Ohio court: Rape sentences must fit law at time of conviction

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Ohio Supreme Court says judges in five Cuyahoga County rape cases wrongly applied sentences according to the law at the time the crime occurred, rather than using the law at the time of conviction.

The terms were usually longer, meaning some of the inmates will receive shorter sentences under today’s ruling.

One case involves the sentence for a death row inmate in a rape case unrelated to his slaying of a Cleveland police officer in 2000. Today’s decision means Quisi Bryan’s rape sentence of eight to 25 years could be reduced to between three and 11 years. The ruling doesn’t affect his death sentence.

The court also upheld sentences in another nine cases in which judges imposed sentences according to the law at the time of conviction.