Ohio
| CITATION | Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 2933.52 |
| SUMMARY |
It is not a crime to intercept a wire, oral, or electronic communication if the person recording is a party to the conversation, if one party has consented to taping, or if the conversation is not taped for the purpose of committing a criminal or tortious /wrongful offense. Ohio Rev. Code ann. § 2933.52. Cordless telephone conversations purposely picked up by a neighbor’s baby monitor were considered “oral communications,” accompanied by a reasonable expectation of privacy. Ohio v. Bidinost, 644 N.E.2d 318 (Ohio 1994). |
| CONSENT REQUIRED | 1 party to communication. |
| PENALTIES | Illegal interception is Fourth Degree Felony, which is punishable by 6 to 18 months imprisonment. A conviction can also carry potential civil liability for the greater of actual damages, two hundred dollars ($200) per day of violation or ten thousand dollars $10,000, along with punitive damages, attorney fees, and litigation expenses. There is a two-year statute of limitations to bring a civil action. Ohio Rev. Code ann. § 2933.65. |
