A Cincinnati-area mother is facing child endangering and OVI charges after police say she crashed her vehicle in North College Hill with her 6-year-old daughter inside. Kristin Michelle Jacobs was accused by police of driving under the influence of drugs when the crash happened on Tuesday, according to court records.
Jacobs’ age has been reported differently across records: the arraignment reporting from WKRC lists her as 38, while public booking records posted by Mugshots of Hamilton County OH list her as 44. Those same booking records identify Jacobs, 44, in connection with an arrest involving children and OVI. Per Hamilton County Municipal Court affidavit information, Jacobs was charged with endangering children in connection with the crash, and she was scheduled for arraignment Wednesday.
What Ohio Law Says About Kids in the Car
Ohio law treats impaired driving with a minor passenger as its own separate offense from OVI. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2919.22(C)(1), operating a vehicle while impaired with a minor under 18 inside constitutes child endangerment, typically charged as a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and fines up to $1,000, according to the Law Offices of Brian J. Smith. Ohio law allows a defendant to be convicted and sentenced for both OVI and child endangerment stemming from the same incident, according to the same firm.
The separate OVI charge falls under Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.19, which subjects first-time offenders to mandatory jail time or community driver intervention programs, along with license suspensions ranging from six months to three years, per Lopez, Severt & Pratt Co. An OVI conviction in Ohio cannot be expunged or sealed from a person’s permanent criminal record, the firm notes…