Among the changes to the Virginia criminal law and procedure codes that became effective March 1, 2021 include:
- The authority of local prosecutors to dismiss any criminal case
- A bar on police from searching due to the odor of marijuana
- A ban on no-knock search warrants
- The creation of more secondary traffic infractions to prevent pretextual stops by law enforcement
- The enactment of a hate crime offense to falsely call police on a person due to his or her race
- The enactment of mandatory de-escalation training for police officers
You can read more here. Be sure to check back in July for LeCruise Law’s annual criminal legislative update.