COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Supreme Court of Ohio has ruled that a former Austintown man was not eligible to be released from prison early.

Daniel Staffrey was serving a sentence of 15 to 50 years in prison for sexually and physically assaulting his ex-wife while holding her against her will for three hours in 1995. His sentence took effect in July of 1996.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that a Mahoning County Trial Court and the Ohio Seventh District Court of Appeals wrongfully allowed him to be released from prison early.

According to Court News Ohio, Staffrey appealed his sentence, arguing that he should have received a definite sentence rather than the indefinite sentence he received, citing Senate Bill 2, which replaced indefinite sentences with determinate sentences.

However, this appeal was rejected in 1999 when the court ruled that Senate Bill 2 only applied to crimes committed after the law took effect in 1996.

Another change in the law happened in 2009 with House Bill 86, which said anyone who on or after April 7, 2009 is serving a stated prison term that includes one or more non-mandatory prison terms and has already completed their mandatory term is eligible for judicial release.

Staffrey argued that he had completed his mandatory term of 15 years and should be eligible for judicial release. However, this was once again denied with the court stating that this law only applies to "stated prison terms."

In 2021, Staffrey argued that a provision in law defines a "stated prison term" as a sentence that includes a "non-life delony indefinite prison term." The court once again rejected this argument stating that this provision in the law does not apply to sentences given before Senate Bill 2 took effect.

Eventually, Staffrey was granted judicial release during a 2023 hearing ruling that the definition of "eligible offender" had expanded in 2011 to include inmates serving indefinite sentences like Staffrey. He was placed on five years of probation following his release.

However, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that the court erred in granting release stating that the appeals court failed to consider the full definition of an "eligible offender."

All justices agreed except for Jennifer Brunner, who argued that Staffrey did meet the definition of an "eligible offender" because the expanded law does not explicitly exclude those sentenced before Senate Bill 2 took effect.

The Supreme Court remanded the case to the trial court and ordered it to deny Staffrey's request for release.