Rachel Dissell, Author at The Land

Ohio is lifting old driver’s license suspensions for unpaid fines. Here’s what to know

By Rachel Dissell, The Marshall Project & Signal Cleveland ● Government ● March 20, 2025

The state will automatically cancel certain suspensions. Letters will be mailed to eligible drivers, sharing steps for getting licenses back.

How a 1963 Cleveland case shaped stop-and-frisk police tactics, and why it still matters

By Rachel Dissell, Signal Cleveland, Brittany Hailer & The Marshall Project ● Public Safety ● December 23, 2024

Under Cleveland’s consent decree, police have to track each stop.

What People Behind Bars in Ohio Really Think About the ‘Prosecutor vs. Felon’ Election

By The Marshall Project, Rachel Dissell & Doug Livingston ● Civic Engagement ● October 24, 2024

The Marshall Project asked nearly 3,000 people living in prison and jail for their thoughts on the race between Harris and Trump and his 34 felonies.

Meet the 2024 Ohio Supreme Court candidates

By The Marshall Project, Rachel Dissell & Signal Cleveland ● Government ● October 10, 2024

Get to know the candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge guides for the 2024 election

By The Marshall Project, Rachel Dissell & Signal Cleveland ● Government ● October 9, 2024

Get to know the judges you’ll be voting for in November.

Not ‘Mini-Adult Court’: Lawyers Lacking Qualifications Defended 1,200 Cuyahoga County Kids

By Doug Livingston & Rachel Dissell ● Government ● September 12, 2024

Juvenile Court judges will now track qualifications, but insist the state system creates barriers keeping experienced attorneys from defending kids.

A diptych photo shows Judge Jennifer O'Malley, left, a White woman, and Judge Thomas F. O'Malley, right, a White man, in judge's robes and seated in a courtroom.

For a Handful of Lawyers in Cuyahoga County, Juvenile Cases Are Big Business

By Doug Livingston & Rachel Dissell ● Government ● March 23, 2024

Judges steered two-thirds of cases involving kids accused of crimes to just 10 lawyers in one year, according to a Marshall Project – Cleveland analysis.

He’s 23 and in an Ohio Prison for Exposing Someone to HIV – Even Though He Couldn’t Transmit the Virus

By Ken Schneck & Rachel Dissell ● Government ● March 14, 2024

Ohio has six laws that criminalize living with HIV leading to at least 200 prosecutions in recent years. Caymir Weaver is one of them.

Illustration of a courtroom scene. Standing before a judge, with their backs to the viewer, are a man in a suit and a juvenile in an orange jumpsuit.

How Cuyahoga County picks attorneys to represent children

By Rachel Dissell, Doug Livingston & Stephanie Casanova ● Government ● January 11, 2024

Children accused of crimes have the right to an attorney in Ohio, just like adults. In Cuyahoga County, six juvenile court judges make the decision to appoint a public defender or private attorney, using a variety of criteria.

An illustration shows the back of a Black man looking up at a tall building, the Cuyahoga County Justice Center. In front of the building is a panel of three portraits, representing a roulette of judges.

Cuyahoga County Judges Vowed to Reform the Bail System. Here’s What Happened.

By Rachel Dissell & Ilica Mahajan ● Social Equity ● September 11, 2023

Court officials informally changed their bail-setting practices for felony cases. Now, fewer people have to pay to get out of jail, a Marshall Project analysis shows.

Rachel Dissell

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