State law doesn't guarantee a lawyer for kids in custody
In a narrow decision, the Ohio Supreme Court says juveniles have no right to have an attorney when they’re first brought into court or questioned by police officers.

The 4-3 decision was written by Justice Terrence O’Donnell. It’s based on a Cleveland case, in which a teenager pulled over by a police officer gave a false name, and then acknowledged he’d served as a lookout in a robbery. He was arrested and taken to a police station where he waived his rights, signed a confession and was charged with aggravated robbery in juvenile court. He ended up being sentenced to two years in the state juvenile prisons.

In his appeal, he argued that state law requires that juveniles have a lawyer “all stages of proceedings,” including during his interrogation, so waiving his rights didn’t count.  But the high court ruled that law says, because he wasn’t yet charged when police questioned him, that questioning didn’t fall under the state definition of proceedings.

Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor  and Justices Paul Pfeifer and Yvette McGee dissented , saying,  “the majority’s holding offends the United States Supreme Court’s constitutional commands on a juvenile’s due process,” as well as Ohio court precedents and state law.

Akron City Hall evacuated 
Authorities evacuated Akron City Hall  this morning after they found a 4-foot metal pipe  with the words “natural kaboom” and “nuisance people eliminated” near City Council chambers shortly after 8:30. A police dog searched the building for explosives, found none, and city workers were allowed back into the building just before 10 a.m.

Ohioans turn in mounds of prescription drugs
Ohio law enforcers have just tabulated how many un-needed prescription drugs were turned in on Saturday during a national “drug take-back day.” Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports.

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Portman helps Romney prep; campaigns continue to push early voting
Ohio Sen. Rob Portman continues to help Mitt Romney prepare for the first presidential debate tonight against President Obama.

It’s a familiar role for Portman, who also helped John McCain with debate prep in 2008. Portman prepared to prepare Romney by studying Obama’s mannerisms and debate strategies as well as his policies.

Meanwhile, both presidential campaigns continue to try to push their voters to get to the polls in Ohio, which began early voting yesterday. They’re sponsoring phone banks and bus tours that are criss-crossing the state. And President Obama plans to be in Cleveland on Friday.