Lynchburg Criminal Defense Blog

If you are the parent of a Virginia college student and your son or daughter is facing a drug-related criminal charge, you may have concerns about how a conviction might impact his or her life. In addition to fines, possible jail time and other potential penalties, your college student may also face “collateral consequences” relating to the crime, with collateral consequences referring to any repercussions that do not stem directly from the court system.

According to U.S. News & World Report, one of those collateral consequences your child may face after a drug conviction is a loss of student loan eligibility. Almost any type of drug conviction can cause your child to lose financial aid, including possession charges, sales charges and conspiring to sell charges. Now, whether your child will actually lose his or her ability to receive student loans depends on when, exactly, he or she committed the crime.

Getting a divorce is not something most people in Virginia ever think about rushing to do. However, with the looming introduction of the new tax law on January 1, 2019, some couples may well be doing just this. The reason for this is that the way in which alimony payments will be taxed is going to change significantly when the calendar turns to a new year.

Instead of the person who receives spousal support paying income tax on the money, the person who pays spousal support will be paying income tax on the money. This will apply to any divorce finalized in 2019 even if it was initiated in 2018. It may also apply to any divorce agreement finalized before 2019 but that has been modified in 2019. One may consider that the government is looking at alimony as a way of getting more tax income.

As a resident of Virginia facing your first DUI-related charge, you can easily be overwhelmed by anxieties and confusion. During this time, the legal guidance of Mark B. Arthur can be an irreplaceable tool in helping you decide what your next move should be.

A first time DUI-related offense will generally come with the lowest of potential penalties. Each subsequent offense will end with you facing higher fees, longer jail sentences, and more severe repercussions. But that doesn't mean you should take your first DUI charge lightly, either. Even one DUI-related charge can come with severe penalties. They can include:

• Up to one year of license suspension
• $250 in fees
• 5 days in jail for a BAC of .15 or higher, minimum
• 10 days in jail for a BAC of .20 or higher, minimum
• Ignition interlock device for up to 6 months

Assault and battery is a serious term that applies to any situation in which someone fears immediate physical harm, or has actually been physically harmed. However, assault charges and battery charges can also be two separate categories. It's possible to face an assault charge without a battery charge, and vice versa.

The Legal Dictionary defines assault and battery as an unlawful physically violent act against a person. It can be with or without physical injury, as long as the victim claims fear of injury at some point during the confrontation.