Virginians will be no less safe in their person or in their possessions when the laws become more just, fair and equally applied regardless of one’s race.
February 4, 2021 at 10:45am
This is an opinion column by Del. Ken Plum (D), who represents Reston in Virginia’s House of Delegates. It does not reflect the opinion of Reston Now.
Under current Virginia law a person who steals something of value less than $1,000 can be punished by up to 12 months in jail with fines up to $2,500 along with any restitution that might be owed. As tough as that sentence may seem, if that same person commits another misdemeanor larceny of whatever amount less than a thousand dollars within any time frame in the future, that person under current law can be jailed for between 30 days and 12 months. A third or any subsequent offense at any time in the future results in a Class 6 felony with up to five years in prison.
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Adult-use marijuana is likely to be legalized in Virginia this year, but some sticking points still need to be worked out before that can happen. (Photo: Alex Scribner/VPM News)
State lawmakers are moving at breakneck speed to legalize recreational marijuana in Virginia and provide a clean slate for thousands of people previously convicted of marijuana offenses.
The proposals now before the General Assembly are lengthy and complex and will likely continue to be finessed over the coming weeks before reaching Governor Ralph Northam’s desk. Although law enforcement groups largely oppose legalization, some form of the legislation will likely pass, and advocates say the process has been thorough.
Virginia courts could consider a defendantâs autism diagnoses under proposed law A police officer walks into the John Marshall Courthouse in downtown Richmond. (Source: Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) By Ned Oliver | February 1, 2021 at 9:20 AM EST - Updated February 1 at 9:20 AM
Virginia lawmakers are advancing legislation that would allow more defendants in criminal cases to present evidence that they suffer from mental illness or intellectual disabilities.
Current state code bars judges and juries from hearing such testimony before the sentencing phase of a trial except in cases in which a defendant pleads not guilty by reason of insanity â a defense thatâs difficult to raise in Virginia and, if accepted, can result in indefinite detention in a state mental hospital.
The Virginia State Capitol. (Photo: Craig Carper/VPM News)
A bill to end mandatory minimum sentences in Virginia cleared its first hurdle in the General Assembly Monday.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the legislation 9-6, and referred it to the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee.
Proponents of the bill say mandatory minimum sentences do not reduce crime, as they are purported to do. They also say they’re disproportionately imposed on people of color. According to the Virginia Department of Corrections, Black people have more mandatory minimum sentences than their white counterparts. Proponents of the change also say they tie the hands of judges and juries, who are expected to use discretion in sentencing.