YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The 7th district Court of Appeals upheld the arrest of a Youngstown State University (YSU) student on misdemeanor marijuana possession charges by a university police officer behind an apartment complex near the campus.
YSU Police Officer Wilbert Drayton arrested John Littlejohn April 25, 2011 after the officer spotted five occupants — three of whom were smoking marijuana in the backseat — in a parked car around 1 a.m., reports Vindy.com. However, Littlejohn’s defense counsel filed a motion to dismiss the case because the arrest conflicted with Ohio statute, R.C. 2935.03. The law outlines the power of a university police officer to make arrests for crimes committed in his or her presence on campus.
But the appeals court ruled that the officer acted properly, as he complied with another statute, R.C. 3345.041, which gives campus police the right to enter into a mutual assistance agreement with the police department, in the municipality where the school is located, allowing university police city-wide authority, reports Daily Legal News.
