LYNCHBURG CRIMINAL DEFENSE BLOG
What’s a whisper stop?
In this country, the authorities are only supposed to perform stops and searches when they have a valid reason to do so. It’s your Constitutional right to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures, after all. That means that if the police see you run a red light...
Theft, robbery and burglary: What’s the difference?
If you take someone else's property without their permission, it’s always a crime -- but the terms “theft, burglary and robbery” each have distinct meanings under the law. Ordinary theft, or “larceny” in Virginia, is the most basic crime of the three. It basically...
Some first-time drug offenders may avoid harsh penalties
Virginia is one of several states known to impose harsh penalties for those convicted of drug crimes. Depending on the charges involved, a convicted offender may face significant jail time as well as expensive fines. However, some first-time offenders may qualify for...
Virginia moves to decriminalize marijuana
Virginia is one of many states that has already legalized medical marijuana for certain patients. Now, however, it joins a growing movement to largely decriminalize possession of small amounts of the drug completely. Lawmakers have passed legislation decriminalizing...
Has Virginia’s criminal justice reform gone far enough?
Justice is supposed to be equal for everyone. Racial inequities hard-wired into the system, however, often create problems with disparate treatment based largely on a defendant’s skin tone. It’s a problem that’s so obvious that it’s almost universally acknowledged by...
The reason a public defender may not be able to defend you
If you've ever seen a movie or television show where someone gets arrested, you likely know that the right to an attorney or legal representation when facing criminal charges is one of your fundamental rights as an American citizen. That is why the right is included...
Eyewitnesses are often wrong
One of the biggest issues with the criminal justice system is that it’s dangerous to trust witnesses. They may think they know what happened, they may believe they know what they saw, and they may offer a testimony to the jury that is incredibly compelling. However,...
Virginia men face harsh possible sentences after drug arrests
If you drive about three hours due east of Lynchburg, you find yourself staring at Windsor Castle. No, not the enormous stone palace that is home to the UK’s royal family, but rather the much smaller, much more modest historic home in Toano, Virginia. Three men at a...
Virginia ranks 37th in nation in DUI arrest rates
A TV station about two hours east of Lynchburg recently reported that Virginia’s drunk driving arrest rate ranks 37th in the nation. Our rate of arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol was 253.4 per 100,000 residents. The national average is 330 DUI arrests...
Virginia man arrested after undercover drug investigation
It is about a two-hour drive southwest of Lynchburg to get to Henry County. The sheriff’s office there recently announced that it had made an arrest after conducting an undercover drug investigation. A 31-year-old Collinsville man has been arrested and charged with...
