Section 4549.31. Venue

(A) Any person who as a part of a continuing course of criminal conduct commits auto theft offenses in more than one county may be indicted and tried for all such offenses in any county where one such offense was committed. It is prima-facie evidence of a continuing course of criminal conduct if an offender commits two or more auto theft offenses within a period of six months.

(B) As used in this section, "auto theft offense" means any of the following:

(1) A violation of section 4505.19, 4549.05, 4549.08, or 4549.62 of the Revised Code;

(2) A violation of a law of another state or the United States substantially equivalent to any offense listed in division (B)(1) of this section;

(3) A violation of a law of this or any other state, or of the United States, of which an element is forging or altering a motor vehicle title or registration, or obtaining a motor vehicle or motor vehicle parts or accessories by theft or fraud, or wrongful conversion of a motor vehicle, or taking, operating, or keeping a motor vehicle without the consent of the owner, or receiving or disposing of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle parts or accessories knowing the same to have been unlawfully obtained.

Effective Date: 03-28-1985