Three Generations of Excellence 80 Years of Seeking Justice

John H. Rion

Criminal Defense Attorney in Dayton

John H. Rion is board certified in the field of criminal law and he has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America® since 1983. He is the former president of the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, has served for two terms as Chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee of the Ohio State Bar Association, and has tried more than 300 felony jury trials, including capital cases.

He is admitted to the Ohio State Bar, US District Court for Southern District of Ohio, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.

Honors

Listed in Best Lawyers of America® under Criminal Law 1981 – Present
Listed in Best Lawyers in Ohio® 2000 – Present
Listed in Ohio Super Lawyers® 2000 – Present
Board Certified and re-certified in field of Criminal Law by the National Board of Legal
Specialty Certification (One of few in the country), 1988 – Present
Fellow of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, 2005 – Present
Appointed to Governor’s Task Force on Prison and Jail Crowding, 1989
Chairman, Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1990
President, Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1989
Vice-President, Montgomery County Trial Lawyers Association, 1989-1990
Chairman, Criminal Justice Committee of the Ohio State Bar Association, 1989-1991
Board of Trustees of Montgomery County Trial Lawyers, 1990- Present
Listed in The National Directory of Criminal Lawyers
Acting Judge – Springfield Municipal – 2010
Board of Governors, The Ohio State University, College of Humanities-HUMAS – 1993-1996
Martindale-Hubbell® AV® Rated
Appeared on the Phil Donahue Show 1996
Appeared on Court T.V., 1997 – 2009
Appeared on Dateline NBC, 1999 and 2000
Appeared on American Justice, 2005
Appeared on 48 Hours, 2005
Appeared as a T.V. Commentator on the acclaimed PBS Fred Friendly Series
Member of Committee Setting Standards for Board Certification for the Ohio State Bar
Association by appointment of the President, 1999
Vice President, American Board of Criminal Lawyers, 2009 – 2013;
Treasurer, American Board of Criminal Lawyers, 2014 – 2015
Listed in The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers 2010-Present
Recipient of the 2015 Martin Luther King Presidential Award from Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Recipient of Commendation Certificate from The State of Ohio, House of Representatives 2016
President, American Board of Criminal Lawyers, 2017

Current Professional Memberships

Dayton Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, California Defense Lawyer’s Association,
Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (life member), Montgomery County Trial Lawyers
Association, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (life member), American Board of
Criminal Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers

Bars Admitted

Ohio State Bar
United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
United States Supreme Court

Practiced by Permission – Pro Hac Vice

Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
British Columbia
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Mexico
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
Vermont
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Lectures

Over 40 lectures to lawyers for the:

Ohio State Bar Association
Ohio Public Defenders
Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Ohio Judicial Conference at Akron, Athens, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, and Dayton

Writings

Superintendence Rule for Ohio Regarding Qualifications Required for Attorneys in Death Penalty Cases
Published numerous articles in Dayton Bar Briefs
Quarterly Column in Vindicator, publication of the Ohio Association of Criminal Lawyers – published in excess of 30 articles

Degrees Earned

Bachelor’s Degree, The Ohio State University 1965 – Philosophy Major
Doctor of Jurisprudence, University of Toledo 1969

Career History

Rion, Rion & Rion, L.P.A., Inc., was founded by Paul W. Rion in 1938, John H. Rion’s Father, and Jon Paul Rion’s Grandfather. The Firm has continued to serve clients for over 80 years, through three generations.
Partner, Rion, Rion & Rion Co., L.P.A. 1969-1987
President, John H. Rion & Associates 1988 – 1998
- 95% Criminal Law
Rion, Rion and Rion, L.P.A., Inc. 1998-present
Over 300 career Felony Jury Trials
Examined thousands of witnesses in over 750 serious motions to suppress/dismiss

Career-Related Activities

Co-Chairman and Co-Author of Rule 20 Committee of the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio prescribing qualifications for attorneys in Death Penalty cases.
Examiner for National Board of Trial Advocacy

Contact Rion, Rion & Rion at (937) 223-9133 to learn more.

Our Reviews

They Do Prestige Work
“They are a wonderful Law Firm throughout Ohio”

Lashawn Pope
MASTER negotiator.
“I grew up in Dayton, Ohio during the 1970's. At that time the law firm of Rion, Rion, & Rion led by John H. Rion was THE law firm to retain. The name Rion, Rion, & Rion commanded immediate respect throughout the entire legal community. Well, here we are in 2017 with Jon Paul Rion (son) at the helm and they have not missed a beat. Jon Paul is nothing short of a strategic master whose vision and wisdom is nothing short of eerie. We were fortunate to have Jon Paul bring his father (John H.) in to consult on our case. Jon Paul recently told me that he had just attended a conference with 100 of the greatest legal minds in the country in attendance. He neglected to mention that he was raised by one of those such minds in his own household (his Dad). It is an unforgettable experience to see what happens when the two of them walk into a courtroom together. I refer to them as my 'Michael and Gabriel'. The legal knowledge,wisdom, and understanding that Jon Paul brings to the table combined with his authentic and heartfelt compassion for his clients coupled with the fact that he is extraordinarily liked and appreciated by the legal community makes for a 'Royal Flush' ( don't underestimate the power of the fact that people truly like and respect him). He is a MASTER negotiator. Bottom line, my family feels blessed and special to have him as our attorney. Jon Paul, his father, and his entire firm makes the 'impossible' 'possible'. Oh by the way, the staff is superior in every way. Thanks for ALWAYS taking my calls Emily.”

