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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is backing legislation that would give courts more time to restore the mental competency of defendants charged with the state’s most serious crimes, citing loopholes highlighted in the case of a man accused of killing Cleveland police officer Jamieson Ritter. In a letter sent Wednesday to the state Senate Judiciary Committee, Yost urged swift passage of Senate Bill 295, which would extend the competency restoration period from one year to five years for aggravated murder and murder. The bill also requires hospitals to notify courts within 14 days if a defendant refuses medication and pauses the timeline during such refusals. “The balance is thrown off if a refusal or petition regarding treatment is counted against the treatment timeline,” Yost wrote. “The bill’s changes restore that balance and ensure a defendant cannot abuse the system by running out the clock on their treatment and criminal trial.” The proposal follows the case of De’Lawnte Hardy, accused of killing Ritter in July 2024 and his grandmother days earlier. Hardy was found incompetent to stand trial and ordered to a state psychiatric hospital but refused medication for months — time that initially counted against the statutory one-year limit. Cuyahoga County prosecutors and Ritter’s parents testified Wednesday in favor of the bill. “We urge this committee to act swiftly and decisively,” said an emotional Jonathan Ritter. “We’re not urging -- we’re pleading with you at this point. Pleading. Our clock is running out.” Critics, including legal scholars and forensic psychiatrists, argue the measure could spark litigation over involuntary medication and blur the line between treatment and punishment. They also question whether extending the timeline to five years has any medical basis. Yost’s letter said that the bill “prevents defendants with mental health issues from slipping through the cracks of our justice system.” The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear additional testimony next week.
