An alibi is a form of evidence used to defend against a criminal charge by demonstrating that the accused was somewhere other than the scene of the crime when the crime was committed.
In Ohio, as in other jurisdictions, an alibi is a defense strategy used in criminal proceedings where the defendant aims to prove they were in a different location at the time the alleged crime was committed, and therefore could not have been involved in the crime. Ohio Rule of Criminal Procedure 12.1 requires that if a defendant intends to use an alibi defense, they must provide the prosecution with a notice of alibi. This notice must include specific information about the place or places where the defendant claims to have been at the time of the alleged offense, as well as the names and addresses of the witnesses the defense intends to call to support the alibi. The prosecution is then required to respond with the names and addresses of the witnesses they intend to present to rebut the alibi. This exchange of information is designed to prevent surprise at trial and to allow both sides to investigate the validity of the alibi claim. Failure to provide notice of an alibi may result in the evidence being excluded at trial.
