Obscure law could turn college protesters into felons: Today's top stories | Daily Briefing

Jessie Balmert, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
More than 135 years after Ohio passed a law to curb vigilante justice, state Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, is warning university presidents that pro-Palestine protestors could run afoul of that same obscure law.
More than 135 years after Ohio passed a law to curb vigilante justice, state Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, is warning university presidents that pro-Palestine protestors could run afoul of that same obscure law.
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Good morning, Cincinnati. I'm Jessie Balmert, state government reporter.

In the late 1880s, a group of vigilantes called the White Caps terrorized abusers, gamblers, alcoholics and "fast women." The outlaws would wear disguises (and white caps) as they burned down saloons and whipped anyone who didn't abide by their moral code.

Desperate for a solution, Ohio’s leaders passed a law penalizing any group of three or more that commits a crime while masked.

More than 135 years later, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, is warning university presidents that pro-Palestine protesters could run afoul of that same obscure law, turning minor trespassing violations into career-altering felonies.

Ohio is one of more than a dozen states with laws against masked crimes. Most were passed to fight back against the Ku Klux Klan. But should they be used against college protesters today?

Opponents of these laws say concealment can protect protesters from harassment. Yost says the law is fine because it’s only imposed on masked protesters who trespass or commit another crime.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Obscure law could turn college protesters into felons | Daily Briefing