State v. Wise, Unpublished Decision (7-13-1999)

Kenneth Irvin Wise appeals his conviction for operating a motor vehicle without a license, failing to display license plates, and failure to wear a seatbelt. Wise contends that the Gallipolis Municipal Court did not have subject matter jurisdiction over the traffic violations, because Article I of the Ohio Constitution guarantees an unalienable right to travel, which the state cannot convert into a mere privilege by operation of a licensure-based traffic regulatory scheme. We disagree, because the Ohio Constitution vests the General Assembly with (1) the power to protect the safety and…