If you are arrested, your first words and actions may majorly affect the severity of the charges you will face or how your case is presented to the court. It is crucial that you retain the services of a criminal defense lawyer immediately who can help protect your freedom. If you are arrested, the first…
Once you are arrested, you will be booked. In Virginia, as most states, booking includes taking your photo and fingerprints. You will be brought before a magistrate who will decide your initial bond, which must be paid for you to be released from jail. The amount will depend on the type and severity of your…
Any driver caught driving on a suspended or revoked license may face charges. Anyone caught three or more times will receive a mandatory jail sentence. For each suspension or revocation, a driver’s license will be revoked or suspended for an additional period of time. A driver facing these charges needs to seek counsel from a…
The United States Constitution guarantees all American citizens certain rights. Specifically, the 4th Amendment guarantees that every person has the right to avoid unreasonable search and seizure. There have been many court cases throughout the years determining when a search is unreasonable and what actions actually constitute a search for 4th Amendment purposes. The Supreme…
It is common knowledge that when a person commits a crime, there may be criminal consequences. This is also true for accomplices, or people who aid, assist, or encourage others to commit crimes. When a person did not personally commit a crime there are many defenses that an attorney may be able to raise.
The Supreme Court ruled this week that police must usually obtain a warrant before making a suspected drunk driver submit to a blood test. In an 8-to-1 vote, the court ruled on a case from Missouri where a state trooper drove a suspected drunk driver to a local hospital and ordered the man’s blood be…
A new law in Virginia now makes it a primary offense for drivers to text while driving. The new law, that the Governor signed last month, raises the fines from $20 to $125 for the first offense and a $250 fine for a second offense. It also makes the action a primary offense instead of…
Many Virginia criminal laws are not being updated to keep up with changing technologies. For example, anyone aged 18 or older in Virginia caught “sexting” or possessing nude photos of anyone underage could face child pornography charges. A recent article in The News & Advance discusses the challenges with some aging criminal codes in Virginia by…
Gov. Bob McDonnell proposed an amendment to a bill changing Virginia’s texting while driving law this week by proposing lower fines for the new bill. McDonnell promised to not change the aim of the legislation, which makes using any mobile phone a primary offense in Virginia. This means an officer can pull over and cite a…
Lawmakers approved a measure Friday that would end the death penalty in Maryland and sent the bill to Gov. Martin O’Malley, a long-time supporter of abolishing capital punishment in the state. The House measure, which had passed the Senate earlier this month, passed with a 82-56 vote Friday. The governor has tried to repeal the…