was killed in 2005 by a former boyfriend.

“This law puts Ohio on the right path to protecting our youth,” said Cordray. “Teens now have recourse to find protection against violence before it’s too late. Through this legislation we hope to send a strong message to our young people that violence is unacceptable and carries serious consequences.”

Cordray’s Crime Victims Assistance and Prevention section reimburses attorneys who handle civil protection orders against adult offenders and will now expand the assistance to include cases through juvenile court.

Today’s signing of House Bill 10 follows closely on the heels of House Bill 19 which was signed into law by Governor Strickland in December. House Bill 19 requires each Ohio school district to adopt a policy to prevent and address incidents of dating violence at school, provide staff training on dating violence prevention and include dating prevention education for grades 7-12 within the health education curriculum.

“The successful passage of House Bills 10 and 19 were part of our legislative goals to protect Ohio’s youth against violence,” said Cordray. “With both of these bills passed into law, we take a giant step forward in providing adequate protection for our young people.”

For a summary of the new law, visit http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=128_HB_10.
 

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