CRIMINAL TRIALS
Leah Reibel has handled hundreds of cases. She has defended criminal clients in felony cases ranging from aggravated assault, felonious assault, assault on a police officer, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, armed robbery, robbery, breaking and entering, carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), rape, gross sexual imposition, abduction, forgery, possession of criminal tools (PCT), theft, receiving stolen property (RSP), aggravated riot, possession of drugs, and patient abuse, among other charges.
In addition to felony cases, Ms. Reibel has helped clients gain early release from prison by filing Motions for Judicial Release (formerly known as shock probation), and has also represented clients in S.B. 10 cases regarding sexual offender classification,
Ms. Reibel has represented countless misdemeanor clients in Municipal Court for charges that included domestic violence, assault, menacing, trespassing, resisting arrest, failure to comply with an order of a police officer and inducing panic.
Additionally, Ms. Reibel represents clients on traffic charges such as OVI or operating a vehicle under the influence (formerly knows as OMVI), driving under suspension, traffic tickets, juvenile traffic offenses, and others.
Recent victories include:
State v. Rodney Ruggles, Franklin County Common Pleas #09 CR 4255. Rodney Ruggles was found not guilty on all counts after a three day trial on charges of Kidnapping (F-1) with a repeat violent offender specification, F-2 and F-3 Robbery. This trial featured eyewitness identification of the defendant by the victim, but Leah Reibel obtained a not guilty verdict.
CIVIL JURY TRIALS
Ms. Reibel has represented individuals in recovering money damages when they have been wronged, in civil actions such as civil assault and Internet stalking. She has also represented individuals in civil rights cases alleging wrongful arrest, unlawful detention and excessive use of force in police misconduct cases against various law enforcement agencies. Some highlights include:
John G. Moore v. David L. McAninch, Franklin County 98 CVC-07-5395, trial in 2000. Civil assault four-day trial resulting in a recovery for the plaintiff.
Damiani v. The Cincinnati Insurance Co., 99 CVE-11-1465. The insurance company refused to pay when Damiani, a gem merchant, lost some merchandise. In this breach of contract case, Damiani recovered against the insurance company.
Danny Thornton v. City of Columbus, Franklin County 98 CVC-10-8058. In this civil rights search and seizure case, Ms. Reibel successfully argued that Mr. Thornton had been wrongfully detained in a police cruiser for a period of time.
Carl Lampart v. City of Columbus, This police shooting case settled at the start of trial in Federal court (Southern District of Ohio).
Chad Kister v. Athens County, police misconduct suit settled in 2001.
Beatrice Friebis v. City of Columbus, The Friebis family won money damages against the City; the City appealed to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Friebis family won again.
DOMESTIC AND JUVENILE COURT
Ms. Reibel has assisted clients in many Domestic Court proceedings seeking a divorce, dissolution, and award of custody or shared parenting (joint custody). She has represented both married and unmarried parents in the courts of central Ohio in obtaining visitation and child support. She has conducted many trials in front of a Judge or Magistrate in Domestic and Juvenile Court. Ms. Reibel has also represented parents who were in danger of losing their children in abuse and neglect cases, juveniles charged with crimes, or persons in danger of losing their liberty for failure to pay child support. Ms. Reibel has also been appointed by the court to act as Guardian ad litem to represent abused and neglected children.
In a high-profile case, Ms. Reibel represented Mary Franks in a case in Delaware County Probate and Juvenile Court as she attempted to gain custody of her grand-daughters. Mrs. Franks was known as the "Vigilante Grandmother" in the August, 1999 issue of Mirabella magazine after attempting to defend her grand-daughter from the step-father, who had been convicted of sexually assaulting her. This case was made into a movie, "The Cucumber Incident", in 2001 by film-makers Bonita Makuch and Melodie Calvert.
BUSINESS SERVICES
Business services include choice of entity and business formation, including incorporation, partnership, and LLC; contract review including leases and employment issues; and business litigation including non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. Services for non-profits include IRS 501(C)(3) applications for non-profit tax status.
APPEALS
Ms. Reibel has argued appeals in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Ohio Supreme Court, the Tenth District Court of Appeals in Franklin County and the Fifth District Court of Appeals sitting in Licking County, among others. These appeals have included criminal cases, domestic cases, and civil rights cases. Some representative cases include:
Estate of Wm. Bing v. City of Whitehall, Case No. 05-3889, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. In this wrongful death police misconduct suit, Plaintiff filed a suit claiming violations of the Fourth Amendment prohibition against warrrantless search and seizure, deadly force, excessive force through the use of tear gas and flashbangs, and destruction of property pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1983, the Civil Rights Act. Plaintiff also claimed state law claims of wrongful death, survivorship, loss of consortium, and spoliation of the evidence. This case settled for a large amount after Ms. Reibel prevailed in the Sixth Circuit.
State v. Robert Dixon, 2001-1772, Ohio Supreme Court, a felonious assault case where the issue was whether “fighting words” were sufficient provocation to reduce the charge.
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