Will Ashli Ford be prepping for trial from a prison cell?
Perjury charge means her probation could be revoked
SANDUSKY — Convicted felons in Ohio serving probation—legally referred to as “community control sanctions”—avoid prison by staying in compliance with the law. Getting charged with perjury means failure for a probationer—even one named Ashli Ford—in keeping that promise.
That’s what’s playing out for Ford, who was indicted Thursday on a 13th charge in her ongoing criminal fraud trial in Erie County Common Pleas Court. A grand jury indicted Ford on an additional charge of perjury, after a trial last month ended with a deadlocked jury. Ford, the only defense witness, lied on the witness stand, according to prosecutors.
Under Ohio Revised Code 2929.15, judges hold immense leverage over felony probationers. While non-criminal infractions like a missed meeting are categorized as “technical violations,” committing a new crime is considered a “substantive violation.”
