Ric Simmons

Ric Simmons

Jacob E. Davis and Jacob E. Davis II Chair in Law and Associate Dean for Faculty and Intellectual Life, The Ohio State University
Chapter Member: Central Ohio SSN
Areas of Expertise:

Connect with Ric

(614) 292-2829

About Ric

Simmons' expertise is in the field of criminal procedure; specifically; how the law of search and seizure should respond to advances in technology. He has also written on the grand jury and the privatization of the criminal justice system.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications

Contributions

Why Prosecutors Should Give Grand Juries Influence in Deciding Whether to Charge Police in Lethal Force Cases

Basic Facts Brief,

In the News

Research discussed by Sean Illing, in "Does the Mueller Report Exonerate Trump? I asked 12 Legal Experts.," Vox, April 18, 2019.
Research discussed by Sean Illing, in "Trump Declared a National Emergency at the Border. I Asked 11 Experts if it’s Legal.," Vox, February 15, 2019.
Research discussed by Sean Illing, in "What Does Michael Cohen’s Plea Deal Mean for Trump? I Asked Nine Legal Experts.," Vox, November 29, 2018.
Quoted by Zachary Fryer-Biggs in "Mueller’s Questions Show That He Wants to Get Trump to Incriminate Himself," Vox, May 1, 2018.
Quoted by Zachary Fryer-Biggs in "Firing Mueller and Rosenstein Won’t Save Trump’s Closest Allies," Vox, April 11, 2018.
Interviewed in Michael Smerconish Show POTUS Radio Channel, November 17, 2014.
Opinion: "Steubenville Case Shows How the Rules Have Changed," Ric Simmons, CNN, March 17, 2013.
Opinion: "Cost No Reason to Shun Judicial Elections ," Ric Simmons, Columbus Dispatch, October 17, 2010.

Publications

Ending the Zero-Sum Game: How to Increase the Productivity of the Fourth AmendmentEnding the Zero-Sum Game: How to Increase the Productivity of the Fourth Amendment Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, December 2012.

Applies economic theory to criminal procedure law and proposes changes to search and seizure rules based on that application.

"Private Criminal Justice" Mercer Law Review (2007).

Discusses the ways in which the adjudicatory aspect of our criminal justice system has become privatized. Argues that greater privatization would be a net benefit for all of the stakeholders in the system.

Quantifying Criminal Procedure: How to Unlock the Potential of Big Data in Our Criminal Justice SystemQuantifying Criminal Procedure: How to Unlock the Potential of Big Data in Our Criminal Justice System Michigan State Law Review, August 2016.

Discusses how police use of big data analytics can be used by prosecutors and courts in deciding how to legally proceed with criminal cases.

"Searching for Terrorists: Why Public Safety is Not a Special Need" Duke Law Journal 59, no. 5 (2010): 843-926.

Critiques the "special need" exception to the Fourth Amendment and argues that the government is relying too heavily on this exception in its terrorism investigations.

"The Role of the Prosecutor and the Grand Jury in Police Use of Deadly Force Cases: Restoring the Grand Jury to Its Original Purpose " Cleveland State Law Review 65, no. 4 (2017).

Argues that prosecutors should use the grand jury more effectively in cases involving police lethal use of force. Proposes greater transparency rules for the grand jury to effectuate this change.

"The Two Unanswered Questions of Illinois v. Caballes: How to Make the World Safe for Binary Searches" Tulane Law Review 80 (2005).

Proposes expanding the binary search exception to the Fourth Amendment to allow for new uses of investigative technology that are not as invasive but which can provide valuable information to law enforcement.