Alan Johnson
The Columbus Dispatch
Columbus, OH, United States
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Past articles by Alan:
Many law enforcement agencies don't follow state lineup, interrogation rules, study says
Many law enforcement agencies do not follow a law designed to prevent innocent people from being locked up in prison, according to a study by the Ohio → Read More
Outside experts assess Ohio’s ballot issue on prescription-drug prices
COLUMBUS — Independent legal and medical experts have mixed opinions about Issue 2, the Nov. 7 ballot proposal aimed at reducing prices on prescription drugs for about 4 million Ohioans. Several experts contacted by The Dispatch who are not affiliated with either the proponents or opponents said Issue 2 could result in some savings on … → Read More
Ohio's strip club law rarely cited over the last decade
A state law enacted 10 years ago to restrict sexual activity and limit operating hours at strip clubs and adult book stores has been spottily enforced, → Read More
Issue 1, Ohio crime-victims amendment, has its critics
While the crime-victims constitutional amendment appearing on the Nov. 7 ballot in Ohio has attracted widespread support, it's not universal.The Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, representing the state's 88 county prosecutors, questions state Issue 1, as does Ohio Public Defender Tim Young, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys.Attorney… → Read More
Wording for anti-puppy mill amendment approved
The wording for a proposed "puppy mill" constitutional amendment aimed at enacting restrictions on large-scale dog breeders was approved Friday by Attorney General Mike DeWine. DeWine said the proposal, the Ohio Puppy Mill Prevention Amendment, is a "fair and truthful statement of the proposed law." It contained at least 1,000 valid signatures of registered Ohio voters, the minimum needed to… → Read More
Time to shoot your TV? Millions more coming in Ohio Issue 2 ad wars
If you think your TV already has lit up with ads for state Issue 2, just wait. Spending on those spots is rapidly expanding starting this week on the prescription drug price ballot proposal voters will decide in the Nov. 7 election. The TV battle so far is very lopsided, with Issue 2 opponents outspending supporters roughly 5 to 1. That isn't expected to change much over the seven weeks… → Read More
Can you drum away your drug addiction?
For those who thought recovery is just about treatment, medication and 12-step programs, the 2017 Ohio Recovery Conference was an eye-opener.The 1,000 → Read More
Rising murder rate in Columbus bucks national trend
Columbus is one of nine large U.S. cities to show an increasing murder rate at a time when crime overall is declining, a study by the Brennan Center for → Read More
Drug companies push back in court against DeWine opioid lawsuit
The five drug companies Attorney General Mike DeWine sued for allegedly getting Ohioans hooked on narcotic painkillers want a judge to dismiss the case → Read More
DeWine will help lead Issue 1 crime victims campaign
The campaign behind state Issue 1, the crime victims constitutional amendment Ohio voters will decide on Nov. 7, has a new co-chairman — Attorney General Mike DeWine.Supporting crime victims through passage of Issue 1, known as Marsy’s Law, "is something that we all can agree on, because it is about doing the right thing for our fellow citizens who have been victims of crime,” DeWine said Friday… → Read More
With exactly one year to go, many details of Ohio medical marijuana program still up in air
In exactly one year, Ohioans with qualifying health conditions are, by law, supposed to be able to buy medical marijuana. → Read More
Ohio medical marijuana programs faces much work with one year to go
In exactly one year, Ohioans with qualifying health conditions are, by law, supposed to be able to buy medical marijuana. But will they? "Absolutely," said Ohio Commerce Director Jacqueline T. Williams, whose agency oversees the medical marijuana program. "I'm confident we will be able to get the program up and running as the legislature intended." Williams' agency, which worked with the Ohio… → Read More
Bar not liable for drunken stripper's crash, Ohio Supreme Court rules
A Dayton strip club that employed a dancer who caused a serious auto crash while driving drunk is not liable for any damages, the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled.In a 6-1 decision released Wednesday, the court decided that the so-called "Ohio Dram Shop Act" applies. The 2004 law makes bar and tavern owners liable for off-premises injuries only when they knowingly serve alcohol to someone who is… → Read More
Outside experts assess Ohio's ballot issue on prescription-drug prices
Independent legal and medical experts have mixed opinions about Issue 2, the Nov. 7 ballot proposal aimed at reducing prices on prescription drugs for about 4 million Ohioans. Several experts contacted by The Dispatch who are not affiliated with either the proponents or opponents said Issue 2 could result in some savings on prescription drugs but faces signifcant or even insurmountable hurdles.… → Read More
Nevada plans to use fentanyl for execution
People ask all the time: if fentanyl is so deadly, why not use it for executions? Nevada plans to do just that Nov. 14 to execute Scott Dozier, sentenced to death for the 2002 murder and dismemberment of Jeremiah Miller, 22. Lacking more traditional drugs for lethal injection, including midazolam and hydromorphone, Nevada said it will use a never before tried combination of fentanyl, an opioid… → Read More
Ohio records 4,050 drug deaths, up 33 percent from 2015
Fatal drug overdoses keep spiraling in Ohio, with the powerful opioid fentanyl fueling a record 4,050 deaths last year — 1,000 more than in 2015. Despite increased state spending, legislation and debate on Ohio's drug crisis, last year's death toll was 33-percent higher, according to the annual report on unintentional drug overdose deaths released Wednesday by the Ohio Department of Health. The… → Read More
Ohio records 4,050 drug deaths last year, up 33 percent over 2015
More state spending, legislation and debate on Ohio's drug crisis don't appear to have made a dent as the statewide death toll from accidental drug overdoses soared last year to 4,050, a 33-percent jump over 2015.Fentanyl, the deadly opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin, is increasingly to blame for overdose deaths, with fentanyl and its derivatives accounting for 58.2 percent of the… → Read More
Most Ohio death row inmates mentally disabled, report says
Most of the 26 men scheduled for execution in Ohio over three years have intellectual impairments, mental illness and childhood abuse and should not be → Read More
New pro-Issue 2 analysis projects $536 million in prescription drug savings
A new analysis from backers of state Issue 2 concludes the drug-price-cap initiative would save up to $536 million per year in reduced prescription drug → Read More
DeWine tackles foster care shortage with $1 million grant
Confronting a "foster care crisis" where thousands of children are taken from drug-addicted parents, Attorney General Mike DeWine said Thursday he will establish a $1 million fund to support placement of those youngsters. DeWine also directed the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, part of the attorney general's office, to expedite required background investigations for prospective foster parents… → Read More