Springfield, OH – Today, Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, amended her criminal charges against Donald J. Trump and JD Vance to add counts of inducing panic under Ohio Revised Code Section 2917.31 and its Springfield Codified Ordinance counterpart, S.C.O. § 509.06.

The amended charges and bench memorandum accompanying it are available here. They address Trump's and Vance's misconduct directed at Springfield, Ohio's Haitian population resulting in harm to that community and the community as a whole, documented in detail in Ms. Jozef's affidavit presenting the amended charges.

The additional charge under R.C. 2917.31(A) (Inducing Panic), provides, in relevant part:

(A) No person shall cause the evacuation of any public place, or otherwise cause serious public inconvenience or alarm, by doing any of the following:

(1) Initiating or circulating a report or warning of an alleged or impending fire, explosion, crime, or other catastrophe, knowing that such report or warning is false;

(2) Threatening to commit any offense of violence;

(3) Committing any offense, with reckless disregard of the likelihood that its commission will cause serious public inconvenience or alarm.

(emphases added).

Accompanying the amended criminal charges is an amended bench memorandum that explains why the First Amendment affords no protection to Trump and Vance for their alleged criminal misconduct. It cites cases where Ohio courts have rejected the defense where far less havoc was wreaked.

And the bench memo also explains that absent evidence that the affidavit isn't filed in good faith, the statutes 2935.09(D) and 2935.10(A) read together require the court to issue arrest warrants—just as the court would have to do if a police officer filed the affidavit. It's not optional.

The original charges were filed on September 24 and are fully explained here.

Subodh Chandra, the Bridge's lead counsel, said:

If anyone else relentlessly made false alarms, disrupted public services, and induced panic like Trump and Vance—resulting in 33 bomb threats; schools, colleges, and government buildings being evacuated and closed; fear for children and parents and parents having to care for their children at home; hospital lockdowns; cancellation of a 20-year-running community festival; theats to the mayor and his family; threats to a businessperson hiring Haitians; and fear by Haitians in the community including a father and kids held at gunpoint in their garage—they would've been arrested by now.

Trump and Vance knew what they were doing and persisted even after the mayor, city manager, and governor said they were wrong. They must be held accountable to the rule of law like the rest of us.

We await word from the court and then the prosecutors about whether there is equal justice under law in Springfield.

The case is captioned In re: Criminal Charges Against Donald J. Trump and James David (“JD”) Vance, Clark County Municipal Court Case No. Matter No. 24SPM100. The case has been assigned to the entire municipal court “en banc.” Today's filing can be found here.

The Haitian Bridge Alliance and Ms. Jozef are represented by Chandra Law's Subodh Chandra, Alexandra Lavelle, Courtney Bow, and Ethan Dawson. They are also represented by Nicole Phillips, legal director, and Erik Crew, staff attorney, of the Haitian Bridge Alliance.

Led by former federal prosecutor Subodh Chandra, Chandra Law is experienced obtaining justice for crime victims, including initiating charges under R.C. 2935.09. The firm also helped pioneer work in holding individuals and companies accountable for civil liability for criminal acts, securing the two leading Supreme Court of Ohio decisions favorable to crime victims on the topic.

If you think that your civil rights have been violated, you may contact us to discuss your options.

At Chandra Law, your case is our cause.®