COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Monday that state law allows a maximum of two consecutive prison terms for firearm specifications added to the sentence of a violent offender. The decision reduces the prison time for Aunrico Beatty, who was convicted of shooting at four people in Clermont County in 2021.
Beatty was originally sentenced to 16 to 18 years in prison, including 12 years for firearm specifications and four to six years for felonious assault. The trial court imposed four consecutive three-year sentences for the firearm specifications, but the Supreme Court found this exceeded the statutory limit.
Justice Michael P. Donnelly, writing for the majority, explained that Ohio law presumes concurrent sentences unless specific exceptions apply. While the law permits two consecutive firearm specification terms, additional sentences must run concurrently. The Court’s decision reduces Beatty’s firearm-related prison time to six years and remands the case to the trial court for resentencing.
The ruling was supported by Justices Melody Stewart and Jennifer Brunner, with Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy concurring in judgment only. Dissenting opinions were filed by Justices Joseph T. Deters and R. Patrick DeWine, who argued that trial judges have discretion to impose additional consecutive firearm sentences.
This decision overturns a lower court ruling and clarifies the limits of Ohio’s firearm sentencing laws.