Joseph
They did a outstanding job with my case.
“Amazing guys there make sure they can get the best done for you with circumstances and they did a outstanding job with my case did a lot more then what I imagined and they didn’t burn a hole in my pocket either”

Chance
Diligent and knowledgeable attorney.
“Jon Paul Rion is diligent and knowledgeable attorney. Jon Paul always told me what was happening and did exactly what he said he would do, which was get a great result. Everyone at Rion, Rion & Rion was very polite and courteous. I highly recommend Jon Paul Rion. Thank you very much Jon for what you have done for me!”

Aaron
I never even stepped foot into the courtroom.
“He was recommended by a family friend that had read about him on several occasions in the local newspaper. I had consulted with 3 other attorneys and JP Rion was my last stop. The only other attorney I considered using quoted me $15 - $20K to handle the case with a $10K retainer. I mentioned to him I was going to speak with JP Rion before making my final decision and he had nothing but good things to say about JP Rion and said I couldn't go wrong either way. At my initial consultation JP Rion listened to my story and said he thought he could get it thrown out before a trial was needed. I gave him $4,500 and everything I could come up with to help exonerate myself. After we received discovery from the prosecution we got together to review the evidence and fill the gaps. When we got to the pretrial he did his thing and the charges were dismissed. I never even stepped foot into the courtroom. The other reviewer stated her husband was charged $4,500 up front and when it was time to go to trial he demanded another $3,000. I was told this by JP Rion up front in my initial consultation. Within a week of paying the $4,500 I received a letter in the mail explaining what the $4,5000 did and did not cover. It also reiterated the additional $3,000 due should we need to go to trial. I had to sign this letter and return it. I would assume this is S.O.P. so I'm not sure why she was surprised.”

Joseph

Recent Case Results
Helping Our Clients Achieve the Best Possible Outcome

Not Guilty Aggravated Murder

In July of 2015, the Defendant was charged with the murder of a man in Springfield. After hiring our office, we worked hard with the Defendant and his family to prepare the best defense for our client. The trial lasted two days and resulted in a Not Guilty verdict on all charges by the Jury.
Conviction Vacated Appeal | State vs. K.M. (2nd District Court of Appeals)

Client was charged, and later found guilty of, tampering with evidence kept by a government entity (F3). We appealed the case on the grounds that the trial court erred in not granting the client’s motion to dismiss stating that the statute of limitations had expired. In late 2018, the appellate court reversed the client’s judgement and vacated the client’s conviction.
Dismissed Civil Stalking Protection Order | Against our client

Our client received paperwork that a Civil Stalking Protection Order was placed against our client. We challenged the protection order, asking for a directed verdict. The Judge agreed, stating that there was no threats of physical harm to the alleged victim and the mental distress evidence was not sufficient.
Case Dismissed OVI

The Defendant was on the way back from a friend’s house when she was pulled over in her car for crossing over the marked lines. She was charged with an OVI. While waiting for her chance before the jury, the Defendant was granted driving privileges with the help of our office. At the Suppression Hearing, the OVI case was dismissed and the Defendant only had to pay court costs.
Acquitted Robbery (Physical Harm) F2 | State vs. J.M.

Client was accused of robbing a local Rite Aid and charged with robbery while using/threatening to use physical harm. After 2 days of trial and 4 ½ hours of deliberation, a jury returned a not guilty verdict.
Not Guilty | Reduced Charge Sex Crime Charges

The Defendant was charged with one count of attempted rape and one count of abduction. After multiple hearings with the prosecution and Judge, the case went to the Jury. When the trial concluded after two days, the Jury found the Defendant Not Guilty of attempted rape and Guilty of a lesser charge of unlawful restraint. He only had to serve 60 days which his jail time credit counted for.
Not Guilty Unlawful Restraint M3 | State vs. BV

Client was accused of unlawful restraint while in her position in the health care field. Our client maintained her innocence throughout the case. After 2 days of trial, the jury returned a not guilty verdict.

Why Rion, Rion & Rion?

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80 Years of Experience
More than 500 Jury Trials Handled
Free Initial Case Evaluation
Available 24/7, 365 Days a Year
10.0 AVVO Rating
President of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers