Sheriffs say vote 'no' on Issue 1

SANDUSKY — Several local sheriffs want voters to "Just Say No" to a proposed constitutional amendment — Issue 1 — on the upcoming election ballot.Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth, Ottawa County Sheriff Steve Levorchick and Huron County Sheriff Todd Corbin appeared on a segment of "Between the Lines" Thursday, which is available for demand viewing at sanduskyregister.com/btl.Watch it here: The proposed amendment would, among other things, change all criminal charges for drug possession from felonies to misdemeanors.Sheriffs said, if approved, the amendment would mean people charged with possessing drugs would be served court summons instead of being arrested."Right now we have a lot very dangerous drugs on the street, including fentanyl, which is resulting in overdoses in all of our counties, fatal overdoses," Sigsworth said.Levorchick said he's spoken to people who said time incarcerated has benefited their addiction recovery."(A man) told me if it were not for his jail time he would be dead because that's where he first gained sobriety, in the county jail," he said.Corbin agreed: "That moment of sobriety, it gives them an opportunity to see the damage that's done and gives them an opportunity to seek help."Sigsworth also addressed views of people who support the issue."I think proponents believe maybe there are people incarcerated that shouldn't be. I don't think there are any of us who would disagree with that," he said. "The difference is the people incarcerated that would better served in another facility, for instance a mental health facility, which we see every single day, those individuals aren't in the penitentiaries, they're in the county jails."The same thing with people arrested solely for possession of these narcotics. Many of them are addicts, we all know that," Sigsworth said. "We recognize that, so do our local judges. Right now if someone is charged with a first offense possession of an opiate drug, I don't know if any judge is going to send that person, if they're convicted, to the penitentiary. They're going to the county jails."The amendment would also require Ohio's Department of Corrections to reduce sentences for inmates — except for those charged with rape, murder, or child molestation — by up to 25 percent if the inmate participates in prison programming. The amendment language is vague and dangerous, he said. The amendment would facilitate early releases for individuals charged with "very dangerous crimes" like felonious assault and felony domestic violence, Sigsworth said. He also argued that, since the issue is a constitutional amendment, it would require another amendment to make any changes to the law."Law needs to be a living document. You need to be able to have that flexibility to change it as society's needs change," Sigsworth said. Y"ou would not have that with this."Corbin also said, since victims don't have a say in the prison releases, the measure is effectively "re-victimizing the victim."A 'yes' vote on Issue 1 means:• A constitutional amendment would lower drug possession charges that are felonies to misdemeanors; Prison sentences for inmates — except those charged with murder, rape and child molestation — can get up to 25 percent sentence reductions if they participate in rehabilitative, work, or educational prison programming.A 'no' vote on Issue 1 means:• No constitutional amendment in favor of reduced drug possession charges, reduced prison sentences, would be passed.Source: Ohio sample ballot for November 2018 election View our Between the Lines hub for more segmentsReach reporter Brandon Addeo at brandonaddeo@sanduskyregister.com, follow him on Twitter @BrandonAddeo and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegister(From left to right) Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth, Ottawa County Sheriff Steve Levorchick and Huron County Sheriff Todd Corbin said they opposed the upcoming ballot Issue 1 on a segment of Between the Lines Thursday.