CLEVELAND – Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley, along with Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Kevin Filiatraut and Daniel Van, as well as the parents of Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter, will speak before the Ohio House of Representatives Judiciary Committee regarding Senate Bill 295 on February 11, 2026, at 11 a.m.

The hearing will take place in Room 122 at 77 South High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215.

“Competency restoration is not meant to be a loophole, and the current law is inadequate at ensuring accountability in the most serious cases. Senate Bill 295 closes that gap and provides the necessary safeguards to protect the integrity of the justice system. Victims, their families, and the law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line deserve nothing less.”

– Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley

Currently, the maximum time Ohio allows for competency restoration is a one-year period. This applies to all felonies of the first and second degree that are “Offenses of Violence” under Ohio Revised Code 2901.01 (A)(9)(a). For example, Aggravated Murder (2903.01) and Burglary (2911.12) both have a maximum competency restoration time of one year under the current statute.

Senate Bill 295 would increase that period to five years in cases of aggravated murder, murder, or where the possible sentence is life in prison. It would also ensure time does not count against the State when an individual refuses medication, and it would require hospitals to report if medication has not been taken within two weeks — no matter the type of case in which the competency restoration is occurring.

On June 28, 2024, Delawnte Hardy shot his grandmother, Beatrice Porter, at her residence in Garfield Heights, leading to her death one week later. On July 4, 2024, Cleveland Police responded to a call stating that Hardy was at a residence in Cleveland. Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter and several other officers attempted to arrest him. Hardy fired four shots at multiple officers — one striking Officer Ritter, the second narrowly missing another officer, and the third fired in the direction of two others. Officer Ritter was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

On July 10, 2024, Hardy was indicted on aggravated murder and other charges. On September 16, 2024, the court ordered Hardy to Central Ohio Behavioral Health (previously called Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare Hospital) for competency restoration. While there, Hardy refused to take his medication for months, and the hospital did not notify the court of his refusal until March 2025 — over four months after Hardy began refusing his medication.