By David Eck
Enquirer Contributor

A Liberty Township woman whose husband is charged with twice trying to kill her has prompted a proposed Ohio law that would tighten requirements for setting bond in domestic violence cases.

State Rep. James T. Raussen, R-Springdale, said Tuesday he plans to introduce "Amy's Law" next week.

It is named after Amy Rezos, whose husband, Chris, is accused of shooting her in the head July 26 after he posted bail and got out of jail on charges that he tried to beat her to death three weeks earlier.

"We need to give judges every possible tool to make decisions that provide for the safety of the victim so that what happened to Amy Rezos doesn't happen to other Ohioans," Raussen said.

"The reforms in this legislation are based on the successes of other states, and provide for the input of experts in the field."

Among the highlights of the proposed law is a requirement that judges consider several factors when setting bond in a domestic violence case, including whether the suspect has a history of domestic violence or other violent acts, the suspect's mental health and whether the suspect is a threat to any other person.

Under current law, a judge is required to determine whether a suspect charged with domestic violence violated a protection order or has a prior conviction for domestic violence, Raussen said.

The proposed law would also require that a suspect arrested on a charge of domestic violence appear in court before being allowed to post bail, which is usually money or property meant to secure a suspect's return to court.

The bill also will ask legislators to create a task force to develop a way for judges to uniformly assess the possible risk a suspect may pose, he said.

Raussen said he expects the proposal to move through the Ohio House this year.

Kevin Jones, Amy Rezos' brother, began working on reforming the law concerning bond in violent domestic cases the day after his sister was shot.

"I am very happy with the swift attention of Rep. Raussen and his staff on this legislation to ensure that other Ohio families won't have to experience what Amy and our family is going through," Jones said. "The laws pertaining to these types of cases need to provide clear definition to judges on how to handle defendants and protect the innocent."

Amy Rezos, 35, is recovering at home from the July 26 shooting. Her 35-year-old husband remains in the Butler County Jail on $1 million cash bond.

He is charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of felonious assault and one count of aggravated burglary in connection with both attacks.

"Amy's Law will give judges more information on each specific domestic violence offense when it is most important: before the offender is released on bond," the legislator said.

"Under the bill, judges will have to look at specific factors for every domestic violence case, meet with the offender before they are released on bond, and use a risk-assessment checklist when making their decision."

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